• Bates Athletics invites the community to 'Cats Carnival before the Bowdoin game.

Saturday's game is also Senior Night and the Bobcats will honor the eight-man senior class of LB Peter Daley (Wilmington, Mass.), LB Zach Doyon (Eliot, Maine), OL Matt Flanagan (Sudbury, Mass.), FB Matt Golden (New Bedford, Mass.), captain DB Jon Lindgren (Plainville, Conn.), OL Jack O'Brien (West Roxbury, Mass.), OL Phil Simplicio (West Hartford, Conn.) and LB Conner Suraci (North Haven, Conn.). 

The Polar Bears (0-7) are surrendering a league-high 464.4 yards per game and allowing a league-high 41.6 points per game. Neither team is having much luck offensively this season, with Bowdoin averaging 13.9 points per game and Bates (0-7) averaging 11.4 points per game. 

Running back Nate Richam-Odoi makes the Bowdoin offense go, averaging 87.1 rushing yards per game, second in the NESCAC. His six rushing touchdowns are tied for second in the conference. Linebacker Joe Gowetski is the headliner on defense, averaging 8.7 tackles per game, third in the conference. He also has 4.5 sacks on the season, just a half sack behind teammate and fellow linebacker Noah Clack, who averages five sacks per game, tied for the NESCAC lead. 

Junior Brendan Costa (Westport, Mass.) is passing the ball more than ever before this season for Bates. He has completed 95 of 168 passes (56.5%) for a career-high 1,009 yards and four touchdowns. His rushing attempts are way down but Costa has still carried the ball 49 times for 202 yards and two touchdowns, second on the team behind junior Liam Spillane (Byfield, Mass.), who has carried the ball 71 times for 250 yards and a touchdown. 

Sophomore Jackson Hayes (San Marino, Calif.) leads the team in receptions (18) while sophomore Christian Olivieri (Hull, Mass.) is tops on the team in receiving yards (259). Four different Bobcats have caught touchdown passes this year, including first-year Mohamed Diawara (Philadelphia, Pa.), who leads the team in all-purpose yards (73.7 per game). Junior Christian Sanfilippo (Gloucester, Mass.) leads the team in points on the strength of his three rushing touchdowns.

Defensively, first-year Tony Hooks (New Rochelle, N.Y.) leads Bates in tackles with 45, including 30 solo stops and 1.5 sacks. Sophomore Mike Bulman (Hanover, Mass.) is second on the team in tackles (39) and tied for the team-lead in tackles for loss with Hooks (5.5).

THE PARTICULARS:
What: Bates (0-7) vs. Bowdoin (0-7)
When: Saturday, Nov. 2, 5:30 p.m.
Where: Garcelon Field (Lewiston, Maine)
Live Coverage: Video | Stats
 All-Time Series: Bowdoin leads 67-47-7
Previous Meeting: Bowdoin 31, Bates 14 (Nov. 3, 2018 in Brunswick, Maine)

BATES LAST WEEK

The Bates football team nearly came back from a 23-point deficit behind a career-high 268 passing yards from junior quarterback Brendan Costa before falling 23-20 at Colby on Saturday. 

The momentum was all on the side of the home team early. Colby (1-6) converted each of four first-half drives into points and held a 23-0 lead with less than a minute to play in the first half. Devin Marrocco rushed for three short touchdowns and Mule quarterback Matt Hersch went 7 for 13 for 130 yards on the four drives, completing passes to five different receivers. Running back Chris George picked up 28 yards and Marrocco added 36 to go with his three touchdowns. 

In the first 29 minutes of play the Bobcats (0-7) turned the ball over on downs twice, threw one interception, and punted the ball away once. With 40 seconds to play, Bates turned its fifth and final drive of the half into a 70-yard scoring drive, reaching the end zone as the clock ticked zero. Costa (Westport, Mass.) was 3-5 on the drive and accounted for all 70 yards through the air. He connected with sophomore Jackson Hayes (San Marino, Calif.) for a 47-yard touchdown to end the half. The game entered halftime with a score of 23-6. 

In the second half, Bates came out of the locker room and kept the momentum going. Colby was only able to gain 78 second-half yards to 147 from the Bobcats. The Bobcats stayed in the game with their stiff defense and their special teams play. Colby kicker/punter Moises Celaya was tormented by the Bobcats in the second half, having a field goal and a punt blocked, and also being tackled on another punt attempt. He was only able to get away two of his four punts, and those only netted 27 yards of field position on average.

Bates marched 52 yards on 11 plays after forcing a three-and-out to start the third quarter. Costa found sophomore Sean Bryant (Falmouth, Maine) for a 20-yard game to the Colby 23. Bryant had a terrific day, catching four balls for a game and career-high 89 yards. Bates worked the ball down to the one and on third and goal junior Liam Spillane (Byfield, Mass.) punched it in to trim the Colby lead to 23-12.

On the ensuing Colby drive, senior captain Jon Lindgren (Plainville, Conn.) blocked Celaya's field goal attempt with 4:46 left in the third quarter.

Down 23-12 entering the fourth quarter, the Bobcats struck again. On third and eight from their own 38, Costa rushed for 12 yards to midfield. Then he connected with Bryant for a 33-yard gain to the Colby 17. On 3rd and 13 from the Colby 20, Costa found first-year Mohamed Diawara (Philadelphia, Pa.) for the latter's first collegiate touchdown. Bates successfully went for two, with Costa passing the ball to junior Parker Smith (Claremont, N.H.), making the score 23-20 in favor of Colby. 

The Mules' defense stood strong when it mattered. Down three, Bates had the ball on the Colby 37-yard line after senior Peter Daley (Wilmington, Mass.) blocked Celaya's punt. The Mules held on three crucial plays in the red zone. Set up with a first and 10 from the 11 yard line, defensive lineman Patrick Sopko (six tackles, two for a loss, one sack) backed the Bobcats up when he reached around his blocker and dragged down Costa with one hand for a sack. On third and 17 it appeared Bates had taken the lead on a touchdown pass from Costa to sophomore Stephen Brackett (Sudbury, Mass.), but a holding penalty pulled the points off the board. The ensuing retry of third down fell incomplete, as did the fourth down attempt and the ball was turned over on downs.  

Bates got one final drive attempt with just over one minute to play. With the Bobcats set up by the second failed punt attempt at the Colby 45, the Mules held despite only rushing three and forced an incompletion on fourth and three that bounced in and out of the receiver's hands.  

Junior Jaason Lopez (Marblehead, Mass.) led Bates on the ground, rushing six times for 38 yards. Costa added 29 rushing yards to go along with his 19 completions and two passing touchdowns. Bryant led the Bobcat receivers but Hayes had a strong game as well, catching three passes for a career-high 73 yards and a touchdown. Diawara caught three balls for 47 yards and junior Isaiah Saunders (Tilton, N.H.) caught a pair of passes for 32 yards. 

Defensively, first-year Tony Hooks (New Rochelle, N.Y.) led all players with 13 tackles, including six solo stops and a tackle for loss. Junior Ramon Ruiz (Haskell, N.J.) notched a sack.

BOWDOIN LAST WEEK

The Middlebury College football team jumped to a 21-point lead in the first quarter and remained unbeaten with a 47-29 victory at Bowdoin on Saturday.

After trading possessions in the early going, Middlebury (7-0) scored quickly on its second drive of the day as Alex Maldjian broke free up the middle on the second play and scampered 45 yards to give the visitors a 7-0 advantage at 7:23 of the opening quarter. Middlebury doubled its lead later in the quarter as quarterback Will Jernigan capped a 6-play, 60-yard drive with a 23-yard keeper to the left pylon at 4:27. The Panthers made it a 21-point game with just 1:06 left in the opening frame as they covered 61 yards in six plays as Jernigan threaded a pass over the middle to Maxim Bochman from 13 yards out.

Bowdoin (0-7) came alive in the second quarter as Nate Richam took a pass from Matthew Marcantano over the middle and broke free for a 53-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 21-7. The Polar Bears looked to cut into Middlebury's lead later in the quarter, but Panther linebacker Jack Pistorius stepped in front of a Marcantano pass and returned it to the Bowdoin 1, and Maldjian dove into the end zone on the next play to give the Panthers a commanding 28-7 lead at the break.

Both teams poured it on offensively in the second half as Middlebury got an 18-yard TD run from Jernigan and a 17-yard strike from Jernigan to Bochman to increase the lead to 41-7.

Bowdoin scored 22 points in the fourth quarter, opening the period with a seven-yard touchdown run from Nate Richam-Odoi and a 22-yard scoring pass from Austin McCrum to Max Freedman.

Middlebury capped their scoring with a 22-yard pass from Ben Tauber to Joseph Mastrangelo, but the PAT was blocked by Bowdoin's Alex Tyson and returned for two points by Soren Birkeland with 3:26 on the clock.

The final Bowdoin touchdown of the day came from McCrum to Brendan Ward from 25 yards out to close the scoring with 37 seconds left.

BATES AND BOWDOIN'S LAST MEETING

The Bobcats struck first but the Bowdoin College Polar Bears scored 24 unanswered points over the span of two quarters to take command of the game, defeating the Bates football team 31-14 on Saturday, Nov. 3, 2018.

Nate Richam rushed 32 times for 130 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Polar Bears (1-7) to their first win over the Bobcats (0-8) since 2010. Bo Millett added six catches for 84 yards and a touchdown. 

Kyle Flaherty (Litchfield, Maine) was a workhorse for Bates, carrying the ball 15 times for 56 yards and two touchdowns. Liam Spillane (Byfield, Mass.) carried the ball 19 times for a team-high 57 yards, with a long run of 19 yards. Jackson Hayes (San Marino, Calif.) caught a pair of passes for 25 yards. 

Without quarterback Brendan Costa (Westport, Mass.), who missed the game due to an injury, Bates struggled on offense. The Bobcats got outgained by Bowdoin by a count of 252-167 on the evening.

The game started on a good note for Bates. Devin Clyburn (New York, N.Y.) picked off Bowdoin quarterback Austin McCrum and returned the ball 22 yards to the Polar Bear 27. But the Bobcats could not convert a first down and went four-and-out. 

Bates forced another turnover with 5:06 left in the opening quarter when Anthony Costa (West Springfield, Mass.) picked off a pass of his own at the Bates 43. 

But the Bobcats went three-and-out and neither team ended up scoring in the first quarter.

Bates got on the board first on its opening drive of the second quarter. Starting at their own 26, the Bobcats marched 74 yards on 14 plays. Facing third and five at his own 31, quarterback Jack Bryant (Falmouth, Maine) connected with Kevin Claflin (Ashland, Mass.) for a gain of eight yards and a Bates first down. Then on second and nine, Bryant took the ball and ran 11 yards to the Bowdoin 49. On the next play, Spillane ripped off a run of 19 yards to the Bowdoin 30.

On third and six at the Polar Bear 26, Bryant found Caleb Bolden (Dover, N.H.) for seven yards and another first down. Bates continued to impress on third down when the Bobcats converted a 3rd and 12 thanks to a Bryant pass to Hayes for 17 yards down to the Bowdoin four-yard line. 

On second and goal, Flaherty punched it in from four yards out to put the Bobcats up 7-0 with 8:33 left in the second quarter after Justin Foley (Lynnfield, Mass.) made the extra point.

The Polar Bears tied things up later in the quarter thanks to a 12-play, 68-yard drive that culminated with a five-yard touchdown run from Richam. 

The score stood tied 7-7 at halftime but the Polar Bears took command in the third quarter. 

It started with Joe Gowetsk intercepting a Bryant pass on the Bobcats' opening drive of the half. The Polar Bears converted the turnover into three points when Michael Chen made a 31-yard field goal to put Bowdoin up 10-7.

The Bobcats went three-and-out on their next drive and Bowdoin took over at its own 31 after a Foley punt. Bowdoin proceeded to go on a nine play, 69-yard drive that ended with a Richam touchdown run of seven yards to extend the Polar Bear lead to 17-7 with 7:10 remaining in the third.

Already up 10, the Polar Bears got a huge play from Franny Rose on the Bobcats' next drive. Rose sacked Bryant on third down, forcing a fumble. He fell on the fumble to give Bowdoin outstanding field position at the Bates 16-yard line.

After a five-yard penalty backed the Polar Bears up a little, McCrum unleashed a 21-yard touchdown pass to Millett, putting Bowdoin up 24-7 after the extra point. 

Bates cut the Bowdoin lead to 10 on its next drive, a 13-play, 74-yard effort. The Bobcats mostly used the ground game to march down the field, but Bryant did find Matt Golden (New Bedford, Mass.) for eight yards on the drive to get the ball to the Bowdoin 45. Flaherty got all the carries after the completion to Golden and a key roughing the passer call against the Polar Bears later in the drive gave Bates a first down at the Bowdoin 12. Flaherty eventually punched it in from one yard out and Foley made the extra point to make the score 24-14 with 1:26 left in the third quarter.

But the Polar Bears had the answer, marching 81 yards on 11 plays on their next drive to extend the lead back to 17 points. McCrum ran it in from 11 yards out to make the score 31-14 and that's how the game ended, with the Bobcats recording just one first down on their final two drives.

BATES' PROBABLE STARTERS:

MULTIPLE OFFENSE

LT 70 Matt Flanagan Sr. 6-6 313
LG 65 Josh Gendron Jr. 6-1 265
C  64 Jack O'Brien Sr. 6-1 249
RG 71 Nick Florio So. 5-11 270
RT 68 Phil Simplicio Sr. 6-3 281
TE 85 Isaiah Saunders Jr. 6-4 218
WR 1 Jackson Hayes So. 5-9 147
WR 88 Parker Smith Jr. 6-2 206
QB 3 Brendan Costa Jr. 5-10 188
FB 15 Matt Golden Sr. 5-11 219
RB 5 Liam Spillane Jr. 6-1 217

3-4 DEFENSE

DE 49 Nolan Potter So. 6-2 227
NT 99 Ramon Ruiz Jr. 5-9 262
DE 52 Jack Ryan So. 6-0 246
OLB 24 Conner Suraci Sr. 6-0 220
ILB 37 Peter Daley Sr. 6-0 211
ILB 30 Zach Doyon Sr. 6-1 211
OLB 55 Tony Hooks Fy. 6-0 206
CB 21 Owen Straley So. 5-6 158
SS 6 Jon Lindgren Sr. 5-10 182
FS 18 Connor Hunt Jr. 5-11 178
CB 14 Jose Calleja So. 5-9 176

SPECIALISTS

K 86 Simon Redfern So. 6-1 194
P 25 Quinn Kieselowsky Fy. 6-1 179

BOWDOIN'S PROBABLE STARTERS: