WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. -- Two teams that love to run the ball will clash on the gridiron Saturday as the Bates football team looks to win another road game when the Bobcats visit Williams for a 1 p.m. kickoff at Weston Athletic Complex.
The Bobcats (1-4 NESCAC) and Ephs (3-2 NESCAC) have found success on the ground in large part due to their offensive lines, who have led the way for the top two running backs this year in the conference.
Sophomore
Ryan Lynskey (Cranford, N.J.) is averaging 88.6 rushing yards per game, first in the NESCAC, while Williams running back Mario Fischetti is right behind him at 88.4 rushing yards per game. Overall, the Ephs average 180.2 yards on the ground per contest while Bates is second in the conference behind the Ephs at 169 rushing yards per game. Lynskey has six of the nine Bobcat rushing touchdowns this year, both marks rank number one in the NESCAC, while Fischetti has four of the eight Williams rushing scores.
The Ephs are also a threat through the air, as quarterback Owen McHugh has been the second-most efficient quarterback in the NESCAC this year, completing 68.1 percent of his passes for 10 touchdowns and four interceptions.
Meanwhile, Bates has been solid this year defending the pass (201.2 yards allowed per game, fifth in the NESCAC), but the Bobcats have struggled recently against the run, giving up 152.2 rushing yards per game. The Bates rush defense against the Williams ground game should be a key factor in determining if the Bobcats can get a second road win this season, after they upset Wesleyan in Middletown three weeks ago.
Sophomore linebacker Ryan Rozich (Cromwell, Conn.) will be a big part of the effort to stop Fischetti and company, as he is averaging eight tackles per game, tied for second in the NESCAC.
THE PARTICULARS:
What: Bates (1-4) at Williams (3-2)
When: Saturday, Oct. 19, 1 p.m.
Where: Weston Athletic Complex (Williamstown, Mass.)
Live Coverage: Video | Stats
All-Time Series: Williams leads 29-6
Previous Meeting: Williams 43, Bates 0 (Nov. 18, 2023 in Lewiston, Maine)
WILLIAMS LAST WEEK:
The Ephs lost a 32-29 heartbreaker in overtime to Middlebury last Saturday.
With the game tied at 23 entering the fourth quarter, Fischetti started Williams off strong on their second drive with a 23-yard run. Following a few more short gains by the Ephs, tight end Owen Johansen had a dazzling catch while falling out of bounds. The rush game for the Ephs reached a dead
-end and Ivan Shuran came on to the field for the field goal. Shuran had his fourth field goal of the day, giving Williams a 26-23 lead with 3 and a half minutes left to play.
With the Panthers' chances slipping away, on fourth down QB Brian Moran converted a prayer of a pass with the Eph defense on top of him for a first down. Another couple of gains brought Middlebury to the 37-yard line where they tied the game on a field goal with 13 seconds left. At 26 each, the game went into overtime.
The Ephs started with possession and only made a few short gains. This however gave Shuran more than enough room to convert his fifth kick of the game to earn 3 points in OT. With his successful fifth field goal Shuran broke his own Eph record for most field goals in a game with 5.
Middlebury returned with a good effort but it would be the Williams penalties that made their drive successful. In a game haunted by penalties on both sides, the third down holding call against the Ephs would ultimately lead the way for the Panther RB Connor McClellan to score his third touchdown, winning the game for the home team.
BATES LAST WEEK:
The visiting Tufts University Jumbos used a big second quarter to take command of the game on their way to a 45-22 victory over the Bates football team Saturday night at Garcelon Field.
Christian Shapiro paced the Jumbos (3-2) with 26 carries for 107 yards and three touchdowns. Quarterback Michael Berluti tallied one touchdown pass, one touchdown run, and one touchdown catch in the contest while completing 15-21 passes for 138 yards.
Sophomore Ryan Lynskey (Cranford, N.J.) finished with 74 rushing yards on 19 carries and a touchdown. Junior Segio Beltran (East Palo Alto, Calif.) ran the ball six times for 36 yards and caught three passes for 43 yards and a touchdown. The Jumbos averaged 4,9 yards per carry while Bates averaged 4.2 yards per carry. The Bobcats only completed 5-14 passes while Tufts completed 16-22 passes on the evening.
Henry Ferrelli led the Jumbos on defense, tallying seven total tackles, including five solo stops. Sophomores Michael Spencer (Mansfield, Texas) and Ryan Rozich (Cromwell, Conn.) paced Bates with 10 total tackles apiece.
The game stood tied at seven through one quarter of action. Tufts scored first, going 62 yards on 10 plays on their opening drive. Shapiro's first rushing TD of the contest, gave the Jumbos a 7-0 lead after the extra point. Bates went three-and-out on their opening drive, but the defense came up with a big play to give the Bobcats another chance. Khallid Calhoun burst through the line for a 14-yard gain, but fifth-year senior Johnny Walker (Brooklyn, N.Y.) stripped the ball and sophomore Camden Zambrowicz (Sandown, N.H.) recovered the fumble to give Bates the ball back at their own 30.
Bates proceeded to go 70 yards on 12 plays, with Lynskey converting a first down on fourth and three from the Tufts 47 and Bosselait finding Beltran for 23 yards to get the ball into the red zone. A 10-yard rush from Beltran got the ball to the five, and on third and goal from the one, Bosselait punched it in, as Bates tied the game at seven on the Ruiz extra point.
But the big second quarter from the Jumbos gave them complete control of the game the rest of the way.
Tufts tallied 28 first downs in the game to just 15 for Bates. They out-rushed Bates 211-162 and passed for 160 yards to just 117 for Bates. The Jumbos only punted twice, and pinned the Bobcats inside their own 20 both times.
The Jumbos finished 6-10 on third down to only 4-11 for the Bobcats.
BATES' AND WILLIAMS' LAST MEETING:
The Williams College Ephs scored on their first four drives of the game on their way to a 43-0 win over the Bates football team in the season finale for both squads in 2023.
Williams gained 556 yards of total offense in the contest, while holding Bates to 163 yards of total offense.
It was a balanced attack for the visitors, with the Ephs passing for 300 yards and rushing for 256 yards.
The Bobcats got the ball into the red zone twice on the afternoon, but failed to score. Williams converted on all seven of their red zone opportunities.
Bates won the coin toss to start the game and deferred to the second half. Williams received the opening kickoff and marched 75 yards on nine plays. Ephs quarterback Owen McHugh found Paul Harshbarger for a 15-yard touchdown to put the Ephs up 7-0 with 10:55 left in the first quarter.
The Bobcats got a nice 14-yard run from running back Adam Steinberg (Westborough, Mass.) on their opening drive to get the ball to their own 41. But the drive stalled there. Punter Parker Huynh-Benningfield (Austin, Texas) unleashed a perfectly placed punt that came to rest 51 yards away at the Williams nine.
The Ephs got out of the shadow of their own end zone thanks to a 16-yard run by McHugh. Then running back Jon Oris got the ball into Bates territory with a 26-yard run. Ivan Shuran ended up making a 36-yard field goal to put the Ephs up 10-0 with 4:50 remaining in the first quarter.
Quarterback Seneca Moore (Lansing, Mich.) took off for a 34-yard run on the next Bates drive, moving the ball to the Williams 41. A costly fumble on second and nine was recovered by Bates but left the Bobcats with a third and 34. Steinberg gained 10 yards on a reception, but the Bobcats were forced to punt. Once again, Huynh-Benningfield came through, delivering a 52-yard punt that was downed at the Williams three.
The Ephs picked up a first down and then McHugh found Brady Stahelski for a 48-yard gain to the Bates 36. A pair of Oris rushes got the ball to the Bates eight. Then McHugh ran it in for a touchdown, making the score 16-0 in favor of the visitors after the extra point was no good.
Still down by two scores early in the second quarter, the Bobcats turned the ball over when Campbell Pang intercepted a pass and returned it to the Bates 32. It took just three plays for the visitors to score from there, as McHugh found Riley O'Connell for a 12-yard touchdown.
Now down 23-0, the Bobcats picked up one first down on their next drive before Ethan Scott sacked Moore on third and seven to force a punt.
The Ephs missed a field goal on their next possession, but the Bobcats turned it over when Nate Dlugos picked off a pass on third and four. Then Williams ran a trick play when Harshbarger took an end-around and threw a pass to Cameron Lee for a 36-yard touchdown, making the score 30-0 in favor of Williams after the extra point with 1:52 left until halftime.
The second half proved to be much lower scoring for the visitors but the Ephs still kept the Bobcats off the scoreboard, forcing a fumble on the opening drive of the third quarter after Bates got the ball down to the Williams 15 yard line.
Sergio Beltran (East Palo Alto, Calif.) paced the Bobcats with three catches for 65 yards. He finished the season third in the NESCAC in receptions with 52. Defensively, Ryan Rozich (Cromwell, Conn.) led the Bobcats with eight total tackles, including two solo stops. Senior Anthony Morton Jr. (Philadelphia) added four tackles, with two tackles for loss.
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 11 Quinn Carver Fy. 6-0 175
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 32 Carmel Crunk Fy. 5-11 205
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 98 Kyle Hamilton Sr. 6-3 250
SPECIALISTS
P 97 Parker Huynh-Benningfield Jr. 5-11 180
K 49 Marcos Ruiz So. 5-8 185
WILLIAMS' PROBABLE STARTERS:
OFFENSE
QB 12 Owen McHugh So. 6-0 195
RB 22 Mario Fischetti Sr. 5-8 175
TE 46 Sam Jaffe Jr. 6-2 240
C 71 Michael Sheskey Jr. 6-2 275
G 63 Michael Tartaglia Sr. 6-3 295
G 54 Tim Forth Sr. 6-5 280
T 70 Cam Maguire Jr. 6-3 285
T 65 Joseph Ngnombouowo Jr. 6-6 305
WR 88 Cameron Lee Sr. 5-9 175
WR 19 Luke Bobo Sr. 6-0 195
WR 82 Jack Kennedy 5-10 185
DEFENSE
DE 91 Cameron Smith Sr. 6-4 260
DE 7 Ethan Scott Sr. 6-1 230
DT 67 Anthony Scala Jr. 6-0 295
DT 95 C.J. Vilfort Sr. 6-1 275
LB 45 Zakkai Moore Fy. 5-10 205
LB 44 Luke Mangini Fy. 6-0 230
LB 6 Jack Wallace Jr. 6-0 208
S 29 Brady Carroll So. 6-3 200
S 16 Andrew Kreake Fy. 6-0 185
CB 5 Holden Gering So. 5-11 165
CB 35 Justice McGrail Jr. 5-10 185
