Week #1 Headlines:

• Wesleyan dominates Middlebury in stunning fashion
• Amherst outlast Bates in a defensive struggle
• Trinity’s D stifles Colby
• Williams blasts Hamilton as McHugh leads impressive air strikes
• Tufts holds off Bowdoin with late pick by Richardson

Wesleyan 43, Middlebury 7

Bottom Line:  Wesleyan dominates Middlebury in stunning fashion, using a power running game, chunk plays in the passing game and special teams’ TD in a blowout win

Official links:

Wesleyan:  Football Sends a Statement with 43-7 Win at Middlebury – Wesleyan University

Middlebury:   Football Drops Season Opener to Wesleyan – Middlebury College

What we learned – Wesleyan:

• The Cardinals pounded the ball, rushing 46 times for 186 yds and a 4.0 yd per carry average
• It was a group effort with RB Tyler Flynn (14 carries), QB Niko Candido (12), RB James McHugh (9) and RB Angel LaRose (9) each contributing; Flynn had 80 yards
• Wesleyan supplemented their strong rush game with chunk plays in the passing game: Candido completed just 10 passes, but gained 268 yards
• The 10 completions were primarily to two wideouts: Chase Wilson had 5 catches for 168 yds and 1 TD while Ricky Eng had 4 catches for 94 yds a TD
• The Cardinals completed passes of 66, 48, 45, 31 and 25 yds on the day
• Special teams provided scoring as well: Dylan Connors blocked, scoped and scored on a 40 yd punt block TD
• Wesley Abraham, who was a league leader for INTs in ’23, had a pick
• LB Ben Carbeau (8 tackles, 1 sack), DB Dylan Connors (6 tackles, 2 TFLs) and DB Nick Donatio (6 tackles, 3 PBUs) shined on defense

What we learned – Middlebury

• Middlebury was outgained 454-285 yds, only had 24 minutes of possession and committed 3 turnovers, while the Cardinals had none
• QB Brian Moran was just 19-39 for 205 yds with 1 TD and 1 INT
• WR Patrick Jamin had a strong game, catching 7-92 yds and WR Ethan Vashel had 3-58 yds
• The Panthers could only convert 2 of 14 3^rd down chances, and faltered in the red zone going 1 of 3 with a failed 4^th down conversion and a fumble dashing those scoring chances
• Two of the Panthers defensive backs, Rocco Stola and Teddy Daniel, led the team in tackles, combining for 13.

Amherst 19, Bates 7

Bottom Line:  Amherst tops Bates in a defensive struggle, capitalizing on special teams’ plays

Official links:

Amherst:  Mammoths’ D puts the clamps on the Bobcats, 19-7, in season-opening win – Amherst College

Bates:   Defense impresses in football’s 19-7 loss at Amherst to start season – Bates College (gobatesbobcats.com)

What we learned – Amherst:

• Amherst started junior QB Mason Morrow, who was just 13-24 for 140 yds
• The Mammoth offense could only muster 9 first downs on the day, went 1-13 on 3rd down and their rushing game averaged just 2.0 yds per carry, rushing 25-50 yds
• WR Keith Delaney provided a big play in the passing game, catching a 44 yd pass
• Amherst special teams started each half well: they forced a Bates fumble on the opening kickoff and Carter Jung returned the 2^nd half kickoff for 52 yards
• The Mammoths special teams’ unit also blocked a punt
• Amherst’s defense was outstanding, holding Bates to just 60 yards through the air, a mere 2.4 yd per rush and had 6 TFLs
• Luke Harmon picked up where he left off in ’23 – he dominated with 12 tackles, 1 sack, another TFL and 2 INTs
• LB Ty Kazanowsky finished with 10 tackles and a TFL

What we learned – Bates

• The Bobcat passing game really labored – Bates had only 8 completions while having 2 interceptions
• The Bobcats missed WR Sergio Beltran, who did not play, in the pass game
• RB Ryan Lynskey had a solid day, rushing 20-78 yds
• Bates turned from QB Colton Bosselait to Seneca Moore early in the 4^th quarter; Moore led a 15-play drive, but it ended in a failed 4^th down conversion
• Bates was 1 for 4 on 4^th down conversions
• The Bobcat defense held Amherst to less than 200 yards of offense
• LB Ryan Rozich had 9 tackles and 2 TFLs

Trinity 17, Colby 7

Bottom Line:  Trinity’s defense stifles Colby and the Bantams’ air attack supplied enough offense for the win

Official links:

Trinity: Football Downs Colby, 17-7, In 2024 Season Opener – Trinity College (bantamsports.com)

Colby: Colby Opens Season with Setback in Hartford – Colby College (colbyathletics.com)

What we learned – Trinity:

• Trinity outgained Colby 401 to 236 and had 27 first downs to only 11 for Colby, but went just 3 for 9 on third down chances and lost a fumble
• QB Zander Zebrowski was an impressive 27-32 for 304 yds with 1 TD and no picks
• The WR trio of Sean Clapp, Matt Laughlin and Nolan O’Brien combined for 17 catches for 218 yds and 1 TD
• The Bantams rushed for 97 yds, but they yielded 3 sacks
• DB Ma-Lyke Davis was impactful – he had 6 tackles, 1 sack, 1 TFL and 3 pass breakups
• LBs John Fiore and Sean Ryan combined for 12 tackles and 4 TFLs
• The Bantams committed 9 penalties for 75 yards

What we learned – Colby:

• QB Miles Drake was just 14 for 30, had 1 INT and was sacked twice
• The Colby running game could not get on track: Keon Smart and Brendan Sawyer combined for just 53 yds
• WR Duke Ferrera had a strong game with 7-94 yds, 1 TD including a 52 yd catch
• The Mules were just 3 for 14 on 3^rd down
• DB Brody Rice and LB Dennis Dougherty each had 8 tackles

Williams 42, Hamilton 7

Bottom Line:  Williams blasts Hamilton as McHugh leads impressive air strikes and Williams’ defense stymies the Continentals

Official links:

Williams:  Ephs Cruise to a 42-7 Opening Weekend Victory Over Hamilton – Williams College

Hamilton:   Football drops season opener at Williams, 42-7 – Hamilton College

What we learned – Williams:

• QB Owen McHugh had a great day through the air, going 17-25 for 247 yds and 5 TDs
• Williams dominated Hamilton, outgaining the Continentals 459 to 202 yds
• The Ephs rushed for 212 yards for the game, and averaged just under 5 yds per carry
• Williams converted 7 of 15 3^rd conversions and their only 4^th down conversion
• 4 different Eph wideouts caught touchdowns, Brady Stahelski caught 4-70 yds
• Williams’ defense held Hamilton to just over 200 yds, only 103 yds passing and had 9 TFLs
• Freshman LB Luke Magnini had 8 tackles and 2 TFLs

What we learned – Hamilton

• Hamilton could not get its offense going – it only had 2 first downs late in 1^st half, when they were down 28-0
• QB Luke Kurzum was just 9 for 20 for 91 yds and was sacked twice; he did provide 72 yds rushing
• Hamilton mixed in QB Henry Rubey, but he was not any more effective
• The Continentals offense was without RB Kamau Hopewell and WR Jack Hoag, and was hurt by multiple drops
• WR Chester Boynton was one of the few bright spots, he had 6-83 yds and 1 TD
• After stopping Williams effectively on their first two drives, Hamilton gave up TDs on the next four drives of the first half
• The defense surrendered 4.9 per carry on the ground and 5 TDs through the air
• DB Kyle Bratcher played well in the secondary with 5 tackles and 2 PBUs

Tufts 23, Bowdoin 21

Bottom Line:  Tufts holds off Bowdoin with late pick by Richardson

Official links:

Tufts:  gotuftsjumbos.com//news/2024/9/15/late-pick-seals-win-as-jumbo-football-opens-season-with-23-21-win-over-bowdoin.aspx

Bowdoin:   Fourth Quarter Field Goal Lifts Tufts Over Bowdoin Football – Bowdoin College

What we learned – Tufts:

• DB Ty Richardson picked off Bowdoin with under a minute to go and returned it 44 yards to thwart the Polar Bears
• Tufts outgained Bowdoin by over 100 yds, gaining 407 versus Bowdoin’s 273
• QB Michael Berluti threw for 321 yds, but had 2 INTs
• RB Chartellis Reece did not play, but RB Christian Shapiro rushed 23-61 yds and had 2 TDs
• The Jumbos’ WR combination was impressive: Cade Moore caught 6-82 yds and Matt Rios had 5-78 yds
• In addition to his late pick, Ty Richardson had another interception and a TFL
• LB Johnny Ferrelli had 7 tackles, 1 sack and 1 PBU

What we learned – Bowdoin

• The Polar Bears leaned on the run game, rushing 35 times for 145 yds, with QB Robby Long rushing 20-95 yds with 2 TDs
• The pass game was more of a challenge for Long, he only completed 9 passes for 124 yds and threw 2 picks
• WRs Jed Hoggard and Austin Hiscoe combined for just 6 catches
• Bowdoin was only 3 for 15 on 3^rd down
• LBs Dan Fiore and Gordon Gozdeck each had 10 tackles
• DL Aidan Ready had a big day: 8 tackles, 2 sacks and a fumble recovery

Week #2  Headlines:

• Wesleyan tops Tufts in defensive struggle
• Amherst’s three 2^nd half touchdowns lead to victory over Hamilton
• Trinity’s D stymies Bates
• Williams’ McHugh’s running and passing holds off Colby
• Middlebury rallies in 2^nd half to topple Bowdoin

Wesleyan 20, Tufts 9

Bottom Line:  Wesleyan tops Tufts in defensive struggle capitalizing on special team plays and turnovers

Official links:

Wesleyan:  Defense Dominates, Leading Football to 20-9 Win over Tufts in Home Opener – Wesleyan University

Tufts:   Football Falls At Wesleyan, 20-9 – Tufts University (gotuftsjumbos.com)

What we learned – Wesleyan:

• Wesleyan only had 12 first downs to Tufts’ 18, were outgained by 80 yds (367 to 287), but made big plays on special teams and on 3^rd down
• The Cardinals jumped on Tufts early, hitting a 75 yd TD strike from QB Niko Candido to WR Chase Wilson on the first play from scrimmage
• Candido finished with just 7 completions, but spread the ball around, targeting six different receivers on his first 6 attempts of the 2^nd half
• The Cardinal used a group approach at running back as well: 3 Cardinal backs combined to rush 24-116 yds (4.8 yd average)
• On defense, Wesleyan held Tufts to just 4 for 17 on 3rd down attempts
• LB Ben Carbeau had 11 tackles and two sacks
• DD Nick Donatio was active: he had 8 tackles, 1 TFL and forced fumble

What we learned – Tufts

• Despite their advantage in yards and first downs, Tufts made a series of mistakes that sunk their chances
• The Jumbos had 1 interception, lost 2 fumbles (including one on a punt), had a punt blocked and missed 2 FGs
• Tufts final three drives of the game ended with a missed FG, a fumbled punt and an interception
• QB Michael Berluti completed just 16 of his 41 passes (39%) and threw a pick
• Berluti threw for 249 yards, with WR Matt Rios catching 3 balls for 103 yds
• Tufts had three RBs have 5 or more carries; their leading rusher was Christian Shapiro, who rushed 13-38 yds
• After the initial 75 yd bomb, Tufts defense held Wesleyan passing offense to just 6 completions on 25 attempts for 77 yds
• LB Jeff Xu finished with 7 tackles and DB Louis Timmins had 3 tackles, an INT and blocked a PAT attempt

Amherst 21, Hamilton 7

Bottom Line:  Amherst’s three 2^nd half touchdowns lead to victory over Hamilton

Official links:

Amherst:  Second-half comeback nets Mammoths 21-7 win at Hamilton – Amherst College

Hamilton:   Football scores early in home opener, but Amherst prevails 21-7 – Hamilton College

What we learned – Amherst:

• QB Mason Morrow engineered 3 TD drives after halftime, including back-to-back 7-play TD drives of 75 and 81 yds, respectively, to open the 2^nd half
• Morrow threw 22-33 for 206 yds with 2 TDs and 1 INT
• The Mammoths featured two freshman running backs in Demitrius Smith and Zachary Curtin, who combined for 17-99 yds and 1 TD
• WR Owen Gaydos caught 6-42 yds and 1 TD
• Amherst let up a 9-play 75 yd TD drive on the opening drive, but then shut down Hamilton for the rest of the game
• The Mammoth defense limited Hamilton to 1.2 yds per rush
• Ty Kazanowsky and Ethan Burdo each had sacks for Amherst

What we learned – Hamilton

• Hamilton could only muster 200 yards offensively and went 0-3 on 4^th down attempts
• The Continentals rushed for 25 times for just 30 yds, with RB Nate Wildman gaining just 17 yds on the ground on 7 carries
• Kurzum threw 19-30 for 170 yds, but took 3 sacks
• WR Chester Boynton had another strong week: he caught 10-95 yds
• RB Kamau Hopewell returned and had a handful of touches, but WR Jack Hoag has not played this season
• The Hamilton defense held Amherst to 2 for 12 on 3^rd down chances, but allowed 2 of 3 on 4^th  down
• DB Kyle Bratcher continues to flash in the secondary having 7 tackles, 1 INT and 1 PBU

Trinity 28, Bates 7

Bottom Line:  Trinity’s D limits Bates as their aerial attack is impressive

Official links:

Trinity: Football Handles Bates, 28-7 – Trinity College (bantamsports.com)

Bates: Football hangs with NESCAC power Trinity in home opener – Bates College (gobatesbobcats.com)

What we learned – Trinity:

• QB Zander Zebrowski was efficient again: he went 23-30 for 196 yds and 3 TDs
• The RB tandem of Tyler DiNapoli and Jack Tosone split 20 carries and amassed 126 yds (6.3 per yd average)
• WR Nolan O’Brien caught 7-67 yds and 1 TD, and returned a punt for 37 yds, while fellow WR Sean Clapp caught 5-57 yds and 2 TDs
• The Bantams excelled on special teams, running a fake punt for TD and returning a punt 37 yards to set up a score
• The Trinity secondary was dominant: four different players had interceptions and DB Ma-Lyke Davis returned one pick for 20 yds
• Jose Ruiz had 8 tackles with 0.5 sack, and the Bantam front seven was able to generate 3 sacks

What we learned – Bates:

• RB Ryan Lynskey rushed 30 times for 102 yards and a touchdown
• The Bobcats could not find any success in the passing game: Bates had just 4 completions against 4 interceptions
• The Bobcats tried three QBs, but could only go 4-16 for 52 yards
• Bates was once again without their top WR from ’23, Sergio Beltran
• Grad student TE Steven Guerrette had two grabs for 52 yards, including a 42 yd catch
• LB Ryan Rozich had 10 tackles for Bates
• Freshman DB Marquez Narbaez-Estrada was active: he finished with 6 tackles, 1 TFL and 2 pass breakups

Williams 24, Colby 19

Bottom Line:  Eph QB McHugh’s running and passing holds off Colby

Official links:

Williams:  Ephs Hold Off Late Colby Charge in 24-19 Victory – Williams College

Colby:   Football Takes it to the Wire Against Williams on Homecoming – Colby College (colbyathletics.com)

What we learned – Williams:

• QB Owen McHugh was incredibly accurate, throwing 16-18 for 192 yds and 1 TD and he also led the team in rushing: he ran 14-51 yds and 2 TDs
• 9 different Ephs caught passes, with no player catching more than 3 passes; WR Luke Bobo caught 3-50 yds
• RB Mario Fischetti chipped in as well, rushing 17-49 yds
• Williams started the 4^th quarter with a 10 play, 6-minute drive which ended with a FG and stretched the lead to 12 points
• DB Holden Gering had 9 tackles and 4 PBUs
• LB Ethan Scott had 4 tackles, 1 sack, 1 TFL and a QB hurry

What we learned – Colby

• Colby outgained Williams (361 to 286), had more first downs (27-19) but had two key penalties to keep Eph drives alive and also missed two PAT attempts (bad snap and missed 2 pointer)
• QB Miles Drake went 21-39 for 227 yds with 2 TDs, but threw a pick at the end zone on the Mules’ final drive
• RB Keon Smart rushed 17-80 yds and TE Atticus Duncan has 2 TD grabs
• Freshman WR Jack Nye had 4-71 yds and WRs Jack Sawyer and Duke Ferrara combined for 7-89 yds
• LB Julian Young continued to be impactful: he had 11 tackles and 2 TFLs
• Fellow LB Sebastian Romain had 7 tackles and 2 sacks

Middlebury 39, Bowdoin 15

Bottom Line:  Middlebury rallies in 2^nd half to topple Bowdoin

Official links:

Middlebury:  Football Scores 32 Unanswered Points To Come From Behind For 39-15 Win At Bowdoin – Middlebury College

Bowdoin:  Big Second Half Lifts Middlebury Past Bowdoin in Football Home Opener – Bowdoin College

What we learned – Middlebury:

• Down to Bowdoin 15-7 in the 3^rd quarter, Middlebury scored 4 TDs and a FG, while their defense blanked the Polar Bears down the stretch
• QB Brian Moran was solid: he went 14-31 for 196 yds and 3 TDs; he did not have any picks
• The RB by committee of Carter Stockwell, Cody Weitzman and Connor McClellan combined for an impactful 19-149 yds (avg of 7.8 yds per carry) and 1 TD
• WR Patrick Jamin once again shined: he caught 5-100 yds and fellow WR Michael Ahonen had 7-90 yds and 1 TD
• Defensive line standouts Dave Filias and Tomas Kenary combined for 12 tackles and 2.5 sacks on the day
•  DB Rocca Stola had 7 tackles and an interception which he returned for 22 yds

What we learned – Bowdoin

• The Polar Bear offense was 3 of 14 on 3^rd down, had 2 interceptions, was sacked 5 times and missed a FG
• The Polar Bears featured both Robbie Long and Michael Wolfendale at QB – overall they were 20-30 for 171 yds
• Long and Wolfendale both ran almost as much as they passed – they combined to rush 28 times versus attempting 30 passes.
• The Bowdoin defense limited Middlebury early: the Panthers’ first 5 drives they went 3 and out each time and netted negative 15 yds.  On one of those drives, Bowdoin forced a safety
• Bowdoin was flagged for 7 penalties for 54 yds; Middlebury had none
• LB Koy Price was dominant: he had 6 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 1 TFL, 1 forced fumble and made the play to get the safety

Week #3 Headlines:

• Trinity and O’Brien bury Williams after slow start
• Bates upsets Wesleyan, capitalizing on Cardinal errors
• Bowdoin holds off Hamilton with strong late defense
• Tufts shuts out Amherst in a dominating effort
• Middlebury’s 2nd half TDs topple Colby

Trinity 45, Williams 14

Bottom Line: After a slow start, Trinity and O’Brien accelerate to bury Williams

Official links:

Trinity:  45 Unanswered Points Leads Football Past Williams – Trinity College (bantamsports.com)

Williams:  Ephs Fall at Trinity, 45-14 – Williams College

What we learned – Trinity:

• Trinity was down 14-0 in the 2^nd quarter and then scored 45 unanswered points
• The Bantams started the game with 5 and 4 play drives that ended with punts, and then scored on the next 6 drives (5 TDs and a field goal)
• QB Zander Zebrowski was 20-29 for 366 yds (18.3 yds per completion), threw for 4 TDs and had no picks
• WR Nolan O’Brien had a great game: he caught 9-212 yds and 3 TDs
• RB Tyler DiNapoli had a combined 108 yds of offense with 59 yds rushing and 49 yds receiving
• DB Charlie Cooper had a 52 yd pick six and 6 tackles

What we learned – Williams:

• It started well for the Ephs, with two 1^st quarter drives of 11 plays that both resulted in TDs
• After generating 232 yds in the first half, Williams could only muster 72 yds in the 2^nd half on just 20 plays
• QB Owen McHugh was 14-21 for 168 yds and 1 INT; he was sacked 4 times
• RBs Jon Oris and Mario Fischetti spilt 24 carries and gained 107 yds for a 4.5 yd per carry average
• WR Jack Kennedy led all Williams receivers going 7-58 yds
• Freshman LB Luke Mangini was once again active: he had 9 tackles

Bates 24, Wesleyan 13

Bottom Line:  Bates capitalizes on Cardinal errors to break through with upset win

Official links:

Bates:  Football breaks through, defeats previously unbeaten Wesleyan 24-13 – Bates College (gobatesbobcats.com)

Wesleyan:  Mistakes Prove Costly in Football’s 24-13 Loss to Bates – Wesleyan University

What we learned – Bates:

• Bates won for the first time since Week #9 of the ’22 season, and snapped a 17-game losing streak to Wesleyan
• The Bobcats did not throw much, but were very effective when they did: QB Colton Bosselait was 7-7 for 137 yds and 1 TD
• Sophomore WR Ryan Gleason caught 5-119 yds and 1 TD; the rest of the team had 18 yds receiving
• RB Ryan Lynskey continued to be productive – he finished 23-121 yds (5.3 per carry average) and 2 TDs
• Bates converted 50% of their 3^rd down chances going 7-14
• DB Jack Morrison had 9 tackles, 0.5 TFL and 2 PBUs

What we learned – Wesleyan:

• The Cardinals outgained Bates by over 100 yds (379-272) and had 23 first downs to just 9 Bates, but made costly mistakes
• Wesleyan had two fumbles, a missed FG on a bad snap and failed to convert on two other 4^th down attempts, which ended 5 different drives
• QB Niko Candido went 20-40 for 285 yds and 1 TD, including a 87 TD strike to WR Chase Wilson
• RB Tyler Flynn rushed 17-70 yds, but overall Wesleyan only averaged 2.8 yds per carry
• DL Jason Villano had 6 tackles and 3 TFLs and LBs Adam Elsais and Ben Carbeau each had 9 tackles

Bowdoin 21, Hamilton 14

Bottom Line: Bowdoin holds off Hamilton with strong late defense

Official links:

Bowdoin:  Long and Price Lead Bowdoin to Homecoming Football Win Over Hamilton – Bowdoin College

Hamilton:  Football edged 28-21 at Bowdoin, Rubey ’26 accounts for two TDs – Hamilton College

What we learned – Bowdoin:

• QB Robbie Long had a strong day going 17-29 for 283 yds and 3 TDs and led the Polar Bears with 40 yds rushing
• The WR trio of Jed Hoggard, Slade Postemski and Austin Hiscoe provided big plays: they had 13-198 yds and 3 TDs. They averaged 15.2 yds per catch
• Bowdoin clamped down on Hamilton late in the game, limiting the Continentals to 24 yards on 21 plays on their final 4 drives
• DL/LB Koy Price continues to wreak havoc: he had a pick six, 2 sacks, 0.5 TFLs and 4 tackles
• LB Ferris Collins had 7 tackles, 1 INT and 1 PBU

What we learned – Hamilton:

• Hamilton matched Bowdoin in first downs, but fell short in large part due to 2 INTs, whereas Bowdoin had no turnovers
• QB Luke Kurzum who threw a TD and pick six, and was replaced by Henry Rubey in the 2^nd quarter
• QB Rubey went 20-33 for 179 – he had 1 passing TD, 1 rushing TD and 1 INT
• WR Lucas Perez-Segnini caught 7-110 yds and Chester Boynton had 9-67 yds; they both caught 1 TD
• RB Nate Wildman had a 47 yd run but his other eight carries resulted in 9 yds
• DE Aidan Held had 2 sacks and 3 tackles

Tufts 25, Amherst 0

Bottom Line:  Tufts shuts out Amherst in a dominating effort

Official links:

Tufts:  Defense Dominates As Football Blanks Amherst 25-0 – Tufts University (gotuftsjumbos.com)

Amherst:  Mammoths fall to Tufts on the road, 25-0 – Amherst College

What we learned – Tufts:

• QB Michael Berluti was a true dual treat – he rushed for 59 yds and 2 TDs and threw for 230 yds and another score
• Three Tufts RBs Christian Shapiro, Khallid Calhoun and Aundre Smith combined for 32-144 yds, sporting a 4.5 per carry
• WR Cade Moore was impressive going 5-67 and 1 TD
• The Jumbos converted 8 of 15 3rd down chances and controlled the ball for over 39 minutes
• The Jumbo defense was dominant, limiting Amherst to less than 120 yds in total offense
• LB Will Duncanson made big plays: he had 2 INTs and 0.5 sacks to go with his 4 tackles

What we learned – Amherst:

• The Mammoths struggled mightily on offense: they could only muster 119 yds and 8 first downs
• Of Amherst’s 10 drives for the game, only 2 went for more than 4 plays
• The running game could not get any traction, they rushed for just 25 yds at 1.5 yds per carry
• The Mammoths turned to QB John Collier late in the 3^rd quarter, but between he and starter Mason Morrow, they completed just 37% of their passes (10 for 27), had less than 100 yds through the air (94) and threw 3 interceptions
• LB Kevin Agnew had 7 tackles and fumble recovery while DB Luke Harmon had 6 tackles and 1 INT

Middlebury 24, Colby 16

Bottom Line: Middlebury’s 2nd half TDs topple Colby

Official links:

Middlebury:  Big Second Half Lifts Football Past Colby 24-16 In 60th Meeting – Middlebury College

Colby:  Mules Play Even First Half, Panthers Slip Away Late – Colby College (colbyathletics.com)

What we learned – Middlebury:

• QB Brian Moran tossed two 2^nd half TDs to put the game out of Colby’s reach
• Moran finished 15-28 for 248 yds and 2 TDs (he had 1 INT)
• The Panthers had two WRs have over 100 yds receiving: Patrick Jamin had 4-113 yds with 2 TDs and Ethan Vashel had 5-103 yds and 1 TD
• Backup QB Aidan Moss led two series in the 2^nd quarter, and hit a 27 yd TD pass to Jamin
• Middlebury spread 29 carries among 4 RBs, but they rushed for just 29-82 yds (2.8 yd avg per carry)
• DB Charlie Grant had 11 tackles, 1 TFL and 1 PBU

 What we learned – Colby:

• Colby slightly outgained Middlebury on the day, but had one more turnover, which was a critical 4^th quarter fumble at the Middlebury 16
• RB Keon Smart was very effective rushing 17-84 yds and catching 6-82 – he was the Mules’ leading rusher and the leading receiver, generating 166 yds of total offense
• The Mules played two QBs, Miles Drake and Declan McNamara: Drake went 24-45 for 214 yds and McNamara passed for 54 yds and rushed for 27 yds
• WR Duke Ferrara caught 10-79 yds
• Colby had just 1 first down in their first 7 drives of the 2^nd half, and scored a TD on the last play of the game
• LB Sebastian Romain had 8 tackles and 0.5 sacks, and the DL duo of Andrew Hart and Jack Mullen combined for 14 tackles, 3.5 sacks and 2 TFLs

Week #4 Headlines:

• Trinity surges past Tufts in 2^nd half
• Williams handles Bowdoin with balanced attack
• Wilson keys Wesleyan comeback over Hamilton
• Middlebury holds off Amherst behind Moran’s 3 TDs
• Drake leads Colby to a tight CBB win over Bates

Trinity 42, Tufts 24

Bottom Line: Trinity surges past Tufts in 2^nd half

Official links:

Trinity:  Football Outlasts Tufts, 42-24 – Trinity College (bantamsports.com)

Tufts:  Second Half Pushes Trinity Past Football Saturday, 42-24 – Tufts University (gotuftsjumbos.com)

What we learned – Trinity:

• Trinity was down 24-21 in the 3^rd quarter, and then strung together three touchdown drives of 7, 13 and 11 plays to put away the Jumbos
• QB Zander Zebrowski went 24-28 for 294 yds and 2 TDS and no picks and also ran 15-67 yds and 1 TD
• RB Tyler DiNapoli rushed 19-75 yds and 2 TDs and had 37 yds receiving
• The Bantam WR trio of Clapp, O’Brien and Laughlin combined to catch 14-216 yds and 2 TDs
• DB Dan Calderon blocked a Tufts punt in the 3^rd quarter, which led to a TD drive; the Bantams scored on all 2^nd half drives before taking 2 knees to close out the game
• DB Jason Irizarry had 6 tackles and a forced fumble

What we learned – Tufts:

• Tufts could not keep pace with Trinity in the 2^nd half, as the Jumbos had consecutive 3 and outs which netted negative 3 and negative 2 yds each
• QB Michael Berluti threw 21-33 for 278 yds and 3 TDs
• WR Cade Moore was stellar, catching 6-116 yds and 2 TDs
• The running game could only muster 76 yds
• Tufts was just 2-9 on 3^rd down and 1-2 on 4^th down
• LB Jeff Xu had 10 tackles 0.5 sacks, 0.5 TFL and recovered a fumble

Williams 34, Bowdoin 14

Bottom Line: Williams handles Bowdoin with balanced attack

Official links:

Williams:    Ephs Surge in the Second Half to a 34-14 Win Over Bowdoin – Williams College

Bowdoin:  Second Half Surge Sinks Football at Williams – Bowdoin College

What we learned – Williams:

• RB Mario Fischetti had two long TD runs of 68 and 80 yds, finishing with 9-177 yds
• QB Owen McHugh threw 17-24 and 244 yds, hitting 3 TDs against 1 INT
• WR Cameron Lee had 2 TD receptions catching 4-80 yds
• Williams was balanced: they rushed for 236 yds and passed for 244 yds
• The Eph defense held Bowdoin to just 11-30 passing for 132 yds and picked off Bowdoin twice
• Williams lost two fumbles and had 10 penalties for 88 yds
• DB Holden Gering had 2 INTs, 4 tackles and 1 BPU

What we learned – Bowdoin:

• In the first half, Bowdoin ‘s offense had 5 drives of 3, 3, 3, 4 and 5 plays, as well as 3 drives that ended in 2 INTs and a failed 4^th down conversion
• QB Robbie Long was just 9-24 for 103 yds and a pick and Bowdoin mixed in Michael Wolfendale in the 3^rd quarter who threw 2-6 for 29 yds and 1 TD and 1 INT
• Long and Wolfendale were the top Polar Bear rushers combining to rush for 25-84 yds
• WR Jed Hoggard caught 5-94 yds and 1 TD
• The Polar Bears were 2-13 on 3^rd down and 0-2 on 4^th down
• DL/LB Koy Price continues to make game changing plays: he had a 15 yd fumble recovery for a score

Wesleyan 19, Hamilton 7

Bottom Line: Wilson keys Wesleyan comeback over Hamilton

Official links:

Wesleyan:  Football Rattles Off 19 Unanswered Points to Land a Come-From-Behind Win at Hamilton – Wesleyan University

Hamilton:  Football gives up 19 points in fourth quarter in loss to Wesleyan – Hamilton College

What we learned – Wesleyan:

• Wesleyan offense didn’t score on its first six drives, with two ending in fumbles
• The Cardinals were down 7-0 in the 4^th quarter and rallied to score 19 unanswered points
• WR Chase Wilson had a huge game: he caught 8-109 yds and 2 TDs
• QB Niko Candido threw 20-27 for 291 yds, 2 TDs and 0 INTs
• Wesleyan ran for just 69 yds and only averaged 2.1 per carry
• DB Dylan Connors had 9 tackles, 1 sack, 1 TFL and 2 PBUs

What we learned – Hamilton:

• Tied 7-7 in the 4^th, Hamilton had a costly turnover on an errant backward swing pass leading to 49 yd TD scoop and score
• The Continentals had just 37 yds rushing, with their RBs rushing just 7 times for negative 7 yds
• Hamilton split QB snaps between Henry Rubey and Luke Kurzum; they were the team’s top two rushers and combined for 10-45 yds
• Kurzum went 15-22 for 144 yds and Rubey tossed a TD pass
• WR Chester Boynton caught 10-67 yds
• DB Kyle Bratcher continued to play well: he had 8 tackles and 2 PBUs

Middlebury 29, Amherst 21

Bottom Line: Middlebury holds off Amherst behind Moran’s 3 TDs

Official links:

Middlebury:  Football Holds Off Amherst 29-21 For Third-Straight Win – Middlebury College

Amherst:  Panthers hold off Mammoths for 29-21 victory – Amherst College

What we learned – Middlebury:

• The Panthers jumped out to a 20-0 and held on to top Amherst
• Middlebury scored on their first 4 drives and then only 1 more time on their next 8 drives
• QB Brian Moran threw 22-38 for 233 yds, 3 TDs and 0 INTs
• Middlebury rushed for 108 yds, led by RB Carter Stockwell who ran 14-60 yds
• WR Patrick Jamin had 2 TDs, and he, Mike Ahonen and Ethan Vashel combined catching 18-204 yds
• The Panthers held Amherst to 17 yds rushing and picked off the Mammoths 4 times
• The DL duo of Tomas Kenary and Dave Filias combined for 3 sacks; Filias added 5 tackles

What we learned – Amherst:

• QB Mason Morrow threw 24-39 for 1 TD but had 4 INTs and was sacked 4 times
• WR Owen Gaydos caught 7-105 yds and WR Sam Gerber added 6-63 yds 1 TD
• In the 1^st half, Amherst had 6 drives – 3 went for 10 yards on 10 plays, the other 3 ended in INTs
• The rushing game was a struggle: RB Demitrius Smith had 7-31 yds
• The Mammoths were able to score 3 TDs in the 2^nd half and matched Middlebury on first downs, 19 for Amherst versus 20 for the Panthers, but could not overcome the turnovers
• DB Luke Harmon had 11 tackles and 1 BPU

Colby 28, Bates 26

Bottom Line:  Drake leads Colby to a tight CBB win over Bates

Official links:

Colby:  Colby Makes it Six In a Row Over Bates In a Thriller Under the Lights – Colby College (colbyathletics.com)

Bates:  Football loses 28-26 heartbreaker to Colby – Bates College (gobatesbobcats.com)

What we learned – Colby:

• QB Miles Drake had 225 yds passing and rushed 11-110 yds
• Drake threw 21-24 for 2 TDs and 1 INT; he had a 52 yd run
• WR Jack Nye caught 6-112 yds and 1 TD
• RB Keon Smart rushed 25-154 yds and had 35 yds receiving
• Colby outgained Bates 499-344 yds, but had 8 penalties for 97 yds
• DB Trevor Smith and LB Sebastian Romain each had 9 tackles and combined for 1.5 TFLs

What we learned – Bates:

• Bates rushed for 49-277 yds (averaged 5.7 per carry)
• WR Sergio Beltran returned to being impactful: he rushed 11-102 yds and caught 3-21 yds
• QB Colton Bosselait and Seneca Moore rushed a combined 15-102 yds
• Bates QBs were less effective passing: they went 6-11 for just 67 yds
• The Bobcats failed a 2-point conversion and also came up one yard short on a 4^th down play at the Colby 7 yd line
• DB Michael Spencer had 10 tackles and 1 TFL

Week #5 Headlines:

• Middlebury outlasts Williams to win in OT
• Wesleyan returns Colby’s OT fumble for TD to win
• Bowdoin steamrolls Amherst behind strong D
• Trinity dominates Hamilton behind Zebrowski
• Tufts blasts Bates under the lights in Lewiston

Middlebury 32, Williams 29 (OT)

Bottom Line: Middlebury outlasts Williams to win in OT

Official links:

Middlebury:  Middlebury Edges Williams 32-29 In Overtime Thriller – Middlebury College

Williams:  Ephs Lose 32-29 in Overtime at Middlebury – Williams College

What we learned – Middlebury:

• PK Zach Levy hit a game tying FG with 13 seconds in the game, and RB Connor McClellan ran for the game winning TD in OT
• The game was very even: there were 5 lead changes, and the yardage was Middlebury’s 398 to Williams’ 391 yds
• RB Connor McClellan rushed 11-95 yds and 3 TDs
• QB Brian Moran threw 21-27 for 233 yds with 1 TD
• WRs Ethan Vashel and Patrick Jamin combined to catch 12-173 yds and 1 TD
• The Panther D held Williams to just a one yd run in OT on a critical 3rd and 3 from the Middlebury 6 yd line, which held Williams to an OT FG
• DB Charlie Ozolin had 2 INTs and Matt Shaw had 10 tackles, 1 sack and 2 QB hurries

What we learned – Williams:

• Williams played Middlebury close (had 23 1^st downs to Middlebury’s 21), but had a bad punt snap that led to a Panther safety, a failed on a 4^th down conversion, threw 2 INTs and had a critical penalty on defense that kept a Middlebury drive alive
• RB Mario Fischetti rushed 19-131 yds for 1 TD
• WR Cameron Lee caught 4-66 yds
• PK Ivan Shuran was 5-5 on FGs
• QB Owen McHugh threw 17-31 for 190 yds and 1 TD but had 2 INTs and was sacked three times
• LB Calvin Pedatella had 14 tackles and 0.5 TFL

Wesleyan 23, Colby 17 (OT)

Bottom Line: Wesleyan returns Colby’s OT fumble for TD to win

Official links:

Wesleyan:  Cardinal Defense Walks it Off, Scoring Game-Winning Touchdown in Overtime Against Colby – Wesleyan University

Colby:  Wesleyan Slips Past Football in Overtime – Colby College (colbyathletics.com)

What we learned – Wesleyan:

• LB Jake Edwards returned a Colby fumble in OT from the Cardinal 12 yd line 88 yards for a game winning TD
• Wesleyan had 23 1^st downs to Colby’s 9, outgained the Mules 246 to 118 yds and possessed the ball for close to 37 minutes
• The Mules stayed in the game in part due to Wesleyan throwing an interception, going 0-2 on 4^th down and having two fumbles (the Cardinals fumbled 7 times but only lost 2), including one that Colby returned 90 yds for a TD
• WR Chase Wilson continues to be a dominant force: he caught 8-96 yds and 1 TD
• QB Niko Candido went 22-40 for 225 yds with 1 TD and 1 INT
• The Cardinal RBs combined for just 47 yds on 21 carries
• LB Ben Carbeau and DB Dylan Connors each had 8 tackles and 2 TFLs

What we learned – Colby:

• QB Miles Drake was just 11-24 for 74 yds and 1 TD; the Mules averaged just 6.7 yds per completion
• Colby could only muster 118 yds of offense in the game and had 8 drives of four plays or less
• Keon Smart rushed 18-55 yds, with no other Mule player with more than 23 yds rushing or receiving
• Drake’s fumble in OT came on 2^nd and goal from the 5 yd line turning a good TD chance for Colby into a loss
• LB Julian Young had a monster game: 15 tackles, 1.5 sacks and 2 QB hurries

Bowdoin 35, Amherst 7

Bottom Line: Bowdoin steamrolls Amherst behind strong D

Official links:

Bowdoin:  Polar Bears Overwhelm Mammoths, Earn First Win at Amherst Since 2005 – Bowdoin College

Amherst:  Polar Bears take bite out of Mammoths, 35-7 – Amherst College

What we learned – Bowdoin:

• Bowdoin limited Amherst to a net 1 yd rushing and sacked Amherst 7 times
• LB Ferris Collins had a 55 yd return on a pick 6
• The Polar Bears were 6 for 13 on 3^rd down and 1-1 on 4^th down conversions
• Bowdoin played 2 QBs again: QB Michael Wolfendale threw 9-16 for 74 yds with 1 TD and 2 INTs; he led the team in rushing with 55 yds
• QB Robbie Long had 57 yds between throwing and running and had 2 TDs, one through the air and one on the ground
• DL/LB Koy Price was again disruptive: 6 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2 other TFLs and 2 QB hurries

What we learned – Amherst:

• The Mammoths struggled once again on offense going just 4-15 on 3^rd down, 0-5 on 4^th down and 0-2 in the red zone
• QB Mason Morrow went 13-27 for 101 yds but had the pick 6
• Amherst tried freshman QB Marek Hill in spots – he was 3-10 for 77 yds but had a 52 yd TD strike
• Mammoth RBs combined for 8-26 yds
• WR Carter Jung caught 3-72 yds and 1 TD
• LB Damian Carrano had 10 tackles and 1 TFL

Trinity 31, Hamilton 7

Bottom Line: Trinity dominates Hamilton behind Zebrowski

Official links:

Trinity:  Football Muscles Past Hamilton, 31-7 – Trinity College (bantamsports.com)

Hamilton:  Football scores on first drive but is tripped up at Trinity, 31-7 – Hamilton College

What we learned – Trinity:

• Trinity outgained Hamilton 388 to 165 in yds
• After punting on their first 3 possessions, the Bantams scored on 5 of their next 6 possessions including 4 TDs
• QB Zander Zebrowski threw 18-25 for 269 yds, 4 TDs and led the team in rushing with 37 yds
• WR Nolan O’Brien continued to be explosive: he caught 5-101 yds and 2 TDs
• The Trinity D held Hamilton to 2.3 yds per rush
• LB Ethan Krauss has 8 tackles and DB Jason Irizarry had 4 tackles, 1 TFL and 1 INT

 What we learned – Hamilton:

• The Continentals scored on their opening possession, but never scored again: in the 2^nd half they had 8 drives that encompassed 26 plays and yielded just 28 yds
• Hamilton played two QBs, Luke Kurzum and Henry Rubey, but they combined for 17-35 for 97 yds; they averaged just 5.7 yds per completion
• The Continentals had 1 fumble at the Trinity 11 yd line and 2 Kurzum interceptions; Trinity did not have any turnovers
• Freshman RB Alastair Orr and RB Nate Wildman combined to rush 18-68 yds
• WR Luis Perez-Segnini caught 5-43 yds
• DB Kyle Bratcher had 10 tackles

Tufts 45, Bates 22

Bottom Line:  Tufts blast Bates under the lights in Lewiston

Official links:

Tufts:  Rushing Attack Leads Jumbo Football Past Bates, 45-22 – Tufts University (gotuftsjumbos.com)

Bates:  Football can’t slow down Tufts in 45-22 loss – Bates College (gobatesbobcats.com)

What we learned – Tufts:

• Tufts jumped out to an early lead, scoring on 4 of their first 5 drives and 7 of their 10 drives in the game
• QB Michael Berluti threw 15-21 for 138 yds and 1 TD and ran 8-49 yds and another score
• Berluti led an efficient offense: the Jumbos went 6-10 on 3^rd down, 1-1 for 4^th down and 6-6 in the red zone
• Tufts ran 43-211 yds (4.9 per carry average) with RB Christian Shapiro leading the team running 26-107 yds and 3 TDs
• WR Cade Moore caught 6-62 yds and 1 TD
• DB Henry Ferrelli had 7 tackles on defense

What we learned – Bates:

• The Bobcats rushed 39-162 yds, a 4.2 average per rush
• RB Ryan Lynskey was again the main man on the ground: he rushed 19-74 yds and 1 TD
• The passing game only generated 5 completions (on 14 attempts) with 1 INT
• WR Sergio Beltran was a running and receiving threat for a 2^nd game: he caught 3-43 yds and 1 TD and rushed for 6-36 yds
• Bates played 2 QBs, Colton Bosselait and Seneca Moore – they attempted 14 passes and rushed 11 times
• DB Michael Spencer and LB Ryan Rozich each had 10 tackles

Week #6 Headlines:

Headlines:

• Middlebury’s late TD catch topples Trinity
• Williams staves off Bates
• Colby blasts Amherst
• Wesleyan holds off Bowdoin in defensive struggle
• Tufts strikes early and tops Hamilton

Middlebury 24, Trinity 21

Bottom Line: Middlebury’s late TD catch topples Trinity

Official links:

Middlebury: Football Snaps Trinity’s Unbeaten Streak With Last-Minute Touchdown – Middlebury College

Trinity: Fourth Quarter Surge Leads Middlebury Past Football – Trinity College

What we learned – Middlebury:

• QB Brian Moran hit WR Mike Ahonen on a 9 yd TD pass with 21 seconds to play to take the lead and the win
• The game winning drive was an 11 play 71-yard drive that included the Panthers converting on 4^th and 1
• Middlebury outgained Trinity in yards gained 462 to 351
• QB Brian Moran went 21-41 for 313 yds with 3 TDs and 1 INT
• Freshman WR Jeremy Kiefer caught 4-104 yds, and the Panther WR trio of Patrick Jamin, Ethan Vashel and Mike Ahonen combined to catch 13-150 yds
• Middlebury spread 28 carries among 4 RBs, rushing for 108 yds (3.9 yd avg per carry)
• DL Dave Filias led the team with 6 tackles and had a sack; fellow DL Tomas Kenary had 1 sack and 5 QB hurries

What we learned – Trinity:

• The game was very close: both teams had 22 1^st downs, and both held the ball for 30 minutes exactly
• Trinity did not score in the 2^nd half, with a fumble and failed 4^th and 1 conversion ending drives
• On their last 3 drives, the Bantams could only get one 1^st down
• QB Zander Zebrowski was 19-37 for 221 yds with 2 TDs and no picks
• WR Nolan O’Brien had another strong game: he caught 7-92 yds and 1 TD
• RB Tyler DiNapoli rushed 15-93 yds and had 33 receiving yds
• LB Ethan Krauss had 13 tackles and 1 QB hurry, and DE Jordan Atkinson had 8 tackles, 2 sacks and 3 QB hurries

Williams 24, Bates 21

Bottom Line: Williams staves off Bates

Official links:

Williams: Williams Holds Back Triple-Option Bates to Win 24-21 – Williams College

Bates: Football falls just short in 24-21 loss at Williams – Bates College

What we learned – Williams:

• The Ephs scored on back-to-back drives in the 2^nd quarter, and held off Bates the balance of the game
• QB Owen McHugh passed 21-32 for 141 yds and rushed for 56 yds
• RB Mario Fischetti was held in check, he rushed 12-40 yds
• WR Jack Kennedy had a big day, catching 8-64 yds
• PK Ivan Shuran connected on a 47 yd FG, the longest FG made this year in the NESCAC
• WR/DB Holden Gering had an impact on offense (2 catches for 6 yds) and on defense where he had 7 tackles and 2 PBUs
• Three freshman defenders, LB Luke Mangini, LB Zakkai Moore and DB Andrew Kreakie combined for 20 tackles

What we learned – Bates:

• Bates outgained Williams 313 yds to 265 yds, but went 0-2 on 4^th down, gave up 2 sacks, had 10 penalties for 92 yds and had a 25 yd and a 29 yd punt
• The Bobcats rushed 42 times for 198 yds (4.7 yd average) on the day with league leading rusher RB Ryan Lynskey running 20-126 yds
• QB Colton Bosselait threw 10-21 for 115 yds but had 2 TDs
• WR Sergio Beltran rushed for 43 yds and 1 TD and added 16 receiving yds
• LB Matt Juneau had 10 tackles, and fellow LB Ryan Rozich had 9 tackles with 2 TFLs

Colby 38, Amherst 7

Bottom Line: Colby blasts Amherst 

Official links:

Colby: Football Upends Amherst 38-7 – Colby College

Amherst: Mules overpower Mammoths with strong offensive performance, 38-7 – Amherst College

What we learned – Colby:

• The Mules outgained Amherst 372 to 131 yards, held the ball close to 36 minutes, went 9-16 on 3^rd down and 5-5 in the red zone
• After their first drive, Colby scored on their next 5 drives including 4 TDs
• QB Miles Drake threw 19-28 for 236 yds and 4 TDs
• 4 Mule players had a TD reception including WR Duke Ferrera who caught 5-58 yds
• RB Keon Smart had 99 yds between rushing (68 yds) and receiving (31 yds)
• LB Julian Young had 10 tackles, 1 sack and 1 TFL

What we learned – Amherst:

• The Mammoths continue to struggle mightily on offense: they had negative 3 yards rushing
• Amherst running backs rushed 6-13 yds
• The Mammoths went 0-11 on 3^rd down and had 3 plays or less on 9 of their 11 drives
• Freshman QB Marek Hill got the start, and went 19-29 for 134 yds with 1 TD and 1 INT; he was sacked 3 times
• WR Carter Jung caught 6-37 yds
• LB Ty Kazanowsky had 9 tackles and 1 QB hurry while DB/LB Luke Harmon had 6 tackles, 1 TFL and 2 PBUs

Wesleyan 17, Bowdoin 14

Bottom Line: Wesleyan holds off Bowdoin in defensive struggle

Official links:

Wesleyan: McHugh Scores Twice, Football Holds Off Bowdoin for 17-14 Win – Wesleyan University

Bowdoin: Late Rally Comes Up Short as Football Falls to Wesleyan – Bowdoin College

What we learned – Wesleyan:

• The game was very even: Wesleyan was outgained by Bowdoin by just one yard (250 to 251)
• The Cardinal defense held the Polar Bears to 3-12 on 3^rd down and 0 for 2 on 4^th down
• Up 3 on their final drive, Wesleyan converted a critical 1^st down behind a 14 yd pass to WR Chase Wilson and a 5-yard RB James McHugh run on 4^th and 1, which allowed the Cardinals to run out the clock
• McHugh rushed 13-72 yds and 2 TDs and WR Chase Wilson caught 4-61 yds
• QB Niko Candido went just 10-20 for 153 yds and was sacked 8 times
• LB Jake Edwards had 7 tackles and LB Ben Carbeau had 4 tackles and 2.5 TFLs

What we learned – Bowdoin:

• The Polar Bears matched Wesleyan’s offense and had 2 more first downs, but went 0-2 on 4^th down
• Down 3 and on the Wesleyan 39 on their final drive, Bowdoin had a dropped pass on 3^rd down and could not convert on 4^th down
• The two Polar Bear QBs, Robbie Long and Michael Wolfendale struggled with the pass game; they combined for just 9 completions on 25 attempts and had 1 INT
• RB Luke Watson was the team’s leading rusher and receiver – he rushed 11-41 yds and caught 3-80 yds
• DL/LB Koy Price once again wreaked havoc: he had 5 tackles and 2.5 sacks
• 8 different Polar Bears contributed to a sack

Tufts 20, Hamilton 13

Bottom Line: Tufts strikes early and tops Hamilton

Official links:

Tufts: Jumbo Football Holds Off Hamilton For 20-13 Victory – Tufts University

Hamilton: Football tripped up at Tufts, Velardo ’27 boots two field goals – Hamilton College

What we learned – Tufts:

• Tufts jumped out early with an opening 52 yd kickoff return by RB Aundre Smith and three plays later, hitting a 46 yd TD pass to WR Matt Rios
• Tufts never trailed in the game and went 6-12 on 3^rd down
• QB Michael Berluti threw 23-31 for 274 yds and 1 TD while rushing for 43 yds
• Tufts rushed 26-114 yds (4.4 per carry) with Smith adding a 36 yd run to his KO return
• WRs Cade Moore, Henry Fleckner and C.J. Burton combined to catch 13-143 yds
• DB Henry Ferrelli was all over the field: he had 10 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 forced fumble, 1 PBU and 1 QB hurry

What we learned – Hamilton:

• Hamilton had more first downs (21 to 19) and time of possession (35 mins to 25 mins) than Tufts, but went just 4 of 14 on 3rd down, 2 of 4 on 4^th down and yielded 4 sacks
• QB Luke Kurzum threw 28-39 for 283 yds – he had 1 passing TD and added 18 yds rushing
• WR Ezra Lombardi caught 4-107 yds and 1 TD
• The Continental WR duo of Lucas Perez-Segnini and Chester Boynton combined to catch 17-132 yds
• RB Nate Wildman rushed 9-38 yds
• LB Nick Hoff had 5 tackles and 1 TFL

Week # 7 Headlines:

• Bates upsets Middlebury by 1
• Trinity outpaces Bowdoin in 20-point win
• Wesleyan surges past Amherst with 31 unanswered points
• Tufts holds off Williams intercepting the Ephs 4 times
• Colby’s late TD tops winless Hamilton

Bates 21, Middlebury 20

Bottom Line: Bates upsets Middlebury by 1

Official links:

Bates: Football makes more history, defeats Middlebury 21-20 in a Garcelon Field thriller – Bates College

Middlebury: Football Comes Up Short at Bates – Middlebury College

What we learned – Bates:

• Bates upset Middlebury behind a key 4^th quarter TD drive, beating the Panthers for the first time since 1988, ending a 33 game losing streak. The game featured 5 lead changes.
• QB Colton Bosselait was outstanding, throwing 13-15 for 175 yds and 3 TDs with 1 INT
• RB Ryan Lynskey continued to be productive – he finished 27-107 yds (4.0 per carry average)
• WR Sergio Beltran caught 5-72 yds and 2 TDs and added 19 yds rushing
• WR Ryan Gleason caught 4-64 yds
• LB Ryan Rozich had 11 tackles and 1 PBU

What we learned – Middlebury:

• Middlebury outgained Bates 369 to 311 yds, but missed 3 field goals (from 48, 21, and 41), with the last miss with 1:14 left in the game
• Moran finished 19-29 for 202 yds with no TDs nor INTs
• Middlebury spread 28 carries among 4 RBs and rushed for 143 (5.1 yd avg per carry); RB Connor McClellan rushed 13-59 yds and 1 TD
• WR Mike Ahonen caught 7-73 yds
• DB Teddy Daniel had an INT and 60 yd return to the Bates 10 to set up a Panther TD
• LB Matt Shaw had 12 tackles and 2 TFLs and DB Charlie Ozolin had 10 tackles and 2 TFLs

Trinity 34, Bowdoin 14

Bottom Line: Trinity outpaces Bowdoin in 20-point win

Official links:

Trinity: Football Claws Past Bowdoin, 34-14 – Trinity College

Bowdoin: Trinity Pulls Away Late in Victory Over Bowdoin – Bowdoin College

What we learned – Trinity:

• Trinity was dominant: they doubled up Bowdoin outgaining the Polar Bears in yards (467 – 212 yds) and first downs (25-12)
• The Bantams scored on their first two drives (10 and 11 plays each) of the game, but were stopped in 3 of their next 4 drives via a fumble, INT and failed faked FG
• QB Zander Zebrowski threw 25-36 for 274 yds and 3 TDs; he threw 1 INT and was sacked 3 times
• RB Tyler DiNapoli rushed 12-91 yds and 1 TD and caught 5-45 yds
• WR Sean Clapp caught 6-68 yds and 2 TDs and his fellow WR Nolan O’Brien caught 9-89 yds
• DB Charlie Cooper had 2 INTs and PBU, while LB Amari Phillips had 8 tackles and 0.5 TFL

What we learned – Bowdoin:

• Bowdoin cut the Trinity lead to 7 in the 3^rd quarter, but threw picks on their last two drives to dash hopes of a comeback
• The Polar Bears played freshman QB Peter Macaulay extensively, and he went 13-33 for 124 yds in his NESCAC debut; he had 2 TD passes but also had 2 INTs
• Macaulay also led this team in rushing: he rushed 6-32 yds
• WR Ty Connolly caught 6-47 yds, and fellow receivers Jed Hoggard and Austin Hiscoe each caught TD passes
• DB Ferris Collins had an impressive 15 tackles, and the Bowdoin defense generated 3 sacks and had 1 INT
• LB Gordon Gozdeck and DB Nick Viscusi combined for 21 tackles and 1 QB hurry

Wesleyan 31, Amherst 14

Bottom Line: Wesleyan surges past Amherst with 31 unanswered points

Official links:

Wesleyan: Football Scores 31 Unanswered to Roll Past Amherst – Wesleyan University

Amherst: Mammoths fall to Wesleyan, 31-14, despite strong first quarter on Homecoming Weekend – Amherst College

What we learned – Wesleyan:

• The Cardinals outgained Amherst by over 100 yds (335-211) and rallied from a 14-point 1^st quarter deficit to score 31 unanswered points
• Wesleyan started the game with 4 drives that yielded just 22 yds on 14 plays and then scored TD, FG, TD and TD on their next 4 drives
• Freshman RB Matt Diaz rushed 20-76 yds and 2 TDs, with RB James McHugh adding 11-48 yds
• QB Niko Candido was just 11-24 for 187 yds, but had 2 TDs and no picks
• WR Chase Wilson continued to be a big play weapon: he caught 4-75 yds and a 1 TD
• DL Mike Rowan had 6 tackles, 1 sack and 1 QB hurry

What we learned – Amherst:

• After a 3 and out to start the game, Amherst scored on back-to-back drives in the 1^st quarter
• Up 14-0, the Mammoths drove down to Wesleyan 12, but lost a TD due to a holding penalty and subsequently missed a FG
• Amherst went just 3-11 on 3^rd down, didn’t field a kickoff to lose possession and were flagged for 7 penalties for 61 yds
• QB Marek Hill threw 14-26 for 138 yds with 2 TDs and 1 INT; Hill also led the Mammoths in rushing, running 9-28 yds
• WRs Owen Gaydos caught 5-34 yds and TE Matthew Diaz caught a 37 yd TD
• LB Carson Skotak had 7 tackles, 1 TFL and 2 QB hurries

Tufts 27, Williams 24

Bottom Line: Tufts holds off Williams intercepting the Ephs 4 times

Official links:

Tufts: Jumbos Hold Off Williams To Earn 27-24 Road Win – Tufts University

Williams: Ephs Suffer Hard-Fought 27-24 Defeat Against Tufts – Williams College

What we learned – Tufts:

• In an evenly matched game, Tufts was able to hold off Williams with 4 INTs of the Ephs
• The Jumbo offense was able to hold the ball for more than 37 minutes
• RB Christian Shapiro rushed 23-131 yds, had 5.7 yds/carry average and 1 TD
• WR Cade Moore caught 6-106 yds including a 41 yd TD catch
• QB Michael Berluti was again a dual treat – he rushed for 62 yds and threw 12-24 for 146 yds with 1 TD and 1 INT
• DB Louis Timmins fumbled a punt that the Ephs recovered, but then picked off Williams in the end zone 3 plays later
• LB Johnny Ferrelli had 9 tackles and 1 TFL, and DB Ty Richardson 4 tackles, 1 INT, 1 TFL and 1 PBU

What we learned – Williams:

• Williams outgained Tufts 397 to 366 yds, but had 4 INTs, including one on a trick play and two in the end zone, went 4 of 13 on 3^rd down and only scored 3 times in 6 red zone trips
• QB Owen McHugh was just 15-34 for 212 yds, tossed 2 TDs but threw 3 INTs
• RB Mario Fischetti rushed 2-50 yds before exiting with an injury, but McHugh ran for 12-68 yds and RB Jon Oris 14-60 yds, helping the Ephs to average 6.1 yds per carry
• The receiving trio of Owen Johansen, Brady Stahelski and Luke Bobo combined to catch 11-176 yds (16.0 yd avg per catch)
• LB Tim Landolfi had 9 tackles and 1 sack

Colby 16, Hamilton 13

Bottom Line: Colby’s late TD tops winless Hamilton

Official links:

Colby: Mules Stun Hamilton Late for Third Win in Four Games – Colby College

Hamilton: Football caught by Colby late in fourth quarter in 16-13 setback – Hamilton College

What we learned – Colby:

• RB Keon Smart caught a 19 yd TD pass with 1:18 to play to lift the Mules over Hamilton
• Smart rushed 19-103 yds and caught 4-22 yds
• QB Miles Drake threw 23-38 for 182 yds and 1 TD
• WR Jack Sawyer caught 10-81 yds
• K Christos Tzoumakas was 3-3 on FG attempts
• The Mule defense limited Hamilton to just 4 of 15 on 3^rd down
• LB Julian Young had 8 tackles, 0.5 sack and 2 other TFLs

What we learned – Hamilton:

• Hamilton led most of the 2^nd half, but did not score in the 2^nd half with their final drive ending in an INT
• Colby’s final TD drive was aided by 2 pass interference calls, and the Continentals were flagged 7 times for 70 yds
• QB Luke Kurzum was 17-34 for 156 yds, but had 2 INTs
• WR Ezra Lombardi caught 4-56 yds
• The Continental defense held Colby to just 3 of 12 on 3^rd down and 0 for 2 on 4^th down
• P Tighe Hoey had punts of 66 and 60 yds on the day
• DBs Kevin Lyons and Joe Cairns combined for 14 tackles, 1 TFL and 5 PBUs

Week # 8 Headlines:

• Wesleyan beats Williams on TD pass in final seconds
• Trinity surges past Amherst behind Clapp TDs
• Tufts holds off Colby
• Middlebury dominates Hamilton
• Bowdoin’s aerial attack tops Maine rival Bates

Wesleyan 25, Williams 24

Bottom Line: Wesleyan beats Williams on TD pass in final seconds

Official links:

Wesleyan: Cardinals Topple Williams in the Final Seconds, Securing a Third Straight Little Three Title – Wesleyan University

Williams: Ephs Lose Heartbreaker at Wesleyan, 25-24 – Williams College

What we learned – Wesleyan:

• Luke LaSaracina, who played DB earlier in the year, caught a 14 yd TD pass with 6 seconds to play to beat Williams by 1
• The Cardinals outgained Williams by close to 150 yds (394-253) and rushed for 5.7 per carry, but made costly mistakes which kept the game close
• Wesleyan had a muffed punt, threw an INT in the endzone, committed three critical penalties and overcame some suspect time management on their final drive, but prevailed
• The Cardinals also had a mishandled the snap on a PAT, but alertly converted it to a 2 point conversion, which ended up being the difference in the game
• QB Niko Candido was just 13-32 but had 224 yds and the 1 critical TD pass; he was the Cardinals’ leading rusher with 10-62 yds
• RB James McHugh and freshman Matt Diaz combined to run 20-108 yds
• WR Chase Wilson caught 6-94 yds
• DB Nick Donatio had 12 tackles and 1.5 TFLs and DB Dylan Connors had a pick 6

What we learned – Williams:

• The Ephs attacked Wesleyan on the ground – they rushed 51 times and threw just 5 times
• Of their 13 offensive drives, only 2 went for more than 5 plays (6 and 7 play drives), and Williams went just 1 for 12 on 3^rd down
• RB Jon Oris rushed 19-86 yds and caught 1-15 yds
• QB Owen McHugh threw just 2-5 for 22 yds, but rushed 23-77 yds and 1 TD; he had a fumble
• WR Owen Johanssen carried 5-57 yds including a 46 yd TD run
• Freshman LB Luke Mangini had 8 tackles, 1 sack, 1 PBU and 2 QB hurries
• DB Holden Gering had an INT in the Williams end zone in the 4^th quarter to keep the game close

Trinity 45, Amherst 20

Bottom Line: Trinity surges passed Amherst behind Clapp TDs

Official links:

Trinity: Football Stomps Amherst, 45-20 – Trinity College

Amherst: Trinity pulls away from Mammoths, 45-20, on Senior Day – Amherst College

What we learned – Trinity:

• Trinity fell behind 10-0, but midway through the 2^nd quarter, hit WR Sean Clapp for 81 and 44 yd TD catches on back-to-back drives to take the lead
• The Bantams opened the game with drives that ended with an INT, fumble and 3 and out, and then scored TDs on its next 4 possessions
• QB Zander Zebrowski threw 21-26 and 293 yds with 3 TDs but had 1 INT
• RB Tyler DiNapoli rushed 21-121 yds and 3 TDs
• WR Sean Clapp caught 5-162 yds and 2 TDs while fellow WR Nolan O’Brien had 10-80 yds
• LB Amari Phillips had 7 tackles and returned a fumble 25 yds
• 4 different Bantams had INTs

What we learned – Amherst:

• Amherst jumped out to a 10-0 lead, but the Mammoths could not hold off Trinity and were hurt by throwing 5 INTs and losing 2 fumbles
• Freshman Marek Hill threw 26-41 for 270 yds and 1 TD but had 4 INTs; Amherst turned to QB Mason Morrow in the 4^th and he added an INT
• Both Hill and Morrow lost fumbles
• The Mammoth running game could not get any traction, Amherst RBs rushed 13-28 yds
• WR Carter Jung caught 5-83 yds and fellow WR Owen Gaydos caught 7-65 yds
• DB Luke Harmon was impressive again: he had 10 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble and 1 INT, which he returned 21 yds

Tufts 28, Colby 21

Bottom Line: Tufts holds off Colby

Official links:

Tufts: Football Wins Fourth Straight With 28-21 Road Win Over Colby – Tufts University

Colby: Tufts Slips Past Colby on Senior Day – Colby College

What we learned – Tufts:

• Tufts scored TDs on 3 of its first 4 drives and converted 2 key first downs on their final drive to run out the clock and hold off the Mules
• The Jumbos went 0-2 on FGs and did not punt
• Tufts had over 400 yds of offense with its three stars, Berluti, Shapiro and Moore shining throughout the game
• QB Michael Berluti was very efficient: he threw 20-28 for 268 yds and 1 TD (no INTs)
• RB Christian Shapiro rushed 20-109 yds and 2 TDs; he averaged 5.5 per carry
• WR Cade Moore had a big day catching 8-94 yds and 1 TD
• DB Henry Ferrelli finished with 7 tackles, 1 INT and 1 PBU

What we learned – Colby:

• Colby got 24 first downs, 353 yds of offense, went 8 of 12 on 3^rd down but had two INTs (one in the end zone on 2^nd and goal from the 4), a lost fumble and a failed 4th down conversion
• QB Miles Drake 18-31 for 215 yds and 1 TD but had 2 INTs
• Drake rushed for 9-39 yds and had 2 rushing TDs
• RB Keon Smart rushed 20-87 yds
• Freshman WR Jack Nye caught 6-82 yds
• DB Trevor Smith had 11 tackles and LB Dennis Dougherty had 9 tackles, 0.5 TFL and 1 PBU

Middlebury 35, Hamilton 0

Bottom Line: Middlebury dominates Hamilton

Official links:

Middlebury: Defense Stifles Hamilton As Middlebury Retains Rocking Chair With 35-0 Win – Middlebury College

Hamilton: Football shut out in The Old Rocking Chair Classic at Middlebury – Hamilton College

What we learned – Middlebury:

• The Panthers outgained Hamilton 429-191 yds, held the ball for close to 35 minutes, went 8 of 16 on 3^rd down and 2 for 2 on 4^th down
• QB Brian Moran threw 25-35 for 254 yds and 3 TDs, rushed for 35 yds but had 1 INT
• WR Patrick Jamin caught 8-109 yds and freshman WR Jeremy Kiefer had 2 TD catches
• 5 Panther RBs combined 39-140 yds and 2 TDs
• Oddly Middlebury went for a 4^th and goal from the 2 up 28-0 and 6:55 remaining, presumably to get a senior Isaiah Izzo Lizardi a rushing TD, which they did
• LB Matt Shaw had 4 tackles, 1 sack and 1 QB hurry

What we learned – Hamilton:

• Hamilton’s first half offense struggled: they opened the game with four 3 and outs, running 12 plays and gaining just 10 net yds
• QB Henry Rubey started for Hamilton in place of Luke Kurzum and he was just 13-25 for 115 yds and 1 INT
• Rubey was Hamilton’s leading rusher at 15-56 yds
• Hamilton RBs combined for a paltry 7-16 yds and no Hamilton WR had more than 3 catches or more than 36 yds receiving
• The Continentals allowed 71% completion rate and did not generate any sacks
• LB Ian Fratarcangeli had a massive day: 16 tackles and 2 TFLs

Bowdoin 35, Bates 24

Bottom Line: Bowdoin’s aerial attack tops Maine rival Bates

Official links:

Bowdoin: Macaulay’s Record-Setting Performance Leads Polar Bears Past Bobcats – Bowdoin College

Bates: Lynskey breaks NESCAC record for rushing yards in one game in football’s 35-24 loss to Bowdoin – Bates College

What we learned – Bowdoin:

• Bowdoin attacked Bates effectively through the air, with QB Peter Macauley throwing 5 TD passes and averaging 17 yds per completion
• Macauley went 16-23 for 272 yds, no INTs and hit 5 different Polar Bear receivers for TDs including strikes of 50 and 35 yards
• RB Luke Watson rushed 7-55 yds and caught 4-32 yds
• The WR duo of Jed Hoggard and Jake Gaylord combined for 7-147 yds and 2 TDs
• DL/LB Koy Price did his thing again: 7 tackles and a sack and LB Max Danenhower finished with 5 tackles, 2 sacks and another 0.5 TFL
• Both Price and Danenhower made critical 4^th down stops

What we learned – Bates:

• RB Ryan Lynskey set a single game NESCAC rushing record, rushing 20 times for a staggering 344 yds, including TD runs of 95, 72 and 54 yards
• Despite Lynskey’s phenomenal day, the Bobcats could not generate much complimentary offense – they completed just 5 passes and had 2 INTs
• On the Bobcats’ final 5 drives, 3 ended in missed 4^th down attempts, falling short by 3, 1 and 1 yards and another drive ended an INT; Bates was 2 for 12 on 3^rd down
• QB Colton Bosselait was just 5-13 for 65 yds with 2 INTs and was sacked 3 times
• WR Sergio Beltran caught 3-50 yds and added 12 rush yds
• LB Ryan Rozich had 8 tackles, 1 TFL and 1 forced fumble, while DB Johnny Walker finished with 8 tackles

Week #9 Headlines:

• Wesleyan tops Trinity to win the NESCAC
• Tufts’s D stymies Middlebury
• Williams shuts out Amherst
• Colby capitalizes on Bowdoin’s miscues to take the CBB
• Hamilton rallies past Bates for first win

Wesleyan 27, Trinity 17

Bottom Line: Wesleyan tops Trinity behind 4th down conversions to win the NESCAC

Official links:

Wesleyan: Football Stuns Trinity in Hartford, Capping Dream Season with Team’s First Outright NESCAC Championship – Wesleyan University

Trinity: Wesleyan Stuns Football In Season Finale, 27-17 – Trinity College

What we learned – Wesleyan:

• Wesleyan converted two critical 4^th downs in the 4^th quarter, converting a 4^th and 17 from the Trinity 48 and 4^th and goal from Trinity 15
• QB Niko Candido made both 4^th down throws and finished 11-22 for 190 yds and 3 TDs and rushed 20-51 yds and added a rushing TD
• Freshman RB Matt Diaz ran 19-137 yds including a 52-yard run
• WR Luke LaSaracina, who made the game winning catch last week, caught 4-77 yds with a TD including a 17-yard catch on the 4^th down play
• The Cardinal defense limited Trinity to 13 first downs, 53 yards rushing and sacked the Bantams 5 times
• DB Nick Donatio had 9 tackles and 1 PBU
• LB Ben Carbeau had 7 tackles, 2 sacks and 1 QB hurry

What we learned – Trinity:

• Trinity scored on 3 of their 4 first half drives, but did not score in the 2^nd half, punting 4 times and running out of time on their last drive
• The Bantams offense went 3 for 10 on 3^rd down and was only able to possess the ball for just over 24 minutes
• QB Zander Zebrowski was 16-23 for 224 yds with 2 TDs and no picks
• WR Sean Clapp caught 5-75 yds
• RB Tyler DiNapoli had a combined 81 yds of offense with 59 yds rushing and 32 receiving
• The Bantam defense had 5 sacks, but allowed Wesleyan to convert 6 of 13 3^rd down chances and 2 of 2 4^th down tries
• DB Ma-Lyke Davis had 13 tackles

Tufts 17, Middlebury 7

Bottom Line: Tufts’ defense stymies Middlebury

Official links:

Tufts: Jumbos Finish 2024 Season As NESCAC Runners-Up With 17-7 Senior Day Win Over Middlebury – Tufts University

Middlebury: Football Closes Season With Loss At Tufts – Middlebury College

What we learned – Tufts:

• The Jumbo defense held the potent Middlebury passing game to just 11 completions and 98 yards
• QB Michael Berluti threw 16-24 for 151 yds with 1 TD and no INTs
• WR Cade Moore caught 7-59 yds and 1 TD
• QB Luke Leongas stepped in for an injured Michael Berluti in the 4^th quarter and led the Jumbos on a 9 play 68-yard drive in which he converted a 3^rd and 13 with a 23 yard pass and threw a TD pass
• DB Ty Richardson made his league leading 6^th interception, which he returned 59 yards to set up a Tufts FG
• DB Jameer Alves had 9 tackles and 2 PBUs

What we learned – Middlebury:

• Middlebury had just 8 total yards fewer than Tufts but had 2 INTs (one in the end zone) and missed two field goals; Tufts had no turnovers
• QB Brian Moran completed just 11-30 for 94 yds and 2 TDs; the Panthers averaged 238.9 passing yards per game prior to this final game
• Freshman RB Connor McClellan rushed 19-121 yds and 1 TD
• WR Patrick Jamin caught 6-53 yds
• The Panthers defense held Jumbo RB Christian Shapiro to 21-59 yds rushing, limiting the 4^th highest rusher in the league to 2.8 yd per carry average
• DB Teddy Daniel finished with 11 tackles, 1 TFL and 1 BPU

Williams 21, Amherst 0

Bottom Line: Williams shuts out Amherst

Official links:

Williams: Ephs Punctuate Season With 21-0 Victory Over Amherst – Williams College

Amherst: Mammoths fall to rival Williams in final game, 21-0 – Amherst College

What we learned – Williams:

• The Williams defense generated 4 sacks and 3 INTs in their shutout
• Williams continued their run heavy approach, rushing 45 times and attempting just 13 passes
• RB Jon Oris rushed 20-75 yds and WR Owen Johansen was used in the run game, and rushed 10-54 yds and 2 TDs
• Senior QB Jack Dickinson got the start, and went just 5-12 for 70 yds with 1 TD but no INTs
• Freshman DL Will Gale stopped Amherst for no gain on a 4^th and 2 from the Williams’ 24
• DB Holden Gering was outstanding: he finished with 10 tackles, 2 INTs and 1 forced fumble

What we learned – Amherst:

• Amherst matched Williams in yards (243 yds for Amherst versus 248 yds for Williams) and first downs (13 for Amherst and 14 for Williams), but had a fumbled punt, 3 INTs and went 0 for 3 on 4^th down
• Freshman QB Marek Hill passed 23-37 for 186 yds, but threw 2 INTs
• Hill rushed 8-51 yds, combining to rush and pass for 237 of Amherst’s 243 yds of offense
• Mammoth RBs struggled, with 3 RBs combining for 10-8 yds
• WR Carter Jung caught 8-54 yds
• The Mammoths tried QB Jack Cox for a series, but he also threw an INT
• Amherst’s defense held Williams to under 250 yds of offense, and forced Williams to punt on 5 consecutive drives
• DB Luke Harmon had 8 tackles, 2 TFLs and 1 PBU

Colby 34, Bowdoin 10

Bottom Line: Colby capitalizes on Bowdoin’s miscues to take the CBB

Official links:

Colby: CBB Trophy Returns to Waterville – Colby College

Bowdoin: Miscues Doom Football in CBB Title Loss to Colby – Bowdoin College

What we learned – Colby:

• The Mule defense was disruptive: they had 4 INTs, 3 forced fumbles and 7 sacks
• QB Miles Drake went 21-34 for 198 yds and 2 TD passes
• Drake also rushed 9-24 yds and added a rushing TD
• Freshman WR Jack Nye caught 8-92 yds and fellow WR Duke Ferrara caught 5-53 yds and 1 TD
• LB Julian Young had 7 tackles, 1 INT, 1.5 sacks and 1 forced fumble
• LB Sebastian Romain had 3 sacks, 3 tackles, 1 fumble recovery and 1 PBU

What we learned – Bowdoin:

• The Polar Bears were doomed by throwing 4 INTs, fumbling 3 times and botching a punt
• Bowdoin had just 13 first downs, went 3-12 on 3^rd down and 0-2 on 4^th down
• QB Robbie Long went 13-24 for 166 yds and had 3 INTs; he was the Polar Bears’ leading rusher with 32 yds and a rushing TD
• QB Peter Macauley got some snaps: he threw 2-6 for 22 yds (with 1 INT) and ran 3-18 yds
• The WR duo of Ty Connolly and Austin Hiscoe combined for 10-124 yds
• LB Gordon Gozdeck had 12 tackles, 2 TFLs, 1 forced fumble and 1 PBU
• DL/LB Koy Price finished with 8 tackles, 2.5 TFLs and 3 PBUs

Hamilton 24, Bates 21

Bottom Line: Hamilton rallies past Bates for first win

Official links:

Hamilton: Football ends season with 24-21 come-from-behind win over Bates – Hamilton College

Bates: Hamilton Comes Back to Beat Bates, 24-21, in Season Finale for Both Squads – Bates College

What we learned – Hamilton:

• Down 14-0, Hamilton scored on 4 of its final 5 drives, before kneeling out game
• The Continentals controlled the clock, possessing the ball for close to 36 minutes and had 6 drives of 8 plays or more
• QB Luke Kurzum went 25-32 for 248 yds with 3 TDs and no INTs
• Kurzum also ran 13-57 yds
• WR Lucas Perez-Segnini had a monster day: he caught 9-126 yds and 3 TDs
• Hamilton converted 11 of 18 3^rd down tries and did not turn the ball over
• DB Joe Cairns had 7 tackles and 1 INT

What we learned – Bates:

• Bates jumped out to a 14-0 lead behind a QB Colton Bosselait TD pass and capitalizing on a Hamilton botched punt snap, but had 2 INTs and a fumble in subsequent drives
• Bosselait threw 10-14 for 129 yds with 2 TDs but 2 INTs
• RB Ryan Lynskey rushed for 13-73 yds and 1 TD
• WR Sergio Beltran had 83 total yards: 34 yds rushing and 49 yds receiving
• LB Ryan Rozich had 14 tackles
• DB Marquez Narvaez-Estrada had 6 tackles, 1 sack and 1 TFL