BRUNSWICK, Maine -- The Bates football team and the Bowdoin College Polar Bears renew their rivalry this Saturday at Whittier Field, the 125th meeting between the two schools on the gridiron. Kickoff is set for 2pm.
Bowdoin brings a strong defensive unit to this matchup, allowing just 17.5 points per game, good for third in the NESCAC. The Bobcats are allowing 28.3 points per game but are coming off their best defensive performance of the season, where they allowed just 17 points to Amherst. The team's offenses are fairly even, with Bowdoin averaging 20.8 points per game and Bates at 16 points per game.
Polar Bear quarterback Andrew Boel has been the top passer in the NESCAC so far this season, averaging 283.3 passing yards per game. He's thrown six touchdowns and been picked off six times as well. For Bates, junior captain quarterback
Colton Bosselait (Westminster, Mass.) is averaging 196.5 passing yards per game with seven touchdown passes and five interceptions.
Boel's favorite target has been Colton Fahey, who has made 19 catches for 386 yards and a touchdown. His 96.5 receiving yards per game ranks third in the NESCAC. Sophomore
Sergio Beltran (East Palo Alto, Calif.) has had a terrific season for Bates, catching 27 passes for 311 yards and two touchdowns. His 27 catches are tied for second in the NESCAC.
On the ground, Andre Eden has carried the ball 60 times for 227 yards, averaging 3.8 yards per carry, but he has not found the end zone yet. First-year
Ryan Lynskey (Cranford, N.J.) has carried the ball 46 times for 142 yards and a touchdown. He also has a pair of receiving touchdowns this season.
Max Jacobs is a weapon on defense for the Polar Bears, leading the team with 31 total tackles and ranking third in the NESCAC with 4.5 sacks this season. First-year
Michael Spencer (Mansfield, Texas) leads the Bobcats with 29 total tackles. He also has three pass break-ups.
The Bobcats have dominated the rivalry recently, winning 10 of the last 11 games between the two schools.
THE PARTICULARS:
What: Bates (0-4) @ Bowdoin (2-2)
When: Saturday, Oct. 14, 2:00 p.m.
Where: Whittier Field (Brunswick, Maine)
Live Coverage: Video | Stats
All-Time Series: Bowdoin leads 67-50-7
Previous Meeting: Bates 21, Bowdoin 14 (Oct. 15, 2022 in Lewiston, Maine)
BOWDOIN LAST WEEK:
The Tufts University football team scored 21 unanswered points to pull away for a 24-10 win at Bowdoin on Saturday night at rainy Whittier Field.
In a torrential downpour for most of the game, Tufts fumbled on the first play from scrimmage and Bowdoin cashed in with a 26-yard field goal from Jotham Casey just 3:01 into the contest.
Tufts answered later in the quarter with a 30-yard field goal by Vaughn Seelicke to deadlock the game at 3-3.
Bowdoin mounted their most impressive drive of the night at the end of the first quarter, covering 75 yards in ten plays and scoring on a four-yard run by Robbie Long on the first play of the second quarter to take a 10-3 advantage.
It was all Tufts from there as the Jumbos scored two touchdowns in a span of 2:32 in the second quarter to take the lead for good.
The first touchdown came off a short Bowdoin punt as Michael Berluti found Jaden Richardson from 24 yards out and then, after a three-and-out by the Polar Bears, covered 55 yards in four plays, scoring on an eight-yard strike from Berluti to Richardson to take a 17-10 edge.
As conditions continued to deteriorate in the second half, the Tufts defense stymied the Polar Bears and the Jumbos added another score on a nine-yard run by Chartellis Reece in the third quarter to put the contest out of reach.
BATES LAST WEEK:
The visiting Amherst College Mammoths put up 14 points in the third quarter to grab a three-score lead and hung on from there to defeat the Bates football team 17-7 Saturday afternoon at Garcelon Field.
In rainy conditions, neither team's offense could get going early in the contest. The teams traded punts throughout the first quarter, with the first big play coming early in the second quarter. Amherst's Luke Harmon intercepted a pass from Bates junior captain quarterback Colton Bosselait (Westminster, Mass.) and returned it 34 yards to the Bates 33. But the Bobcat defense stood strong, forcing a four-and-out as the Mammoths turned it over on downs.
But Bates (0-4) gave it right back to Amherst (2-2) on the first play from scrimmage, as the Mammoths' Trey Doyle forced a fumble on an end-around and Kevin Agnew recovered the ball for the visitors at the Bates 33.
The Mammoths moved the chains once, but the Bates defense did well to force a 35-yard field goal attempt. Matthew Kelley made it, and Amherst led 3-0 with 7:10 left in the second quarter.
Bates trailed just 3-0 at halftime, but the Mammoths did not relinquish the lead.
Amherst got the ball to start the third quarter and the Mammoths added to their lead with a five-play, 75-yard drive, culminating in a 41-yard touchdown pass down the seam from quarterback Jack Cox to Gabe dos Santos. The extra point made the score 10-0 in favor of the visitors with 13:05 left in the third quarter.
The Bobcats had to punt again, and the Mammoths went on what turned out to be essentially a game-sealing drive. They marched 61 yards in 15 plays, taking 7:09 off the clock. Cox was able to sneak the ball across the goal line on a 4th and goal, making the score 17-0 after the extra point.
Bates continued to fight on defense, and the offense got on the board early in the fourth quarter. Starting with the ball at their own 40 after an Amherst punt, the Bobcats went 60 yards in 11 plays. Bosselait found Guerrette for a gain of 12 yards and sophomore Sergio Beltran (East Palo Alto, Calif.) for a gain of 11.
A big roughing the passer call put the ball at the Amherst 18 and Bosselait connected with senior captain Steven Guerrette (Bow, N.H.) for a 10-yard gain to the eight. Then on third and goal, Bosselait's pass to Guerrette was tipped but landed in the hands of first-year Ryan Lynskey (Cranford, N.J.) for the touchdown. First-year Marcos Ruiz (Haskell, N.J.) made the extra point and Bates trailed 17-7 with 8:06 left in the game.
Amherst ate 3:41 off the clock on their next drive and the Bobcats went four-and-out, allowing the Mammoths to essentially run out the clock.
BATES AND BOWDOIN'S LAST MEETING:
Senior captain Tony Hooks set a Bates football program record with 23 total tackles and the Bobcats defeated Bowdoin 21-14 under the lights at Garcelon Field.
The Bobcats never trailed in the contest, beating Bowdoin for the 10th time in the last 11 seasons.
Hooks (New Rochelle, N.Y.) broke a program record set in 1996 by Mike Holte '97, when Holte made 21 total tackles against Colby. Nine of Hooks' 23 tackles on Saturday against Bowdoin were solo stops. He had one tackle for loss in the contest.
Bates quarterback Colton Bosselait (Westminster, Mass.) completed 10 of 18 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown. He also ran the ball nine times for 50 net yards and two touchdowns. Running back Jamil Mouehla (Harrington Park, N.J. ) carried the ball eight times for a team-high 61 yards.
Senior wide receiver Christian Olivieri (Hull, Mass.) finished with three catches for a game-high 108 yards. Senior Mohamed Diawara (Philadelphia) caught five passes for 49 yards.
For Bowdoin, Andrew Boel completed 30 of 50 passes for 281 yards and a touchdown. Andre Eden carried the ball 21 times for 63 yards. Jed Hoggard paced the Bowdoin receivers with nine catches for 91 yards.
BATES' PROBABLE STARTERS:
OFFENSE
OL 73 Peter Simplicio Sr. 6-5 280
OL 60 Tyler Castriotta Sr. 6-0 285
OL 66 John Antolik Fy. 6-1 280
OL 72 Kevin McDonald Fy. 6-3 255
OL 75 Matthew Schreiber Sr. 6-3 295
WR 84 Drew Sachs Jr. 6-0 190
WR 6 Sergio Beltran So. 5-11 180
WR 80 Maverick Selementi So. 6-0 185
TE 89 Steven Guerrette Sr. 6-3 232
RB 4 Ryan Lynskey Fy. 5-11 190
QB 8 Colton Bosselait Jr. 6-0 210
DEFENSE
DL 90 Matt Juneau Jr. 6-1 227
DL 93 Drew Kremhelmer Jr. 6-0 275
DL 99 Finn Duffey Jr. 5-10 250
DL 98 Kyle Hamilton Sr. 6-3 245
LB 44 Jackson Collins So. 5-11 225
LB 39 Ryan Rozich Fy. 5-11 205
LB 2 Matthew-Michael Assivero Fy. 5-11 195
DB 12 Presley Green So. 5-9 175
DB 0 Jarrin Sato Sr. 5-8 170
DB 23 Jack Morrison Fy. 5-10 195
DB 5 Michael Spencer Fy. 5-10 162
SPECIALISTS
P 97 Parker Huynh-Benningfield So. 5-10 185
K 49 Marcos Ruiz Fy. 5-8 200
BOWDOIN'S PROBABLE STARTERS:
OFFENSE
QB 1 Andrew Boel Sr. 5-11 193
RB 3 Andre Eden Sr. 5-11 195
TE 9 Brendan King Sr. 6-3 224
TE 88 James Doody So. 6-2 219
WR 8 Colton Fahey Sr. 5-10 190
WR 82 Jed Hoggard Jr. 6-2 200
LT 74 Ethan Ecsedy So. 6-5 243
LG 75 Julian Brawn So. 6-2 253
C 58 John Penczar So. 6-2 265
RG 77 Tim Ladka Sr. 6-1 244
RT 55 Tal Brill Sr. 6-1 255
DEFENSE
DE 49 Axel Romell Jr. 6-3 223
DT 33 Liam Wholey Sr. 6-4 238
DE 91 Aidan Reidy Jr. 6-3 228
LB 2 Koy Price Jr. 6-0 211
LB 14 Ty Jones-Garland Sr. 5-11 201
LB 31 Maz Jacobs Sr. 5-10 210
LB 26 Dan Fiore Sr. 5-9 191
CB 0 Aise Pream Sr. 5-6 153
CB 29 Aidan MacNeil Sr. 6-3 198
FS 23 Nick Viscusi So. 6-1 183
SS 21 Chris Althoff Sr. 5-10 185
SPECIALISTS
K/P 96 Jotham Casey Jr. 5-11 190
KO 99 Caden Perry Fy. 6-0 160
