AMHERST — The Amherst College football team has made the most out of playing at Pratt Field.
Its 41-0 victory over Colby last Saturday extended its home win streak to 11 games.
Since 2009, Amherst is 28-2 at home. Its two wins at home this season have been by shutout. Amherst has outscored opponents 75-0 this season at home.
Amherst hosts Tufts on Saturday.
The defense has been a major part of the success at Pratt Field. Amherst has allowed 280 total yards of offense at home. It’s made teams one-dimensional with its ability to stop the run. Hamilton and Colby combined for 34 yards rushing against Amherst.
“The most important aspect of stopping the run is maintaining your keys, gap integrity, and not being selfish,” senior defensive linemen Isaiah Holloway said.
The defense has allowed 11.4 points per game this season.
“Every team is trying to establish some sort of run game,” coach E.J. Mills said. “If we can eliminate that and force them into a must pass situation, it just allows everyone to play free.”
The offense has also played well at home. Its two best games have come at Pratt. The unit averages 37.5 points per game and around 400 yards of total offense per game. Amherst put up those numbers using two different styles of offense. In its first game against Hamilton, it had a balanced attack: 212 yards passing and 170 yards rushing. Against Colby, Amherst threw for 328 yards.
“You have to take what the offense gives you,” Mills said. “If we are able to make big plays, it really just loosens up our offense.”
No matter what the game plan is, the team always seems ready to play at Pratt Field.
“We love playing at home,” Mills said. “The guys love the facility and we have great fans who support us at every game.”