WATERVILLE, Maine -- The Bates football team takes on Colby College for the 125th time when the Bobcats visit the Mules for a night contest Saturday at 7 p.m.
This game marks the beginning of the annual CBB series. Colby, Bates, and Bowdoin split the series two years ago, and Bowdoin prevailed last year. Colby won three straight titles starting in 2018, while Bates is looking for their first CBB series crown since 2017.
The Bobcats host Bowdoin on Saturday, Nov. 2 and Colby visits the Polar Bears on Nov. 9 to wrap up this year's edition of the classic three-way rivalry. Whoever emerges with the best record among the three teams against each other earns the CBB series trophy.
THE PARTICULARS:
What: Bates (1-2) at Colby (0-3)
When: Saturday, Oct. 5, 7 p.m.
Where: Seaverns Field at Harold Alfond Stadium (Waterville, Maine)
Live Coverage: Video | Stats
All-Time Series: Colby leads 71-47-6
Previous Meeting: Colby 30, Bates 24 (Sept. 30, 2023 in Lewiston, Maine)
COLBY LAST WEEK:
The Mules fell 24-16 on the road to Middlebury as the Panthers grabbed the lead for good in the third quarter and didn't look back.
With the score tied at 10 at halftime, the final 30 minutes became a battle of field position as the two teams combined for eight punts in the third quarter alone. The Panthers broke through twice with scoring strikes of 40 and 65 yards to jump out to a two-score lead. Colby's final two drives led to scoring opportunities as they scratched to erase the deficit. On the second to last drive that began at Colby's three-yard line, the Mules mounted a 17-play drive that ended with a sack fumble on 4th down at Middlebury's 16-yard line. On Colby's final drive, quarterback Miles Drake found John Ogletree in the back of the end zone as the clock ran out, capping a 13-play drive that covered 69 yards.
Drake captured his third consecutive 200-yard game passing to begin the season, going 24-45 for 214 yards with one touchdown and one interception. The junior also collected 37 yards on the ground. Wide receiver Duke Ferrara recorded his first career double digit reception game, converting 10 catches for 79 yards. Keon Smart led the ground game with 44 yards rushing, and hauled in six catches for 82 yards. Defensively, Sebastien Romain and Julian Young collected nine and eight tackles respectively. Drew Ramos and Andrew Hart each had seven stops, and Jack Mullen was a menace in the Panther backfield with 2.5 sacks for a loss of 18 yards.
BATES LAST WEEK:
The Bates football team executed in all three phases of the game on Saturday, defeating previously unbeaten Wesleyan on the road by a score of 24-13, making some history in the process.
The Bobcats beat the Cardinals for the first time since 2005, and for the first time in Middletown, Conn. since 1981.
Bates trailed 3-0 until taking the lead for good early in the second quarter. Sophomore running back
Ryan Lynskey (Cranford, N.J.) took a hand-off from senior captain
Colton Bosselait (Westminster, Mass), got a great block from sophomore wide receiver
Jake Walters (West Lafayette, Ind.) and cut it outside for the go-ahead touchdown, a 24-yard scamper to the house. Sophomore
Marcos Ruiz (Haskell, N.J.) made the extra point and Bates led 7-3 with 13:15 remaining until halftime.
Lynksey's performance on Saturday was one for the books, as he ran the ball 23 times for a career-high 121 yards, averaging 5.3 yards per carry. He was named the NESCAC Co-Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts.
The Cardinals moved the ball on their next drive, but they botched a field goal attempt when the holder dropped the snap. First-year
Samuel Christopher (Los Angeles) chased him down for a 14-yard loss and a turnover on downs.
Then Bates used the big play to really put the Cardinals in a hole. On third and three from their own 41, sophomore quarterback
Seneca Moore (Lansing, Mich.) handed the ball off to his classmate Lynskey, and the breakout star of the season so far on offense for Bates bounced it to the outside and took it all the way, 59 yards, for the touchdown. Ruiz made the extra point and the Bobcats led 14-3 with 6:13 left in the second quarter.
But the Cardinals bounced back quickly. On third and nine from their own 13, Wesleyan quarterback Niko Candido connected with Chase Wilson for an 87-yard touchdown pass, trimming the Bates lead to 14-10 after the extra point.
The teams traded punts to end the first half, leaving Bates up by four.
Big plays continued to be a theme, as the Bobcats got the ball to start the third quarter. Facing a third and 12 from their own 14, Bosselait dropped back and found one-on-one coverage on the outside. He lofted a perfect pass to sophomore
Ryan Gleason (Millbury, Mass.), who beat his defender and took it 86 yards for a touchdown, making the score 21-10 after Ruiz made the extra point. The Bosselait to Gleason pitch-and-catch is the longest forward pass in Bates football history, breaking the previous record of 84 yards, set in 1999 by
Matt Bazirgan '00, with his pass to
Jason Coulie '00 vs. Hamilton.
Gleason finished the afternoon with five catches for a game-high 119 yards and a touchdown.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Candido found Blake Newcomb at the goal line for an eight-yard gain over the middle. Sophomore
Jack Morrison (Manchester Center, Vt.) was able to make a touchdown saving tackle for Bates, setting up fourth and goal at the one. An offsides call against Bates moved the ball to the one-half yard line. Candido took the snap, rolled to his left, and with a pair of Bobcats hunting him, fired a pass to Wilson in the end zone. First-
year Marquez Narvaez-Estrada (Montgomery Village, Md.) was there in coverage and broke up the pass, giving Bates a huge defensive stop.
Bates was forced to punt though, and Wesleyan got the ball back with great field position at the Bobcat 27. They got it down to the Bates 15, but the defense held again, forcing a field goal attempt. Wesleyan kicker Gage Hammond made the 33-yarder, cutting the Bates lead to 21-13 with 9:52 remaining in regulation.
Starting at their own 25, the Bobcats ate some clock on their next drive, matriculating the ball down the field. Bosselait continued to be on-target, finding Gleason and senior captain
Steven Guerrette (Bow, N.H.) for first downs on the drive. On third and two from the Wesleyan 23, Lynskey gained a yard, setting up a fourth down. Instead of going for the first down, Coyne trusted his young kicker, and Ruiz did not disappoint, nailing a 38-yard field goal to cap off a drive that took just under eight minutes.
Now down by 11, the Cardinals got the ball back with 1:50 to play. They got the ball to the Bates 40 before sophomore linebacker
Ryan Rozich (Cromwell, Conn.) broke up a pass over the middle with a big hit on Wilson, giving the ball back to Bates and sealing the win.
BATES AND COLBY'S LAST MEETING:
The Bates football team rallied from 17 points down, but fell just short in a 30-24 loss to rival Colby College in NESCAC action at Garcelon Field.
Bates was driving for the win at the end of regulation, only to have a pass picked off in the end zone by the Mules, which clinched the win for the visitors.
With time winding down in the third quarter, and Bates down 27-10, a free play allowed Bosselait to unload a 59-yard heave to
Matthew Holmes (Carpinteria, Calif.), putting Bates on Colby's 10-yard line. A play action pass to Guerrette got the Bobcats their second touchdown of the game, and injected a little life into the Bates sideline with 14:54 in the fourth quarter remaining.
Bates kept the momentum going after their last scoring drive, with Guerrette continuing his big game with three more receptions, all for at least 10 yards to push the Bobcats into Colby territory. Another play-action play from Bosselait allowed a wide open Holmes to snag his first career touchdown. Bates cut the lead to a nail-biting 27-24 with 7:43 left in the half.
On their own 39-yard line, Colby's Thomas Keeling let loose a 39-yard bomb to Matt McHugh to put the Mules in field goal range. Bates held the line after that, however, limiting Colby to three points and a 30-24 deficit with 3:48 left to try and march the ball down the field for a victory.
Bates had to move down the field with haste, and the passing attack was on point.
Sergio Beltran (East Palo Alto, Cali) recorded a 15-yard reception to push Bates to their own 40-yard line.
Ryan Lynskey (Cranford, N.J.) turned around for a beautiful 19-yard reception to push the drive to Colby's 44-yard line. Guerrette brought in another pass, this one for 15 yards, to put Bates on Colby's 25-yard line. While the Bobcats seemed to have all the momentum, two dropped passes led to a desperation heave, and Colby's Lincoln Merrill picked off the pass to dash the hopes of the home team.
Holmes finished with six catches for a team-high 110 yards and a touchdown. Guerrette had a career day as well, catching nine passes for 102 yards and two touchdowns. Beltran added a game-high 10 catches for 67 yards.
Bosselait completed 28-49 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns. He was also picked off two times. Keeling completed 12-19 passes for 165 yards and a touchdown.
Keon Smart was borderline unstoppable for the visitors, rushing 15 times for 137 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught six passes for 118 yards and a touchdown.
BATES' PROBABLE STARTERS:
OFFENSE
OL 73
Peter Simplicio Sr. 6-4 290
OL 51
Ryder Smith Fy. 6-0 265
OL 63
Matthew Pierotti Fy. 6-2 270
OL 66
John Antolik So. 6-2 290
OL 72
Kevin McDonald So. 6-3 260
TE 89
Steven Guerrette Sr. 6-3 230
WR 83
Ryan Gleason So. 5-9 165
WR 82
Jeff Vidou Fy. 6-0 190
WR 80
Maverick Selementi Jr. 6-0 185
RB 4
Ryan Lynskey So. 5-11 195
QB 8
Colton Bosselait Sr. 6-0 195
DEFENSE
DB 2
Matthew-Michael Assivero So. 5-11 190
DB 5
Michael Spencer So. 5-11 180
DB 21
Johnny Walker Sr. 6-0 185
DB 30
Marquez Narvaez-Estrada Fy. 5-9 160
LB 18
Colin Pierce Jr. 6-1 190
LB 39
Ryan Rozich So. 6-0 215
LB 9
Matt Juneau Sr. 6-2 225
DL 44
Jackson Collins Jr. 5-11 225
DL 99
Finn Duffey Sr. 5-10 250
DL 41
Shane Broughton Jr. 5-11 255
DL 40
Josh Ezerioha So. 6-1 245
SPECIALISTS
P 97
Parker Huynh-Benningfield Jr. 5-11 180
K 49
Marcos Ruiz So. 5-8 185
COLBY'S PROBABLE STARTERS:
OFFENSE
OL 65 Cooper Tamiseia Sr. 6-2 272
OL 78 James Hoogstraten Sr. 6-1 280
OL 58 Bryce Malary Fy. 6-3 290
OL 69 Ben Entner Sr. 6-1 270
OL 64 Christian Gregory So. 6-1 275
TE 86 Atticus Duncan Sr. 6-6 245
WR 15 Jack Sawyer Sr. 6-2 207
WR 17 Duke Ferrara Sr. 6-1 185
WR 85 Matt McHugh Sr. 6-0 208
RB 25 Brendan Sawyer Sr. 6-2 207
QB 11 Miles Drake Jr. 6-2 200
DEFENSE
DB 21 Joshua East Sr. 5-11 185
DB 23 Brody Rice So. 5-9 185
DB 2 Trevor Smith Jr 5-11 185
DB 31 Drew Ramos So. 5-10 182
LB 8 Sebastien Romain Jr. 6-3 226
LB 9 Lincoln Merrill So. 6-3 230
LB 50 Julian Young Sr. 6-1 234
LB 36 Dennis Dougherty Jr. 6-1 220
DL 52 Andrew Hart Sr. 6-0 250
DL 48 Wellington Pereira Sr. 6-0 265
DL 93 Taj McDowell Sr. 6-0 255
SPECIALIST
K/P 62 Christos Tzoumakas So. 5-9 175
