Football suffered a heart-wrenching loss Saturday, getting shut out by Wesleyan 35-0. The Polar Bears’ offense failed to overcome the Cardinals’ defense, which stifled them to only 170 yards of total offense during the game.
“They’re a good team,” said Head Coach Dave Caputi. “We didn’t put out our best performance—coaches and players. It’s really that simple.”
On Wesleyan’s last possession in the first quarter, the team scored a touchdown with a 15-yard pass into the Bowdoin endzone. Cardinal senior quarterback Jesse Warren completed the touchdown pass to wide receiver Josh Hurwitz.
On the following Bowdoin possession, quarterback Mac Caputi ’15 was sacked twice to send the Polar Bears back on the defensive.
The Cardinals proceeded to march up the field to the Bowdoin end zone on the ensuing possession, starting the second quarter with an 11-play campaign to score. Warren passed to Hurwitz again, bringing the score to 14-0.
Tim Drakeley ’17 took over as quarterback for Bowdoin in the second quarter. Aside from one short possession in the third, Drakeley played as quarterback for the remainder of the game.
At the end of the second, Wesleyan pulled off another scoring strike against Bowdoin in a seven-play 61-yard drive for the touchdown. This time, Warren completed a pass to tight end Jon Day to close in the last three yards of the play. The Cardinals had a 21-0 advantage at the break.
Both teams traded possession of the ball for the opening minutes of the third quarter. Bowdoin’s defensive back Dan Johnson ’15 intercepted a pass from Warren, but the Polar Bears were unable to capitalize on the opportunity and did not make it past their own 15-yard line.
During the next Wesleyan possession, Jay Fabian caught a 10-yard pass into the Bowdoin endzone with 4:42 left in the third quarter.
At the start of the fourth, the Cardinals advanced their lead once again by opening with a slow but steady 15-play drive down the field which ended with a 7-yard touchdown pass by Wesleyan’s prolific duo—Warren and Hurwitz. The Polar Bears, unable to drum anything up on offense, ended the game down 35-0.
Caputi and Drakeley went a combined 11-27 (41 percent) passing for 147 yards. Running back Tyler Grant ’17, who broke Bowdoin’s carry record in a 208-yard performance against Tufts two weeks ago, had a lackluster day on the ground, rushing for 52 yards on 17 carries. Wide receiver Daniel Barone ’16 caught three passes for 43 yards.
On the defensive side, linebacker Brendan Lawler ’16 made a game-high 12 tackles. Defensive back Jibrail Coy ’16 and linebacker Bjorn Halvorson ’17 made nine tackles apiece.
Bowdoin’s season record now stands at 2-4 while the Cardinals are tied for second in the NESCAC with a 5-1 record. With just two weeks left, Bowdoin’s season is drawing to a close.
Tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. the Polar Bears will look to get back in the win column when they return to Whittier Field to take on Bates, which also has a 2-4 record.
“They are traditionally a run-oriented team, but they’re throwing the ball more this season,” said Coach Caputi. “We know what we’re facing. I don’t think they’re going to change much at all.”
The Polar Bears are prepared for a tough game to start of the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Championship (CBB) series, which signals what Bowdoin football calls “Boiled Owl Week.”
Bates beat Colby last weekend so Bowdoin must win tomorrow to have a chance at winning the championship.
Although Bates has a sub-par record, one of its two wins came against the Williams team that beat the Polar Bears 36-0 to open the season.
“It’s pretty much about being a tough, hard-nosed football team and slugging it out with Bates until the last minute of the game,” said offensive lineman Jonathan Macat ’16.
With Coach Caputi retiring after the season, capturing the CBB belt carries extra weight for the team this season.
“We have not won the CBB Championship in two years. It’s time we return it to Bowdoin and send our senior teammates off with memories of victories and being champions,” said Macat.