WATERVILLE — That 0-4 start is a fading memory for the Colby College football team. Playing their final home game of the season Saturday, the Mules rallied in the second half to take a 20-10 win over Tufts.

“We’re a work in progress, and we’re getting better as the season goes on. The finest teams we’ve had here are fourth-quarter teams, in the figurative and literal sense. They’re in the fourth quarter of our season, and guys are starting to play well,” Colby coach Ed Mestieri said. “Confidence is a remarkable quality. It just brings out the best in what you have to give.”

Colby improves to 3-4 and has a chance to win the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin title next week at Bowdoin, which lost 24-2 at Bates on Saturday. For Tufts (0-7), it was the 14th consecutive loss, dating to last season.

Colby took the lead for good when Ian Leitch scored on a 1-yard run with 1:54 left in the third quarter. It was a fourth-and-goal play, and it was Colby’s second consecutive crack at the end zone from inside the 1.

“We had a miscommunication on third down, and we didn’t get the play called we wanted to get called. On fourth down, we went with a play that’s designed to get you about a foot, and we got about a foot, and it was just enough to get us the score,” Mestieri said. “We weren’t kicking a field goal then. You’ve got to go for the touchdown.”

Trailing 10-7 late in the first half, Colby had a drive stalled when quarterback Nick Kmetz was sacked at the Jumbos 21-yard line with 11 seconds to play. With no timeouts left, the Mules were unable to stop the clock and went into the half down three points.

“You get a few opportunities in games, and to get so close and come away with nothing, and having to sit there for 20 minutes at halftime, remembering how close you were, that’s frustrating, but it provided a little fuel,” Kmetz said.

Kmetz, who ran for 49 yards and a pair of touchdowns, put the game out of reach with an 11-yard touchdown run with 8:29 left in the game.

“We’re a zone read team, and a lot of it depends on how they defend us. The last touchdown, (Kmetz is) reading the linebacker. The linebacker blitzed, so he’s running. If the linebacker sagged, he would have thrown the ball to the running back on a swing route,” Mestieri said.

The Mules held Tufts to just 77 yards in the second half. A pass rush that struggled the first month of the season picked up four sacks, including two from Ryan Veillette.

“We were switching it up with a four-man pass rush and a three-man pass rush. We tried to widen out the ends this week. We got a real good pass rush this week, so that might have been a contributor to that. Everybody was just relentless. Kalu (Kalu) in the middle, me and Lester (Batiste) on the sides, and Jenks (Michael Jenkins),” said Veillette, who led Colby with nine tackles. “We’re just clicking, I guess. We always had the talent.”

Tufts took a 7-0 lead on the game’s opening drive, when Mike Cresham took a 5-yard touchdown pass from Johnny Lindquist. The Mules tied it when Kmetz scampered down the left sideline for a 17-yard touchdown run with 4:16 left in the first quarter.

Adam Auerbach hit a 35-yard field goal early in the second quarter to give the Jumbos a 10-7 lead. Christian Romano had a pair of fourth-quarter interceptions for Colby, including one in the end zone with 1:31 left in the game.

Cony graduate Luke Duncklee had five carries for 27 yards for the Mules.

Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242

[email protected]