WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. -- The host Williams College Ephs used a big second quarter to propel themselves to a 34-0 win over the Bates football team Saturday afternoon.
The Bobcats (0-4 NESCAC) held the Ephs (3-1 NESCAC) at bay in the first quarter, keeping the game scoreless for the first 15 minutes of action.
But Williams impressed with a 13-play, 95-yard scoring drive that took 7:18 off the clock. Rookie quarterback Drew Weiler used his legs to great effect, converting a third-and-six from the Williams nine with a 15-yard run. A steady mix of run and pass matriculated the ball down the field and Weiler capped off the drive with a 13-yard touchdown run, putting Williams up 7-0 after the extra point with 12:19 left in the second quarter.
That began a string of three straight touchdown drives for the Ephs in the quarter, with Brady Stahelski running the ball in from 19 yards out with 4:09 remaining until halftime and Aiden Clark adding a two-yard score on the ground with 1:54 on the clock.
The Bobcats punted on their first four drives of the game. On their fifth drive, sophomore quarterback
Jack Gilmore (North Arlington, N.J.) ripped off a rush of 13 yards to get the ball near midfield. Another Gilmore run pushed the ball into Williams territory. The Bobcats went for it on fourth and four from the Williams 45 but a deep ball by Gilmore fell incomplete and the Bobcats turned it over on downs with 22 seconds remaining until halftime.
Down 21-0 to start the second half, the Bobcats appeared to get on the board when junior
Jeff Vidou (Cornish, N.H.) returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. But the outstanding return got called back due to a holding penalty on the Bobcats.
Bates went three-and-out and punted the ball back to the Ephs. The defense gave the team a spark when senior
Jack Morrison (Manchester, Vt.) picked off a Weiler pass at the Bobcat 19. But on third and seven, the Ephs got the ball right back thanks to an interception by Brady Carroll.
The Bobcat defense held, forcing the Ephs to kick a 34-yard field goal. Leonardo Maiuolo made the kick to put Williams up 24-0 with 7:09 left in the third.
Unfortunately, Bates had no answer on offense. No Bobcat drive went for more than 30 yards on the afternoon. Maiuolo added a 21-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter and Quinn Rucker punched the ball across the goal line with 1:55 left in regulation to provide the final margin of victory for the hosts.
The Ephs out-gained the Bobcats in total offense by a count of 404-111 on the day. Williams racked up 24 first downs to just eight for Bates.
Despite the loss, Bates did have some standout performers on defense. Sophomore
Liam Keaney (Swampscott, Mass.) led all players with 12 total tackles, including nine solo stops. He sacked Weiler once and notched a pair of tackles for loss. Junior cornerback
Samuel Christopher (Los Angeles, Calif.) impressed with four pass breakups. First-year
Shawn Baumann (Oak Ridge, N.J.) added a QB sack for the second straight week.
The Bobcats hope to bounce back next Saturday when they visit Wesleyan for a 1 p.m. kick in Middletown, Conn.
