WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. -- A second-quarter safety and a fourth-quarter touchdown were enough for host Williams College to prevail over Bates College Saturday, 8-7, in a showdown of winless New England Small College Athletic Conference football teams.
Williams (1-2) sophomore quarterback Pat Lucey connected with junior tight end Jim O'Leary for a 5-yard touchdown pass on fourth down early in the fourth quarter, erasing the 7-2 lead the Bobcats (0-3) owned after three periods. Williams stood up Bates on the visitors' final two possessions to preserve the win.
Bates outperformed Williams in total offense, 206 yards to 177, and in first downs, 16 to 9. The Bates defense held Williams to 56 yards on 28 rushing attempts.
Bates tailback Eric Obeng (Wellesley, Mass.) carried the ball 35 times for 110 yards, including a 3-yard touchdown run in the second quarter that gave the Bobcats a 7-0 lead.
The Ephs got on the scoreboard with 12:12 remaining in the second quarer when Bates punter Tyler Schmelz fumbled a snap in his own end zone and was chased out of it for a safety by Williams defensive back Jonathan Poppe.
That was all the scoring until early in the fourth quarter, when Williams took possession at its own 45 yard line. A pair of 18-yard passes from Lucey to Kevin Flynn and junior Jon Drenckhahn keyed the Ephs' drive to the Bates 8.
After three rushing plays, the Ephs faced a 4th-and-goal at hte 5. Lucey took the snap and rolled to his right, pulling up and floating a pass back to the left, where O'Leary stood wide open in the front of the end zone.
A missed 2-point conversion try left the Williams lead at 8-7 with 10:05 to play.
Seven straight rushes for 20 yards from Obeng, followed by two straight passes by Bates quarterback Brandon Colon (Manchester, N.H.) for 21 yards, brought the Bobcats to the Ephs' 15. But Colon fumbled on the ensuing play and the ball was recovered by Eph defensive lineman Mike Eisert.
On Bates' final possession, Colon connected with Anthony Arger (Reno, Nev.) for 15 yards on a 4th-and-10 play, but the drive fizzled with four straight incompletions.
Colon completed 13 of 28 pass attempts for 135 yards. Arger had four catches for 69 yards.
Sophomore Todd Wilcox (Brentwood, N.H.), sophomore Ron DiGravio (Farmington, Maine) and junior Chris Robinson (Alexandria, Va.) led the Bates defense with seven tackles apiece.
Bates plays at Wesleyan this Saturday. The Cardinals are also at 0-3, after losing to Colby 28-14 on Saturday.
BOX SCORE: http://www.williams.edu/athletics/sports/m_football/2005/box_scores/BATES.HTM
