The Bowdoin Football Team may get its best chance for a win this season when it faces a tired Bates team tomorrow. The 0-6 Bobcats will visit Brunswick following a 10-7 loss to Colby in mud, rain, and four overtimes on Saturday.
The Polar Bears are now also 0-6, after Wesleyan defeated visiting Bowdoin 18-0 on Saturday. It was the third time in a row the Polar Bears were shut out, the fourth time overall this season. The offense contributed 171 yards, only 90 of which were through the air.
The Cardinals proved too formidable a foe, beating Bowdoin in every aspect of the game. First-year Oliver Kell, who has seen some time at quarterback this season, played his first complete game, completing 11 of 22 passes, also rushing for 35 yards.
Wesleyan manufactured a 44-yard possession off the kickoff in a drive that balanced the pass and rush. However, Chris Helsel missed a 36-yard field goal wide right to give Bowdoin the ball. On their next drive, the Cards marched 69 yards down the field to score six on a five-yard Phil Banks rush, but Helsel missed the ensuing extra point attempt.
In the second quarter, a 48-yard punt by AJ Taucher pinned Bowdoin in the shadows of its own uprights. After two rushes by Jeff Smith '08 for negative yardage, the Polar Bears were downed in the end zone for a safety. Later in the quarter, Bowdoin engineered a long drive, totaling 63 yards on the Smith's back and Kell's arm. The effort was halted on Wesleyan's five-yard line, as a pass to Greg Racioppe '09 fell dead on fourth down.
After Wesleyan recovered a Bowdoin fumble on its own 13-yard line, Helsel hit a 31-yard field goal in the third quarter to give the Cardinals an 11-0 advantage.
The Cards capped the day's scoring with a one-yard Banks run in the fourth quarter, his second rushing touchdown of the day. Bowdoin did not penetrate into Wesleyan territory during the second half.
With an 0-6 record heading into the final two weeks, the Bears find themselves in position to find some salvation in what has otherwise been a wasted season. The team plays against Bates this week at home, followed by the final game of the season, away at Colby College. With the CBB at stake, the Polar Bears hope to run the table and defeat two of their rivals.
"I think we're looking real good right now," senior linebacker Mike Vitousek said. "During practice, you can see the offensive line firing out a little bit more. The running backs are just seeing the holes and are getting up in there a little bit better than they were in the beginning of the season. I really think we can do it, I think we can take these last two games."
The Bobcats come to Bowdoin at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. The Polar Bears won last year's matchup 21-14. Bates has not won a game against Bowdoin since 2003.