Considering all of the adversity that the Polar Bears went through this season, there was no better way for them to wrap up the season than by beating archrivals Colby in Waterville last Saturday.
With the 26-21 victory, Bowdoin football claimed its fourth Colby-Bowdoin-Bates (CBB) Championship in five years and 19th title overall, the most of any of the three in-state rivals.
Despite finishing a disappointing 3-5 for the second year in a row, Bowdoin still has reason to feel proud about the way it finished its 2010 campaign.
Along with retaining the CBB Trophy for another year, the Polar Bears believe this win gives them much-needed momentum as they head into the offseason.
"It was a great team victory," said coach Dave Caputi. "I'm very happy with how they responded to the adversity...and all the adjustments that had to be made during the year. It [the win] meant a lot to the guys and it gives us great momentum going into the offseason."
Though it came a lot later than they would have liked, the Polar Bears are happy with how they finally hit a stride when games mattered most.
"The beginning of the season didn't go as planned, but we always knew that we could be a good team if we put everything together," said first year quarterback Grant White. "We matured as a team together and grew up as the season went on and it really showed against Bates and Colby."
In contrast to the slow starts that had plagued the Polar Bears all season, they did not waste much time in delivering the first blow last Saturday.
Pat Noone '12 quickly put Bowdoin on the board when he returned the opening kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown. A missed extra point attempt left the Bowdoin lead at 6-0 after the first quarter.
Noone found his way to the end zone once again in the second quarter when White connected with him for a 22-yard scoring strike. First year running back Kevin Miao ran the ball in for a two-point conversion, extending Bowdoin's lead to 14-0 with eight minutes to go in the half.
However, Colby answered just before halftime with a one-yard touchdown run to make the score 14-7 at the break.
In the first drive of the second half, Colby tied the game at 14-14. With momentum seemingly in Colby's favor, Bowdoin special teams took back the momentum with a blocked punt.
As Colby lined up to punt from its own 24-yard line, Brendan Garner '11 came in untouched and blocked the kick, causing it to bounce all the back to the Colby goal line.
Fellow receiver Sean O'Malley '13 then recovered the ball in the end zone to give Bowdoin a 20-14 lead with roughly six minutes to play in the third quarter after another missed PAT.
The Polar Bear defense extended this lead later on in the quarter when linebacker Ian Vieira '12 picked off a pass over the middle and rumbled 17 yards to pay dirt. A failed two-point conversion left Bowdoin with a 26-14 lead late in the third.
"Special teams and defense were huge for us," said senior captain and defensive lineman Scott Roman. "We won the turnover battle and we were playing with great field position the entire time."
Despite this sudden turn of events, Colby quickly responded just before the start of the final period with a five-play, 59-yard drive that ended with a 7-yard scoring pass, cutting the Bowdoin lead to 26-21.
Defense and field position made the ultimate difference in the scoreless fourth quarter.
After a long Colby drive to begin the fourth quarter stalled at the Bowdoin one-yard line, the Polar Bear offense took over with 9:17 to play in the contest.
Rushing for 52 yards on the subsequent drive, Miao led the way on a 12-play, 56 yard drive that milked eight and a half minutes off the clock.
Nevertheless, Colby still had one last chance to steal the win when Bowdoin had to punt with 58 seconds to play.
Forced to start its final drive from its own 4-yard line with 48 seconds to play, Colby could only drive to its own 38 before a turnover-on-downs with five seconds to play sealed the Bowdoin victory.
The Polar Bears hope to use the momentum from their strong finish to improve and translate it into more wins down the road.
"We just have to get better at everything," said White. "I know that offseason conditioning drills will always make us better. I'm excited for August and for next season. We're going to have a good team."