Jumbo presence on field

Kevin Anderson walked into the football office at Tufts last March and made his pitch to Bill Samko: "Coach, I can't live without the game."

Eyeing his 6-foot-1-inch, 255-pound, two-time all-conference fullback, the sly Samko countered, "Kevin, I've made some other plans. I really need to think about this. Come and see me tomorrow."

Anderson turned and took a step or two toward the door before Samko bellowed, "Are you stupid?" with a chuckle.

This afternoon, when the Jumbos kick off their 134th season against NESCAC rival Wesleyan at the Ellis Oval, Anderson will line up in the Tufts backfield, determined to deliver thunderous blocks to clear paths for running backs Will Forde or Brad Ricketson, or to allow quarterback Anthony Fucillo an extra second or two in the pocket.

"It's all about being physical," said Anderson. And competing. And leading.

The Jumbos' 21-19 loss to Middlebury in last year's finale - which cost Tufts (5-3) at least a share of the league title - left Anderson and his teammates a bit sour. So with a year of eligibility remaining after missing the final seven games of his freshman season with mononucleosis, the former Hopkinton High standout signed on for another tour.

"Initially, my parents [John and Laura] weren't too keen about it, because Tufts isn't the cheapest school in the world, but after a while they understood," said Anderson, who is completing his degree in history this semester and working at Dwyer & Collora, a Boston law firm.

"Kevin is probably the smartest football player I've ever coached, and one of my favorite all-time players," said Samko, in his 15th season. "Matt Russo, our quarterback last year, said that Kevin could play all 11 positions on offense. He's a physical cat and a role model."

Anderson did not have one carry last season, but earned his second straight all-New England selection. He is legally blind in his right eye, yet had 14 receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown. And after he decided to return, his teammates unanimously voted him a captain for the second straight season.

"I feel like I can help the program another year, and I think that we can make another run at the league title," said Anderson, one of 19 seniors on the team.

The strong-armed Fucillo, a Winthrop High product who transferred from Colgate, impressed in the preseason, and Samko raves about junior linebacker Alex Perry.

In the NESCAC, "you just need to play well every day," said Samko. "There's Middlebury, and Trinity, and Williams, and Amherst . . . Five or six teams could win it."

On the road for the third time in four weeks, UMass (2-1) has a major task in Lubbock, Texas, this evening, facing a 3-0 Texas Tech squad that is averaging 43.7 points per game and is ranked 11th in the Bowl Subdivision.

Senior quarterback Graham Harrell (97 career TD passes) has coach Mike Leach's spread attack humming, and sophomore wideout Michael Crabtree (134 catches, 1,962 yards, 22 TDs as a freshman) is scary good.

"We will have to play our best game to date to have a chance," said UMass coach Don Brown, whose team lost, 52-38, at James Madison last week. While the focus is on Tech's prolific passing attack, "they will keep you honest with the running game."

UMass junior wideout Victor Cruz put up a 13-catch, school-record 262-yard performance at JMU. The Minutemen are facing their highest-ranked FBS foe since falling to seventh-ranked Kansas State, 38-7, in 2003.

Still smarting from last week's 34-27 OT loss at Georgia Southern, 0-2 Northeastern travels to Syracuse to face the winless Orange (0-3), who dropped to 7-31 in the Greg Robinson era with last week's 55-13 pounding by Penn State. Huskies senior quarterback Anthony Orio is coming off a career-best 287-yard performance on 24-of-38 passing.

"We have a darn good chance," said NU coach Rocky Hager.

Gold Helmet winner R.J. Toman and 10th-ranked New Hampshire (2-0) host Albany (1-0). The sophomore quarterback has completed 71.9 percent of his passes, with five TD throws last week against Rhode Island. Maine (2-1) plays at second-ranked Richmond (2-1).

Ranked No. 1 in New England Division 3, Curry (2-0) hosts Westfield State (2-0) in search of its 33d straight New England Football Conference win.

Upstart Becker (2-0) makes the 15-minute drive to WPI to take on the 2-0 Engineers, ranked second behind Curry.