The Bowdoin Football Team will head into this weekend's game against Amherst after whipping the Williams Ephs with a 28-14 upset victory in the season opener. It was Bowdoin's first victory over the Ephs in 28 years.
The Ephs had been riding a 14-game winning streak and were fresh off their first conference title in five year when they rolled into Whittier Field on Saturday. The Polar Bears went into the opener as huge underdogs after finishing 2-6 last year, good for a seventh-place tie in the NESCAC.
While the Bears' victory may have shocked the campus, Saturday's result was no surprise to the team's players.
"Everyone on the team knew what we were capable of," said senior tri-captain Rogan Donelly. "Now the rest of the league does, too."
After running back Jeff Smith '08 capped an 80-yard, a 12-play drive by scampering four yards into the end zone for the team's first score, sophomore quarterback Oliver Kell hit junior wideout Ian Merry for a 95-yard touchdown pass, and Bowdoin and Williams headed into halftime knotted at 14.
The Bowdoin defense unleashed hell in the second half, forcing turnovers in eight out of Williams' nine possessions. In the fourth quarter, senior defensive back Lamont White picked off a pass and ran it in for a 40-yard touchdown, sealing the win for the Bears.
The kicking game also chipped in for the Bears. After an early missed field goal, junior kicker Nathan Morrow was a perfect four out of four on extra points for the day.
Bowdoin's defense was able to keep the Ephs' offense, which ranked first in the conference last season, in check.
"We had a good game plan and our defensive backs played really well," said senior tri-captain Tim Colton.
Head Coach Dave Caputi credited the entire defense with stellar play.
"We don't have great size on our defensive line," Caputi said, "so we had to make the linemen a little more active. We've got a good group of linebackers who run to the ball and a secondary that is improved in both depth and ability level."
While the entire Polar Bear defense showed it can make plays, White was extraordinary. The defensive back was responsible for the three of Bowdoin's eight forced turnovers as he recovered a fumble and made two interceptions, and recorded five solo tackles. For his efforts in Saturday's win, White earned distinction as the NESCAC Defensive Player of the Week.
The team hopes to capitalize on its week one success and will look to keep on track with a win at Amherst on Saturday.
"We still have to play smart football," said Caputi. "We have to play inspired football. We can't go out there and lose sight of what our objective is and revel too much in last week's win."
Sophomore Oliver Kell will get his fifth start at quarterback for the Polar Bears, and he will look to lead the team to another victory. Kell is "a year older, a year wiser, and a year more mature," Caputi said, "and that showed on Saturday."
The last time the Polar Bears defeated the Ephs came in 1979, when Rip Kinkel '81 quarterbacked Bowdoin to a 7-0 victory over Williams. Bill Foley '81 grabbed two interceptions, and, as he remembers, the All-NESCAC defensive player of the week award.
"Williams was always tough, and obviously they still are," Foley told the Orient this week.
"I think it's tremendous," Bob Sameski '83, the first-year starting running back in the game, said about this week's victory. "It's a great tribute to the players who work so hard and Coach Caputi. I'm very proud of them."
"Beating Colby and Bates, winning the CBB, was the big thing at Bowdoin, but my mentality was that it was more important to beat Williams, Amherst, Middlebury, and Tufts," Sameski said, reasoning that those schools had stronger athletic programs.
The 2007 Polar Bears expect stiff competition from Amherst on Saturday.
"Amherst saw the film of our Williams game and they know we're going to come to play hard," Donelly said. "We have to continue playing the game at our tempo and keep forcing big plays. Amherst likes to run the ball, so our defense will have to be ready to stop the inside run."
The Bowdoin Football Team expects to compete for a NESCAC title this season, but right now the players are concentrating on beating Amherst.
"We can't let [the win over Williams] become a distraction," said Caputi. "It was a good win for us and it created some excitement for guys on the team, but they've all been working hard for it, and now we have to remain focused on Amherst."
After Saturday's big win, the Polar Bears will look to avoid a week two letdown.
"We're not going to be able to sneak up on anyone else for the rest of the season," Donelly said. "We'll have to play better and better each week."
Adam Kommel contributed to this report.