LEWISTON, Maine -- The Bates football team already made some history earlier this year at Wesleyan, and the 2024 Bobcats have a chance to make some more Saturday when they welcome the always-tough Middlebury College Panthers to Garcelon Field for a 1 p.m. kick.
The Bobcats have not beaten Middlebury in football since 1988. Earlier this year, Bates beat Wesleyan for the first time since 2005, and for the first time in Middletown, Conn. since 1981.
Middlebury has won five straight games after dropping their season-opener to Wesleyan, often in dramatic fashion. Last year's co-NESCAC champions average 25.5 points per game this season and give up 24.2 points per game.
Bates enters Saturday's contest as the number one rushing team in the NESCAC, averaging 173.8 yards per game on the ground. Meanwhile, the Panthers give up the third-most rushing yards, as teams are averaging 122.2 yards per game when running the ball against Middlebury. Bates sophomore running back
Ryan Lynskey (Cranford, N.J.) is averaging 94.8 rushing yards per game, which leads the NESCAC. His six rushing touchdowns are also tops in the conference.
Middlebury quarterback Brian Moran is the reigning NESCAC Offensive Player of the Week and the third-leading passer in the conference, throwing for 1,428 yards and 13 touchdowns this season. Moran has completed 54.9 percent of his passes and has only been picked off three times. Patrick Jamin is Moran's favorite target, ranking third in the NESCAC with 80.7 receiving yards per game and five touchdowns. When Middlebury runs the ball, they give it to a trio of backs: Carter Stockwell, their leading rusher at 38 yards per game, Connor McClellan, who averages 36.5 rushing yards per game, and Cody Weitzman, who averages 35.4 rushing yards per game. Of the three, Weitzman has been the most explosive, averaging 5.9 yards per carry, while McClellan has tallied four rushing touchdowns.
Defensively, Bates sophomore
Ryan Rozich (Cromwell, Conn.) continues to stand out, ranking second in the NESCAC with 8.2 tackles per game. Rocco Stola leads the Panthers with 6.7 tackles per game.
THE PARTICULARS:
What: Bates (1-5) vs. Middlebury (5-1)
When: Saturday, Oct. 26, 1 p.m.
Where: Garcelon Field (Lewiston, Maine)
Live Coverage: Video | Stats
All-Time Series: Middlebury leads 49-14-3
Previous Meeting: Middlebury 48, Bates 7 (Oct. 21, 2023 in Middlebury, Vt.)
MIDDLEBURY LAST WEEK:
With just 21 seconds left on the clock, Brian Moran found Mike Ahonen for a nine-yard touchdown, and Zach Levy split the uprights to secure the Middlebury football team's 24-21 victory over Trinity. With the triumph, the Panthers snap the Bantams nine-game unbeaten streak that dated back to last fall. This marked the second-straight year that Middlebury handed Trinity its first loss of the season, spoiling a 15-game unbeaten span for the Bantams a year ago.
Levy booted a 20-yard field goal through the sticks to start the final quarter, cutting the deficit to four at 21-17.
With 11:18 left in the fourth quarter, Matt Shaw forced a fumble at the Middlebury 28-yard line and Owen Thornton recovered the loose ball. The Panthers hoped to take advantage of the turnover, but a strong Trinity defense sacked Moran on third down and forced Middlebury to punt.
The hosts began the game-winning drive with 2:36 left on the clock. The Panthers took a timeout with fourth-and-one on the Bantam 39-yard line, and Connor McClellan was able to push the pile three yards for a fresh set of downs with just over a minute to go. Jeremy Kiefer had a 24-yard reception, as Middlebury declined a pass interference penalty, putting the Panthers in the red zone. As the clock wound down, Moran connected with Ahonen in the back-right corner of the end zone for the winning touchdown reception.
The Bantams had a final chance to come back. Looking at third-and-10 at their own 30-yard line, Zebrowski dropped back for the Hail Mary, but Tomás Kenary brought the pressure and Rocco Stola was at the Middlebury 34-yard line to break up the attempt and seal the 24-21 win.
Moran set career highs in passing yards (313) and touchdowns (three), while Kiefer set personal bests in receiving yards (104) and longest reception (62 yards).
BATES LAST WEEK:
The Bates football team turned in a strong performance but ultimately fell three points short in a 24-21 loss at Williams Saturday afternoon in NESCAC action.
The Bobcats trailed by 10 at halftime but rallied to cut the deficit to three in the fourth quarter. The Ephs got the stop they needed at the end of the game to hold on for the victory.
A Mario Fischetti three-yard touchdown run put the Ephs up 24-14 with 10:01 remaining in regulation. Bates answered with a 14-play, 75-yard drive. On second and 16 from their own 30, senior captain quarterback Colton Bosselait (Westminster, Mass.) found junior wide receiver Matthew Holmes (Carpinteria, Calif.) for a 25-yard gain and a first down to the Williams 45. Then, with Bates looking at a second and 15 from the Williams 39, an unnecessary roughness penalty against the Ephs moved the ball to the Williams 24. Bosselait hit sophomore Jermaine Anson (Manchester, N.H.) for a gain of six yards. Then the QB took matters into his own hands with a five-yard rush to the Williams 13.
The Bobcats appeared headed in the wrong direction until Bosselait connected with senior captain Steven Guerrette (Bow, N.H.) on third and 13 from the Williams 16 for the latter's first touchdown catch of the season, trimming the deficit to 24-21 with 3:58 left in regulation after sophomore Marcos Ruiz (Haskell, N.J.) made the extra point.
Williams picked up one first down on their next drive before senior Kyle Hamilton (Hartford, Vt.), senior captain Matt Juneau (Wakefield, Mass.), and sophomore Jack Morrison (Manchester Center, Vt.) all made big tackles to force the Ephs to punt.
The Bobcats got the ball back at their own 41 with 1:50 remaining, with a chance to win the game or potentially force overtime. But an incomplete pass and a sack set them back to their own 36. Bosselait was able to find senior Drew Sachs (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) for an eight-yard gain to the 43, setting up fourth and eight. Unfortunately, a dropped pass on fourth down gave the ball back to the Ephs, who ran out the clock.
Bosselait finished the game 10-21 for 115 yards and two touchdowns. He did not throw any interceptions but he did get sacked three times. Sophomore Ryan Lynskey (Cranford, N.J.) ran the ball 20 times for a career-high 126 yards, averaging a robust 6.3 yards per carry. Junior Sergio Beltran (East Palo Alto, Calif.) added eight carries for 43 yards and a touchdown. Guerrette paced the receivers with two catches for 33 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore Ryan Gleason (Millbury, Mass.) added three catches for 27 yards and a touchdown. Juneau paced Bates with 10 solo tackles, while sophomore linebacker Ryan Rozich (Cromwell, Conn) added nine solo tackles and two tackles for loss. Senior safety Johnny Walker (Brooklyn, N.Y.) chipped in six total tackles (five solo) with two tackles for loss.
The Bobcats held the top rushing team in the NESCAC to just 3.4 yards per carry, as Williams quarterback Owen McHugh paced the Ephs in passing and rushing. He completed 21-32 passes for 141 yards and added 14 carries for 56 yards and a touchdown. Fischetti and Jon Oris also scored rushing touchdowns for Williams. Jack Kennedy added eight catches for 64 yards to pace the Williams receivers. Holden Gering, Andrew Kreakie, and Zach Barnes notched seven tackles apiece for the Williams defense. Gering also broke up two passes.
Bates recorded 313 yards of total offense while holding Williams to 265 yards on the day.
BATES AND MIDDLEBURY'S LAST MEETING:
The host Middlebury College Panthers scored three touchdowns that went for more than 50 yards on their way to a 48-7 win over the Bates football team last year in NESCAC action.
After forcing a quick three-and-out, Middlebury capitalized on its first possession of the game. Cole Kennon found Mike Ahonen for a 56-yard touchdown pass and Zach Levy split the uprights for the early 7-0 edge.
Levy converted a 47-yard field goal on the Panthers' second drive of the game to make it 10-0.
With 16 seconds left in the opening stanza, Kennon connected with Patrick Jamin for an 11-yard scoring strike. Levy tallied the PAT, putting Middlebury up 17-0 after one quarter of action.
Tomás Kenary turned Bates over with a strip-sack to start the second session. The Panthers took advantage of their field position at the Bobcats' 22-yard line, as Cody Weitzman bolted into the end zone for a nine-yard rushing touchdown.
Later in the quarter, Kennon found Donovan Wood for a 29-yard touchdown reception, and the extra point made the score 31-0.
Bates made its way down the field with 3:07 remaining in the half, eventually scoring when Colton Bosselait (Westminster, Mass.) hooked up with tight end Steven Guerrette (Bow, N.H.) for a nine-yard scoring strike. Marcos Ruiz (Haskell, N.J.) converted the extra point to cut the deficit to 31-7 at the halftime break.
Levy booted a 24-yard field goal through the uprights to give the Panthers a 34-7 lead early in the third quarter.
With just under four minutes remaining in the stanza, Kennon slung an 83-yard touchdown pass to Caleb Smith and Levy converted the PAT to extend the Middlebury advantage to 41-7.
In the final frame, Brian Moran connected with Jimmy Cosolito on a pair of short passes, before finding Michael Yamin for a 58-yard scoring strike.
Quarterback Seneca Moore (Lansing, Mich.) was a bright spot for Bates, coming off the bench to run the ball 18 times for 77 yards. He also completed 7-12 passes for 84 yards. The Bobcats struggled to protect their quarterbacks, with Bosselait and Moore getting sacked a combined five times.
Matt Juneau (Wakefield, Mass.) paced the Bobcats on defense with nine total tackles, including five solo stops.
BATES' PROJECTED 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 0 Sergio Beltran Jr. 5-11 185
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
MIDDLEBURY'S PROJECTED STARTERS
OFFENSE
OL 67 Thomas Perry Sr. 6-3 317
OL 75 Chris Fink Sr. 6-3 290
OL 69 William Zambito Jr. 6-5 310
OL 53 Leonardo Urena Sr. 6-1 295
OL 73 Liam Mitchell Sr. 6-1 265
TE 82 Will Lazzaro So. 6-5 250
WR 8 Mike Ahonen Jr. 6-2 200
WR 13 Ethan Vashel Sr. 6-1 195
WR 20 Patrick Jamin Sr. 6-0 200
RB 18 Carter Stockwell Sr. 6-1 200
QB 12 Brian Moran Jr. 6-4 210
DEFENSE
DB 14 Teddy Daniel Sr. 6-2 190
DB 27 Charlie English So. 5-9 185
DB 16 Rocco Stola Sr. 6-1 200
DB 39 Charlie Ozolin So. 6-3 205
LB 43 Owen Thornton Jr. 6-0 210
LB 33 Cole Wiseman Sr. 5-11 210
LB 44 Matt Shaw So. 6-0 220
LB 59 Sean Link Sr. 5-11 215
DL 21 Tomás Kenary Sr. 6-3 270
DL 11 Dave Filias Sr. 6-1 260
DL 91 Colby Burke Sr. 6-1 250
SPECIALISTS
P 92 Ty Brinkmann Fy. 6-3 170
K 41 Zach Levy Sr. 6-0 190
