Bowdoin fell to Bates 14-6 on a chilly Saturday afternoon last weekend, losing the CBB trophy for the first time in six years.
This victory marks the first time the Bobcats (4-3) have won the title since 2002. The CBB trophy has not left Brunswick since 2006.
In the first quarter, sophomore quarterback Mac Caputi worked hard, driving the team 76 yards in 14 plays. Unable to convert on the Bates’ five-yard line, the offense settled with a field goal.
This was Caputi’s first start as quarterback this season after playing wide receiver in the previous six games while Tommy Romero ’14 quarterbacked the team.
“[It] allowed me to learn a lot more about the offense and probably made me a better quarterback,” said Caputi. “Plus, I had still been taking reps as quarterback in practice.”
He threw for 198 yards on 19-30 and one interception while picking up 30 yards on the ground.
While Caputi threw fewer interceptions than the team has seen in all but two games this season, the offense was hindered by three fumbles.
The Polar Bears’ first fumble occurred in the second quarter on their 10-yard line. Bates exploited the field position with a passing touchdown. Head Coach Dave Caputi points to inopportune turnovers, such as this fumble, as key reasons for the loss.
“Some of the turnovers we had hurt us,” said Caputi. “We put the ball in fourth-down territory for our opponents. That puts your defense right back on the field.”
If there was a bright side to this dissapointing outing, it was junior linebacker Griffin Cardew’s record-setting performance. Taking advanatage of the long time the defense had on the field, he tied the school record with 17 tackles, rising to first place in the NESCAC for tackles this year. Junior linebacker David Nurse returned from an injury and contributed 16 tackles of his own.
Following a lull in the remainder of the first half, Bowdoin opened up the third quarter with a field goal, this time from the Bobcats’ seven-yard line. According to Caputi, greater production throughout the game would have led to scoring touchdowns instead of field goals in the red zone.
“Offensively, we continue to fall into the trap of being efficient but not productive,” Caputi adds. “We need to create more big and explosive plays down the field.”
Bates responded with a touchdown on their next possession, extending their lead to 14-6. With 8:25 remaining in the fourth quarter, first year running back Willfred Ahou was stuffed on fourth down, sealing the Bates victory.
While the CBB is now out of reach, the Polar Bears look to close out the season with a win against cross-town rivals Colby (2-5) this Saturday.
“Honestly, at this point, the only thing I want to do is win,” said Cardew. “After having a losing season, and knowing it’s the seniors’ last game ever, we all want to send them off with a win and a good last memory of the game.”