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Nate Wildman runs with the ball and avoids a tackle against Bowdoin in September 2023
Photo: Josh McKee (https://www.mckeephotoarts.com/)
Nate Wildman '27
14
Hamilton HAMILTON 0-2 , 0-2
17
Winner Amherst AMHERST 1-1 , 1-1
Hamilton HAMILTON
0-2 , 0-2
14
Final
17
Amherst AMHERST
1-1 , 1-1
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
HAMILTON Hamilton 7 0 7 0 14
AMHERST Amherst 7 0 0 10 17

Game Recap: Football | | Jim Taylor

Football edged 17-14 at Amherst, Wildman '27 runs for two scores

First-year finished with 119 rushing yards on 35 carries for the Continentals

AMHERST, Mass. – Amherst College scored 10 points in the final 2:32 of the fourth quarter and the Mammoths rallied for a 17-14 NESCAC win against the Hamilton College Continentals at Amherst's Pratt Field at Lehrman Stadium on a damp and breezy Saturday, Sept. 23.
 

Season Update

  • Hamilton dropped to 0-2 and is averaging 13 points per game.
  • The Mammoths evened their record at 1-1. Amherst dropped its season opener 21-7 at Middlebury College.
 

How It Happened

  • Trailing 14-7 in the fourth quarter, the Mammoths forced a three-and-out by the Continentals. Sam Gerber signaled for a fair catch on a 31-yard punt at his own 36, but a Hamilton player was flagged for running into Gerber, and Amherst started its drive at the Continentals 49 with 4:50 left.
  • John Collier was 5 of 6 passing on the drive, including a 14-yard strike to Cato Legaspi for a touchdown with 2:32 remaining. The play was the first of the day for the Mammoths inside Hamilton's 20-yard line. Matthew Kelley kicked the extra point and tied the score.
  • On third-and-10 from the Continentals 25, Hamilton quarterback Luke Kurzum '27 dropped back to pass and was hit just as he released the ball. Luke Harmon intercepted the pass for Amherst at the 39-yard line and was finally forced out-of-bounds at the 5.
  • The Continentals defense gave up only one yard on three rushing plays, but Kelley's 21-yard field goal attempt split the uprights with 1:13 to go, and the Mammoths led 17-14.
  • Hamilton drove 36 yards in nine plays to the Amherst 48. With four seconds left, Kurzum was forced to try a Hail Mary pass, and the ball was knocked down inside the 10 as time ran out.
  • The Mammoths scored on their opening drive as Tariq Muhammed broke some tackles and scampered 63 yards for a touchdown on the third play of the game.
  • The Continentals tied the score on their first drive. Kurzum started the drive with a 31-yard completion to Michael Lau '24, and a 15-yard personal foul penalty for a face mask on a four-yard run by Jack Hoag '27 put the ball at the Amherst 32.
  • Nate Wildman '27 carried the ball four times for 23 yards, including nine yards off right tackle and into the end zone just 4:10 into the first quarter. Ben Waterman '27 tied the score with the extra point.
  • Seven combined punts by both teams and a turnover on downs by the Mammoths followed Wildman's touchdown run. Hamilton broke the 7-7 tie midway through the third quarter after a 14-yard punt return by Joseph Campanella '26 put the Continentals at their own 42 with 8:51 remaining in the third quarter.
  • Kurzum completed a 17-yard pass to Lucas Perez-Segnini '25 at the Amherst 35, but the rest of the drive was all Wildman. The first-year had eight carries for 39 yards, and his plunge across the goal line on third-and-goal from the 2 gave Hamilton a 13-7 lead with 4:17 to go in the third.
  • The Mammoths' next four drives ended with three punts and an interception at the Continentals 35 early in the fourth quarter.
 

Notes

  • Wildman, in just his second game at Hamilton, ran for 119 yards and the two touchdowns on 35 attempts. He also caught a pass for 14 yards.
  • Kurzum was 12 of 29 passing for 152 yards.
  • Nick Hoff '24 was credited with a career-high 10 tackles, including eight solo stops.
  • Kyle Bratcher '26 collected his first interception with the Continentals and finished with two passes defended.
  • Grant Blackburn '26 recorded his first career sack at Hamilton.
  • Collier finished 20 of 32 for 157 yards for Amherst. Gerber was his favorite target as the sophomore had eight catches for 73 yards.
  • Harmon was everywhere defensively as he ended up with nine tackles, including the Mammoths' lone sack, and the 34-yard interception return.
  • The Continentals defense allowed just 260 yards and 14 first downs by Amherst.
  • Hamilton was a perfect 3 of 3 on fourth down conversions.
 

Next Game

The Continentals play at Wesleyan University (2-0) on Saturday, Sept. 30 at 1 p.m.
 
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