2023 Game Recaps - nescacfootballreport.com (2024)

Week 1 – September 16, 2023

Headlines:

Trinity dominated a good Tufts team
Wesleyan and Bowdoin both played well on the road
Williams beat Colby behind an impressive freshman quarterback
Middlebury won a defensive battle against Amherst
Bates and Hamilton turned to youth, which will make wins tough to come by

Bottom Line:Wesleyan dominated through the air to beat a Bates team with several freshman in their secondary; Cardinal streak over Bates increases to 17 straight.

Official links:

Wesleyan:Candido Throws for 341, Cardinals Hold Off Bates in 28-17 Season-Opening Win – Wesleyan University

Bates:Rookies impress in football’s 28-17 loss to Wesleyan – Bates College (gobatesbobcats.com)

What we learned – Wesleyan:

QB Niko Candido was outstanding: 75.7% completion percentage, 28-37 for 341 yds and 3 TDs and zero INTs.
WR Thomas Elkhoury was dominant (12-147 yds) against a green Bates secondary, and WR Chase Wilson chipped in with 5-66 yds
Wesleyan used a strong passing game to control the game – they ran 22 more plays than the Bobcats and enjoyed 37+ minutes of possession
The Cardinals were efficient on big downs including going 3 of 4 on 4^thdown and 50% on third down
Wesleyan will look to improve their running game in future weeks: their two lead backs had 27 rushes for 60 yards (only 2.2 average per carry)
On defense, their All-NESCAC players showed up: LBJake Edwardshad eight tackles, and DLMike Rowanhad six tackles, 2 TFLs, and 0.5 sack

What we learned – Bates

Offense was a challenge as a lot of new faces played in Lewiston.
QB Colton Bosselait was only 10-27 in the passing game
The Bobcats featured a freshman running back, Ryan Lynskey, who led Bates in rushes and catches
Only one Bates WR caught a pass: Sergio Beltran had three catches for 41 yards
Bates got a strong game from DL Finn Duffey (7 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1 sack) and the Bobcat d-line held Wesleyan’s rushing game in check
LB Jackson Collins led Bates with 8 tackles and 1.5 TFLs
Bates started young players in their defensive back seven, including four freshman and two sophom*ores

Bottom Line:Middlebury’s offense had some early success against a tough Amherst defense, and then it was a defensive contest for the rest of the game.

Official links:

Middlebury:Football Opens Season With 21-7 Victory Over Amherst – Middlebury College

Amherst:Fast start lifts Panthers to 21-7 win over Mammoths in season opener – Amherst College

What we learned – Middlebury:

WR Patrick Jamin made a 53-yard catch on the Panthers’ second offensive play
The next three offensive series for Middlebury included two balanced drives of 10 and 7 plays that ended in TDs
In the second half the offense was stymied – they had an interception, fumble and 4 three and outs. The Panthers could only muster 41 yards of offense in the second half
Carter Stockwell led the Panthers in rushes and yards (18-65 yds)
Quiet day for All-NESCAC WR Donovan Wood (2-10 yds), and QB Cole Kennon was a pedestrian 11-22 for 135 yds (1 TD, 1 INT) on the day
The Middlebury defensive line, led by All-NESCAC DL Tomas Kenary (4.5 sacks) and DL Dave Filias (3.5 sacks) wreaked havoc
The Panthers finished with 9 sacks. For context, the team with most sacks in the league (9 games) in ’22 had 24
All-NESCAC LBJohnMcCool had10 tackles

What we learned – Amherst

The Mammoths rushed for only 5 yards, with the running backs rushing for 51 yds
Protection was an issue – Amherst QBs were sacked a stunning 9 times
In the first half, the Mammoths had 5 three and outs and only 2 first downs
We saw a quarterback switch; Amherst inserted freshman John Collier for Jack Cox midway through the 3^rdquarter
Collier threw two picks but managed a TD at very end of the game; he went 24-44 for 181 yds (1 TD, 2 INTs)
WR Owen Gaydos had 8 catches for 66 yards, providing some juice to the offense
After yielding three early scores, the Mammoth defense tightened up. Amherst held Middlebury to 3-12 on 3^rddown and 0-1 on 4^th
LB Trey Doyle was standout, he had 10 tackles and 1 TFL

Bottom Line:Williams’ freshman quarterback led the Ephs past a veteran Colby defense.

Official links:

Williams:Ephs Overcome 14- 0 Deficit to Down Colby 25-22 in Season Opener – Williams College

Colby:Williams Prevails But Colby’s Season Looks Bright – Colby College (colbyathletics.com)

What we learned – Williams:

Williams did not score in its first quarter, but freshman QB Owen McHugh took over late in the first quarter and led the Ephs to 4 TDs in the next 6 drives
McHugh went 12-16 for 138 yds and 2 TDs; he also rushed for 17-77 yds
RB Mario Fischetti rushed well: 19-119 yds, a 6.3 yard per carry average
In addition to quarterback, the Ephs may have also found a young WR threat – freshman Holden Gering was their leading receiver with 4-56 yds and 2 TDs
Williams’ defensive line got 4 sacks
The Ephs’ young secondary (with three sophom*ores) played well: S George Papadopoulos and CB Justin McGrail combined for 14 tackles
K Evan Shuran was a bit shaky – 1-2 for PATs and missed FG

What we learned – Colby

Colby benefited from turning a blocked punt into an early TD and a short field after Ephs turnover on downs to score, but were stymied for most of the first three quarters
New QB Miles Drake threw it well – going 22-32 for 245 yds (1 TD, 1 INT)
WR Matt McHugh – who had one catch in two games in ’22 – exploded for 8 catches for 160 yds and 1 TD, including catches for 70 and 28 yds
The Mule running backs rushed for only 46 yds, with RB Keon Smart limited to 11 yds on 5 carries
The veteran Colby defense, which had seven returning starters and nine upperclassmen, could not stymie Williams’ freshman QB
LB Julian Young was active; he had 14 tackles and 1 TFL

Bottom Line:Trinity dominates Tufts early

Official links:

Trinity:Football Dismantles Tufts, 44-19, In Season Opener – Trinity College (bantamsports.com)

Tufts:Football Opens 2023 Season With 44-19 Setback At Trinity – Tufts University (gotuftsjumbos.com)

What we learned – Trinity:

Trinity continues to be dominant, this time against a foe in Tufts that has seven ’22 All-NESCAC players returning
WR Sean Clapp was outstanding, going 9-172 yds
QB Spencer Fetter had a good day going 20-38 for 313 yds, 2 TDs and 0 INTs
The Bantam RB trio was very effective – Tyler DiNapoli, Bill Kirby and Colin McCabe combined for 34-147 yds and 3 TDs – a 4.3 yards per carry clip
Trinity’s defense shut down Tufts offense in the first half forcing 7 Jumbo punts and giving up only a late FG
The Bantams dominated the time of possession, controlling the ball for over 36 minutes

What we learned – Tufts

Tufts’ first seven drives resulted in a total of 74 yards and 7 punts. At that point, it was 28-0 Trinity.
Tufts ramped the offense after that juncture, but the game was never closer than 21 points
1^stteam All-NESCAC QB Michael Berluti was 23-53 for 344 yards and 3 TDs. His completion percentage was 43%.
The Tufts’ rushing game was limited; RB Aidan McLean rushed for 7-44 yds
WR Jaden Richardson had 6-146 yds and 3 TDs and WR Cade Moore added 6-103 yds, but most of that damage came in the 2^ndhalf
The Jumbos yielded 10 3rd down conversions to Trinity in 17 chances
LB EJ Comerford had 13 tackles and DB Vic Garza 3 PBUs

Bottom Line:Bowdoin jumped out to a 19-0 dominating first half and cruised to victory

Official links:

Bowdoin:Polar Bears Roll to Road Win in Season-Opener at Hamilton – Bowdoin College

Hamilton:Football falls to Bowdoin, Kurzum ’27 throws two TD passes – Hamilton College

What we learned – Bowdoin:

Bowdoin dominated the first half, generating 307 yards while limiting Hamilton to 45; very similar to last year’s opener
Polar Bears started with a 13-play drive that ended with a pick, but then reeled off 2 TD drives and a 14 play drive that ended up in a FG
QB Andrew Boel was 17-27 for 347 yards – completing chunk plays of 68, 48, 31 and 28 yards
WR Colton Fahey had 5 catches for 94 yards and TE Brendan King had 6 catches for 78 yards and 1 TD
RB Andre Eden had 66 yards, but Bowdoin’s passing attack was the story of the day
Bowdoin shut out Hamilton in the first half, and DB Koy Price and LB Max Jacobs combined to have 18 tackles, 2.5 TFLs and 3 sacks

What we learned – Hamilton

Hamilton’s struggled early with inability to stop Bowdoin and its offense had only 45 yards in the first half
The Continentals started to rotate in freshman QB Luke Kurzum in 1^stquarter, with he and QB Matt Banbury alternating series and even alternating within drives
Banbury provided effective running (had one 43 yd run and 99 rush yards in total) while Kurzum led the passing effort, going 13-24 for 84 yds and 2 TDs
Continental freshman led many of the offensive categories: Kurzum was the leading passer (attempts, completions and yards), Nate Wildman led Hamilton running backs in carries and yards, and the two leading receivers were WR Jack Hoag and Wildman
The Continental secondary lacks experience, with only senior James Bourque having played meaningful defensive snaps in prior seasons.
LB Cole Rivell had 11 tackles, 1 TFL and 1 FF

Week 2 – September 23, 2023

Headlines:

Trinity continues its dominant roll
Bowdoin and Tufts impress
Wesleyan capitalizes on turnovers to top Middlebury
Three freshman quarterbacks struggle

Bottom Line: Amherst rallied late to beat Hamilton in a defensive battle

Official links:

Amherst: Harmon interception, Kelley kick cap fourth-quarter rally to lift Mammoths to 17-14 win over Continentals – Amherst College

Hamilton: Football edged 17-14 at Amherst, Wildman ’27 runs for two scores – Hamilton College

What we learned – Amherst:

RB Tariq Muhammad scored on a 63 yd TD on Amherst’s third offense play, but then Hamilton was able to hold Amherst offense in check until the 4^th quarter
The Mammoths started freshman QB John Collier; Collier struggled but went 5-6 for 49 yards on a late drive to tie the game in the 4^th quarter
DB Luke Harmon had an interception late in the 4^th, and returned it 34 yards to set up Amherst’s game winning field goal
In addition to his big interception, Harmon had 9 tackles, 2 TFLs and a sack – an impressive defensive effort for the sophom*ore
After Muhammad’s opening 63-yard run, Amherst only had 40 rushing yards for the rest of the game
WR Sam Gerber led the Mammoths in receiving – going for 8-63 yds and a key third down catch on their 4^th quarter TD drive

What we learned – Hamilton

Hamilton also started a freshman QB, Luke Kurzum, who also struggled going 12-29 and 152 yards against a tough Amherst defense
His late interception and 34 yd return as well as Hamilton’s inability to convert on 3^rd down (7-19) cost them: the Continentals outgained Amherst by 41 yds in the game
Fellow freshman RB Nate Wildman was impressive – he went 35-119 with 2 TDs
LB Nick Hoff had 10 tackles and DL Chase White had 4 tackles, 1,5 TFLS and 0.5 sack
DB Kyle Bratcher had an interception and 2 PBUs

Bottom Line: Bowdoin’s defense shuts down Williams

Official links:

Bowdoin: Football Posts Impressive Shutout of Williams in Home Opener – Bowdoin College

Williams: Williams Drops First Road Test at Bowdoin 20-0 – Williams College

What we learned – Bowdoin

Bowdoin’s defense was dominant in the first half, holding Williams to five three and outs to open the game
The Polar Bear defense held Williams to 2 of 14 on third down and 0 for 2 on fourth down
Bowdoin hit big plays through the air: the trio of WR Colton Fahey, WR Jed Hoggard and TE Brendan King combined for 11 catches and 220 yards – averaging 20 yards a catch
Bowdoin made their share of mistakes in the shutout: QB Andrew Boel threw for 244 yards but had two interceptions and Bowdoin had 11 penalties for 110 yds
Bowdoin dominated the time of possession, holding the ball for 36 minutes
LB Max Jacobs and LB/DB Koy Price combined for 11 tackles, 6 TFLS and 4 sacks

What we learned – Williams

After an impressive opening game, Williams’ freshman QB Owen McHugh struggled, going 9-28 for 138 yds and 1 INT
The passing game was severely limited by Bowdoin; the Ephs only completed 10 passes and gave up 6 sacks
RB Mario Fischetti provided a good effort rushing going 16-79 yds, averaging just below 5 yd per carry
Freshman WR Holden Gering continues to be their leading pass catcher – he had 3-37 yds
LB Cameron Smith had seven tackles, 3 TFLs and 2.5 sacks
Williams had beaten Bowdoin 9 consecutive times before this shutout loss

Bottom Line: Trinity dominates Colby, exploding in the in third quarter

Official links:

Trinity: Football Clobbers Colby, 48-7 – Trinity College (bantamsports.com)

Colby: Third Quarter Costly, Mules Drop to Trinity – Colby College (colbyathletics.com)

What we learned – Trinity:

Trinity continues to roll, winning their 13 straight NESCAC game and outgaining Colby 499-123 in yds
After leading just 9-7 at half time, the Bantams scored 4 touchdowns and a FG on their first five drives of the 2^nd half
The Bantams were effective on third down going 8 for 15
WR Sean Clapp continues to be outstanding – 6-121, 2 TDs
QB Spencer Fetter was very efficient: 19-30 for 319 yds and 3 TDs
Tyler Jameson had two picks and Trinity had 6 sacks

What we learned – Colby

Colby scored on its first drive, and then were effectively shutdown: The Mules only had 83 yards the rest of the game
QB Miles Drake was 15-29 and threw two picks
RB Locksley Burke has the most carries for Colby, going 12-45 yds
RB Keon Smart was the Mules’ leading receiver, 7-42 yds as the Colby WRs only had 45 yards receiving
Colby did not force Trinity to punt
LB Julian Young had another big day in the tackle department notching 12 tackles and 1 TFL

Bottom Line: Wesleyan tops Middlebury in a back-and-forth contest

Official links:

Wesleyan: Defense Sparks Wesleyan’s 24-21 Home Win over Middlebury – Wesleyan University

Middlebury: Football Edged By Wesleyan 24-21 In Back-And-Forth Battle – Middlebury College

What we learned – Wesleyan:

QB Niko Candido was able to hit big plays including a 66 TD strike to WR Liam Kennedy but struggled with hitting completions, going just 18-42 (43%)
Candido was productive on the ground, rushing for 8-73 yds
RB Tyler Flynn added 61 yds on 17 carries
The Cardinal secondary made several big plays: DB Jack Nally had 2 interceptions and DB Wesley Abraham had a pick six, as well as 2 PBUs
The Cardinal rush defense also did good work against the run: Middlebury averaged just 2.7 yds per carry

What we learned – Middlebury

QB Cole Kennon struggled – he threw 3 picks including a pick six and had a fumble during a late 4^th quarter Panther drive
Ultimately the 4 turnovers and a missed 4^th down conversion proved too much for Middlebury to overcome against a good Wesleyan team
After a quiet opener, WR Donovan Wood emerged with a strong game: 4-109 yds; he provided big plays with catches for 33, 33 and 32 yds
RB Ollie Orvis was the lead back for Middlebury, rushing for 23-74 yds
DB Rocco Stola had a major impact on the game: he had an interception and a 66 yd KO return

Bottom Line: Tufts’ strong running game tramples Bates

Official links:

Tufts: Ground Game Explodes Under The Lights In 44-16 Win For Football Over Bates – Tufts University (gotuftsjumbos.com)

Bates: Beltran has big game in football’s 44-16 loss at Tufts – Bates College (gobatesbobcats.com)

What we learned – Tufts

Tufts struggled to run the ball last week against Trinity, but that changed this week against Bates
The Jumbos appear to have found a rushing answer in junior RB Chartellis Reece, who went for 20-178 yds
QB Michael Berluti added another 75 yards rushing, including a 61-yard TD scamper, which aided in a 329-yard rushing effort
Tufts outgained Bates by over 200 yards
WR Cade Moore provided a lift in the passing game going 5-59 and 1 TD, while Berluti had a quiet day for his standards going 12-19 for 140 yds
LB EJ Comerford continues to pile up stats for the Tufts defense: he had 9 tackles and 1 TFL

What we learned – Bates

Bates’ veteran defensive line had been a strong spot for the Bobcats, but had a rough day against the run
Bates’ offense was able to put together 4 long drives: drives of 14, 10, 9 and 9 plays through the day, but those only produced 16 points
The Bobcats may have found their next top wideout: sophom*ore WR Sergio Beltran went for 7-127 2 TDs
Outside of Beltran, Bates failed to yield much more in offense – only 35 yards passing came from other receivers and Bates could not break 100 yards rushing across multiple backs
Freshman RB Ryan Lynskey led Bates in attempts (11-35 yds)
Another freshman, DB Jack Morrison, led Bates in tackles with 7

Week 3 – September 30, 2023

Headlines:

Trinity, Tufts and Wesleyan impressive in victory
Middlebury holds off Bowdoin late with key defensive stops
Colby capitalizes on Bates mistakes to prevail in opening CBB contest

Bottom Line: Trinity overmatches Amherst in first half to blow out the Mammoths

Official links:

Amherst: Mammoths drop 49-0 decision to Trinity – Amherst College

Trinity: Football Topples Amherst, 49-0 – Trinity College (bantamsports.com)

What we learned – Trinity:

Week 4 – October 7, 2023

Headlines:

Trinity and Tufts post solid victories
Middlebury scores in the final minute to beat Williams
Colby and Amherst win behind strong defensive efforts

Bottom Line: Amherst defense smothers Bates

Official links:

Amherst: Mammoths declaw Bobcats for 17-7 road win – Amherst College

Bates: Amherst pulls away in third quarter, defeats football 17-7 – Bates College (gobatesbobcats.com)

What we learned – Amherst:

The Mammoth defense was dominant holding Bates to just 34 yds rushing on 23 carries
After starting frosh John Collier at QB, Amherst switched to junior QB Jack Cox, who took over mid-2^nd quarter
Cox led Amherst to 2 touchdowns and a FG on his first four drives
Soph WR Gabe dos Santos had his first career catches, and went 4-66 and a 41 yd TD catch
Wideouts Owen Gaydos, Carter Jung and Sam Gerber combined to catch 15-95 yds
The running game was better as Eckelkamp and Muhammad collectively went 24-99 yds
DB Luke Harmon continues to be a playmaker on defense: 7 tackles, 2 BPUs and an interception with a return for 34 yds

What we learned – Bates

Bates struggled on the ground – frosh RB Ryan Lynsky rushed 8-14 yds and their next highest rusher was QB Colton Bosselait with 10 yds
Bates’ first half drives included a drive ending in a fumble, two drives ending in interceptions and three 3 and outs that yielded 9 yds total
The Bobcats had two turnovers to none for Amherst, and only possessed the ball for close to 25 minutes in the game
Bosselait went 18-35 for 184 yds and 1 TD but had 2 INTs
TE Steven Guerrette had another good game (7-85 yds) as did WR Sergio Beltran (7-76 yds)
DBs Jarrin Sato and Michael Spencer led the defense with 9 tackles each

Bottom Line: Trinity tops Hamilton with balanced effort

Official links:

Trinity: Football Fends Off Hamilton, 34-21 – Trinity College (bantamsports.com)

Hamilton: Football hangs tough in 34-21 loss to Trinity, scores three TDs – Hamilton College

What we learned – Trinity

Bantams controlled the game, outgaining Hamilton 389-211 in yds and 27-15 in first downs
QB Spencer Fetter went 28-45 for 248 yds and 3 TDs
WR Sean Clapp continues to be a dominant NESCAC wideout – he went 13-103 and 1 TD
The Trinity RB trio of DiNapoli, McCabe and Kirby rushed for 31-141 yds
It was only a 13 point win as the weather dampened the Bantam effectiveness: Trinity threw a pick (Fetter’s first of the year) and the Bantams went 0-3 of 4^th down
DB Ma-Lyke Davis had two interceptions, and returned those picks 63 yds
The win extended Trinity’s winning streak over Hamilton to 28 games

What we learned – Hamilton

Hamilton played soph QB Henry Rubey in this game – he was limited to 9-22 and 137 yds
Rubey ran for 29 yds and threw for 2 TDs, including a beautiful strike to WR Ezra Lombardi, but also had 3 INTs
WR Luis Perez-Segnini caught 5-84 and snagged a 42 yd TD
TE Marc Howrigan had another quiet receiving game but had a block punt with a scoop and score. This game is the 2^nd week in a row Hamilton scored off a blocked punt
LB Cole Rivell had 7 tackles and 1 TFL and fellow LB John Wilson finished with 12 tackles
Hamilton still has not made a field goal; they tried their first FG of the season in this game, but missed from 51 yds out

Bottom Line: Colby wins defensive battle in OT

Official links:

Colby: Colby Tops Previously Unbeaten Wesleyan 20-13 in Overtime – Colby College (colbyathletics.com)

Wesleyan: Football Suffers 20-13 OT Defeat at Colby – Wesleyan University

What we learned – Colby:

Colby outgained Wesleyan 294-237 and held the ball for almost 35 minutes to the Cardinals 25
The Mules blocked Wesleyan’s game winning FG attempt at the end of regulation and won it in OT
QB Thomas Keeling went 19-29 for 212 yds and 2 TDs
WR Jack Sawyer exploded for 7-129 yds and 2 TDs and scored on the opening play of OT; he had caught 5-33 for the season before this game
RB Keon Smart rushed for 20-85 yds, but the Mule defense was the story
Wesleyan came into the game averaging over 428 yds a game, but the Colby D held them to 237 yds
The Mules had 6 sacks and forced a fumble, and foiled Wesleyan’s OT drive at the 7
LB Julian Young had 11 tackles and 1 TFLs while LB Marc Dougherty had 8 tackles, 2.5 TFLS and 1 sack
The snapped Wesleyan’s 12 game winning streak over Colby

What we learned – Wesleyan

QB Niko Candido struggled against Colby’s D and the Waterville elements, going 13-30 for 158 yds and 2 TDs. He had averaged 311 yds per game in the Cardinals’ first three contests
Wesleyan scored on their opening drive, but then only had 30 yds the rest of the 1^st half
Their offense was hurt by a fumble and a blocked 37 yd FG
WR Thomas Elkhoury caught 5-64 yds, but a potent passing offense was limited
Wesleyan’s defense generated 6 sacks, and soph DL Declan Welch had 7 tackles, 2 TFLs and 2 sacks
LB Ben Carbeau had 9 tackles, 1.5 TFLs and 1 sack

Bottom Line: Middlebury scores in the final minute to top Williams

Official links:

Middlebury: Last-Minute Touchdown Lifts Middlebury Past Williams 12-10 – Middlebury College

Williams: Williams Drops Close Game at Home to Middlebury 12-10 – Williams College

What we learned – Middlebury:

Middlebury scored with 56 seconds left to beat Williams
Cole Kennon completed 13-35 for 255 yds but had 4 INTs
WR Patrick Jamin continues to be a key Panther as he had 6-140 yds and 1 TD, including the game winner while WR Donovan Wood caught 4-86 yds including a 34 yd catch
The running game was limited: Panther backs had 14 carries for only 24 yds
Middlebury’s first three drives ended in fumbles and after a FG drive to start the 2^nd half, their next four drives ended with interceptions
DL David Filias had 9 tackles, 2 TFLs, 1 sack and one forced fumbles

What we learned – Williams:

Williams had one, repeat one yard passing; frosh QB Owen McHugh went 2-11 with weather being a factor
The Ephs were able to run the ball, rushing 66 times for 258 yds (3.9 per carry)
The duo of RB Mario Fischetti (20-119) and soph RB Joe Oris (23-77) led the way, with McHugh adding in 40 yds rushing
The rush heavy approach allowed Williams to possess the ball for close to 42 minutes
Williams played strong run defense – they held Middlebury to 55 yds on 27 carries
DB George Papadopoulos had a pick 6, which generated the Ephs only TD
LB Tim Landolfi had 12 tackles, 1.5 TFLs and 1 sack for Williams

Bottom Line: Tufts outpaces Bowdoin in a rain soaked game

Official links:

Tufts: Defense Strong For Football In 24-10 Road Win at Bowdoin – Tufts University (gotuftsjumbos.com)

Bowdoin: Tufts Scores 21 Unanswered Points To Rally For Football Win Over Bowdoin – Bowdoin College

What we learned – Tufts

The weather limited both offenses, but Tufts outgained Bowdoin 263-155
QB Michael Berluti went 15-28 for 172 and 2 TDs
Big play WR Jaden Richardson had 4-48 yds and 2 TDs and WR Henry Fleckner had a 62 yd catch
The Jumbos struggled to run the ball – Berluti led Tufts in rushing with 48 yds, but the Tufts running backs only went for 20-48 yds
Tufts scored on back-to-back drives in the 2^nd qtr which was the key in the win
Soph DL Sulieman Abuaqe had a coming out party: 5 tackles, 4 TFLs and 3 sacks – all firsts for him this season

What we learned – Bowdoin

Offense could only muster 155 yards, and the weather in Brunswick didn’t help
The Polar Bears scored a FG and TD on 2 of their first three drives, but there final 9 drives ended in 8 punts and an interception
They were only 4-17 on third down and gave up 5 sacks
QB Andrew Boel was only 7-24 for 117 yds and an INT
QB Robbie Long led Bowdoin in rushing, he went 16-51 yd
LB Max Jacobs continued to be outstanding: he had 10 tackles and 2 TFLs

Week 5 – October 14, 2023

Headlines:

- - Middlebury stuns Trinity with last second goal line stand
  - Colby and Williams rally late to earn victories
  - Tufts and Bowdoin post impressive wins

Bottom Line: Colby rallies to beat Amherst

Official links:

Colby: Huge 4th Quarter Seals Third Straight Win – Colby College (colbyathletics.com)

Amherst: Mules kick last-minute field goal to rally for 19-16 win over Mammoths – Amherst College

What we learned – Colby:

- Colby found yet another way to win a tight game, and this week Mule K Christos Tzoumakas kicked a game winning field goal with 3 seconds to play
- Down 16-7, the Mules rallied to score 12 points in the 4^th quarter to secure the win
- QB Thomas Keeling was 18-33 for 201 yds including going 4-5 for 57 yds on the game winning drive
- WR Matt McHugh had 5-68 yds and the Sawyer brothers (Brendan and Jack) combined to catch 8-99 yds
- This game was evenly contested – Colby had 17 first downs to Amherst’s 16, Colby punted 9 times to Amherst’s 8 and Colby ran 68 plays to Amherst’s 67.
- DB Payton Reid had 5 tackles, 0.5 TFLs, 0.5 sacks, 1 PBUs and 1 forced fumble

What we learned – Amherst

- QB Jack Cox led the Mammoths, and he went only 20-42 for 209 yds but had 2 TDs
- WR Owen Gaydos led the team in receiving going 8-63 yds and 1 TD, and WR Carter Jung had a 60 yd TD catch
- The Mammoths had 13 yds net rushing; their lead backs combined for 17-59 yds
- Amherst opened the 2^nd half with a 77 yd TD drive, but on their final 6 drives they only got 86 yds combined with the drives ending in 5 punts and a fumble
- In a close game, Amherst’s missed a 24 yd FG and extra point which hurt them
- DB Luke Harmon continues to make plays all over the field – he had 13 tackles, 4 TFLs and a sack

Bottom Line: Middlebury stuns Trinity with last second goal line stand

Official links:

Middlebury: Defense Dominates As Middlebury Snaps Trinity’s 15-Game Winning Streak – Middlebury College

Trinity: Football Rally Comes Up Short Against Middlebury – Trinity College (bantamsports.com)

What we learned – Middlebury

- The Panther defense stopped Trinity on the 3-yard line on the last play of the game to beat undefeated Trinity
- LB Kiernan Sheridan made the game winning tackle to the end game; he finished with 7 tackles, 1 TFL and 1 PBU
- QB Cole Kennon went 20-35 for 285 yds and 3 TDs
- WR Mike Ahonen had a career day catching 9-175 yds and a 68 yd TD
- WRs Patrick Jamin and Donovan Wood combined for 11-110 yds and 2 TDs
- DB Finn Muldoon had 11 tackles and 1 INT

What we learned – Trinity

- Trinty outgained Middlebury 444-338 yds and had a time of possession advantage of almost 36 mins to 24 mins
- The issue for the Bantams was in the 1^st half they had four long drives (plays of 14, 13, 11 and 9 for 182 total yards) but only scored 9 points from that offensive success
- Trinity started the 2^nd half with another drive that ended in a FG, but then their next five drives ended with a fumble, FG, 3 and out, interception before the final drive ended at the Middlebury 3
- RB Tyler DiNapoli went 33-138 yds, WR Sean Clapp caught 7-106 yds and WR Nolan O’Brien snagged 6-122 yds
- Trinity was hurt by two interceptions (Fetter only had 1 in his first four games), a missed FG and going 5 for 16 on 3^rd down conversions

Bottom Line: Tufts blasts Wesleyan with impressive aerial attack

Official links:

Tufts: Huge First Half All Football Needs In 49-14 Win Over Wesleyan – Tufts University (gotuftsjumbos.com)

Wesleyan: Cardinals Drop 49-14 Decision to Tufts – Wesleyan University

What we learned – Tufts:

- The Jumbos scored TDs on their first five drives, and on 7 of their first 8 drives to take a 49-7 lead
- QB Michael Berluti went 14-20 for 281 yds and 4 TDs
- WR Jaden Richardson continued to be a big play threat – he had 73 and 57 yd TD catches and finished 4-147 yds
- WR Cade Moore had 8-93 yds and 2 TDs
- The Tufts running backs Audre Smith and Chartellis Reece combined for 105 yds, 3 TDs on only 13 carries
- LB Shane Reiner had 9 tackles, 3 TFLs, 3 sacks and 1 forced fumble

What we learned – Wesleyan

- Wesleyan had one 75-yard TD drive in the first half, but could only muster 25 yds on the other 6 first half drives which ended with 4 punts and 2 fumbles
- Tufts led 42-7 at the half and outgained Wesleyan 483-253 yds
- QB Niko Candido was only 12-22 for 167 yds
- WR Thomas Elkhoury and Chase Wilson combined to catch 8-138 yds
- The Cardinals yielded 6 sacks on the game and did not sack Tufts
- Neither teams’ quarterbacks played in the 4^th quarter as the game was decided at that juncture

Bottom Line: Williams late TD pass lifts Ephs past Hamilton

Official links:

Williams: Offense Powers Williams to Win in Week 5 Matchup at Hamilton 24-17 – Williams College

Hamilton: Football downed 24-17 by Williams, Wildman ’27 runs for two TDs – Hamilton College

What we learned – Williams:

- Freshman QB Owen McHugh hit TE Sam Jaffe for a 55 yd TD late in the 4^th to take the lead
- McHugh was 14-24 for 221 yds with 1 TD and 1 INT; the 221 passing yds were more than the Ephs had in the three preceding games combined
- RB Mario Fischetti did not play, but McHugh ran for 16-69 yds and RB Jon Oris added 12-40 yds
- Oris was the Eph’s top receiver catching 6-110 yds, including a 51 yd catch
- Williams led 17-7 at the half, but had three short offensive series (10 plays and 34 yds) before the big play late to Jaffe
- LB Ethan Scott had 9.5 tackles, 1.5 TFLs and 1 INT

What we learned – Hamilton:

- Hamilton rallied from down 17-7 to tie the game, before giving up the Jaffe TD
- The Continentals matched Williams’ offense output – they rushed for 6 more yards and passed for 10 yds less than the Ephs
- Freshman RB Nate Wildman rushed 18-82 yds and 2 TDs
- Hamilton was led by freshman QB Luke Kurzum who went 22-34 and 211 yds but had 2 INTs
- WR Lucas Perez-Segnini led the Continentals in receiving, catching 6-49 yds
- Hamilton’s offense went 9-18 on 3^rd down and 3-4 on 4^th down

Bottom Line: Bowdoin topples Bates with 4 first half TDs

Official links:

Bowdoin: Big Second Quarter Propels Polar Bears to Homecoming Win Over Bates – Bowdoin College

Bates: Football can’t hold early lead in 35-20 loss to Bowdoin – Bates College (gobatesbobcats.com)

What we learned – Bowdoin

- The Polar Bears used a balanced attack to beat CBB rival Bates, scoring on four consecutive drives in the first half
- After falling behind 17-7 to Bates, Bowdoin outscored Bates 28-3 to close out the game
- QB Andrew Boel threw 4 TDs, finishing 14-20 for 225 yds with 1 INT
- WR Colton Fahey caught 5-85 and an impressive 3 TDs
- RB Andre Eden rushed 16-78 yds to complement the passing attack
- DB Koy Price was a star on defense, having 8 tackles, 4 TFLs, 2 sacks and 1 forced fumble

What we learned – Bates

- QB Colton Bosselait went 27-45 for 310 yds and 2 TDs
- WRs Drew Sachs and Sergio Beltran each had 8 catches and a TD, and had 106 and 88 yds, respectively
- After jumping out to a 17-7 lead, on the Bobcats next 9 drives, they had a FG, 5 punts, an interception, fumble and a loss on downs
- The rushing game was again non-existent. They had net negative 25 yds, and if you exclude the QB runs/sacks, Bates rushed 13 times for 11 yds
- DL Matt Juneau had 8 tackles and 1 TFL
- The loss takes Bates out of the CBB crown chase, having lost to both Bowdoin and Colby

Week 6 – October 21, 2023

Game recaps

Headlines:

- - Middlebury, Trinity and Tufts win in dominant fashion
  - Hamilton captures first victory at Colby
  - Wesleyan scores 2 defensive TDs to hold off Bowdoin

Bottom Line: Tufts’ balanced attack tops Amherst

Official links:

Tufts: Win Streak Hits Five For Football With 34-14 Win At Amherst – Tufts University (gotuftsjumbos.com)

Amherst: Jumbos post 34-14 win over Mammoths – Amherst College

What we learned – Tufts:

Tufts gave up an early TD to Amherst, then scored 34 unanswered points
The Jumbos outgained the Mammoths 426-171, with a balanced effort of 206 yds rushing and 220 yds passing
Another strong game for QB Michael Berluti – he threw 18-34 for 220 yds and 3 TDs and ran for 64 yds
WR Jaden Richardson continues to post big plays: he had 4-98 yds and 1 TD including a 55 yd catch
RB Chartellis Reece ran 21-89 1 TDs, and wideouts Cade Moore and Robbie Moret combined for 11-89 yds (Moore had 2 TDs)
DB Drew Guida had 5 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sack, 1 FF and a fumble recovery

What we learned – Amherst

Offense continues to be a challenge for Amherst
The Mammoths had 8 consecutive offense drives which all had just 3 plays and only one had positive yards (8 yds)
QB Jack Cox was only 5-15 for 71 yds, he was relieved by Mike Piazza who went 2-3 for 21 yds
RB Louie Eckelkamp rushed 10-44 and WR Carter Jung had a TD catch
Amherst was hurt by penalties, they had 7-55 yds, and lost a net 50 yds against Tufts (1-5 yds)
DB Luke Harmon had 8 tackles and 1 TFL

Bottom Line: Middlebury’s aerial assault blast Bates

Official links:

Middlebury: Football Storms Past Bates 48-7, Kenary Breaks Career Sacks School Record – Middlebury College

Bates: Big plays cost football in 48-7 loss at Middlebury – Bates College (gobatesbobcats.com)

What we learned – Middlebury

Middlebury amassed 426 yds passing (21.3 yd/completion) and 523 yds of total offense
This game was 31-0 with 3 minutes left in the first half
QB Cole Kennon 17-28 for 353 yds and 4 TDs including passes of 83, 58 and 56 yds
Another great day for wideouts Donovan Wood (6-95 yds and a TD) and Patrick Jamin (7-72 yds and a TD)
A committee of four Panther RBs combined for 93 yds on 26 carries and 2 TDs
DL Tomas Kenary was dominant: he had 6 tackles, 4.5 TFLs and 3.5 sacks – he now has 9 sacks in 6 games

What we learned – Bates

The Bates’ offense struggled – in its first 6 drives it had 5 three and outs and a fumble; three of those drives netted negative yds
QB Colton Bosselait went 3-12 for 32 yds and was ultimately replaced by freshman QB Seneca Moore
Moore was 7-12 for 84 yds and 1 INT, but provided a rushing element; he rushed 18-77 yds
The Bobcats gave up 5 sacks
The Bates defense struggled on big downs giving up first downs on 9 of 14 3^rd downs and 1 4^th down
DL Matt Juneau led the Bobcats with 9 tackles

Bottom Line: Wesleyan capitalizes on Bowdoin miscues and holds off their late charge

Official links:

Wesleyan: Football Scores 35 Unanswered, Holds Off Late Bowdoin Rally to Win, 35-30 – Wesleyan University

Bowdoin: Fourth Quarter Rally Comes Up Just Short in Football Loss at Wesleyan – Bowdoin College

What we learned – Wesleyan

The Cardinal defense scored twice in the 2^nd quarter – a scoop and score off a Jake Edwards sack and a pick six by Kade Doverspike
In addition, Wesleyan threw a 27 yd TD strike on 3^rd and 23 with 2 seconds left in the first half
QB Nick Candido was solid – 12-25 for 216 yds and 2 TDs and 1 INT
The productive duo of Chase Wilson and Thomas Elkhoury combined for 8-144 yds and 2 TDs
RB Ezra Jenifer chipped in with 7-46 yds and 1 TD
DB Dylan Connors had 14 tackles and LB Jake Edwards had 11 tackles, 0.5 TFL and the aforementioned fumble recovery

What we learned – Bowdoin:

The Polar Bears dominated the stats sheet, but yielding the two defensive touchdowns and the late end of the half TD proved too much to overcome
They outgained Wesleyan 444-216 yds, held the ball for twice as long (40-20 mins) and had 30 first downs to the Cardinals’ 16
The three negative plays cited above, a missed field goal and 10 penalties (net loss in penalties vs opponent was 46 yds) hurt their chances
Bowdoin rallied for three 4^th quarter TDs, with the last one scored with 52 seconds left, but it was too little too late
QB Andrew Boel was 31-51 for 431 yds and 4 TDs, but had the pick six and fumble taken back for a score
WR Colton Fahey caught 8-144 and TE Brendan King had 7-90 including the three 4^th quarter TDs
RB Andre Eden led the rushing attack with 19-80 yds

Bottom Line: Kurzum leads Hamilton to first win at Colby

Official links:

Hamilton: Football stifles Colby on the road in 17-6 NESCAC win – Hamilton College

Colby: Colby’s Win Streak Snapped by Hamilton – Colby College (colbyathletics.com)

What we learned – Hamilton:

Hamilton broke through with their first victory in a defensive battle, scoring twice in the 4^th quarter
Freshman QB Luke Kurzum threw for a TD and rushed for another
Kurzum finished 15-22 for 143 yds and rushed 16-62 yds
RB Nate Wilman missed the 2^nd half, but converted QB Matt Banbury took his place and rushed 17-53 including 7 times on a time killing 8 play drive that culminated in a FG
DB/P Tighe Hoey had 3 PBUs and pinned the Mules insider their own 20 4 times on day
LB Cole Rivell has another strong game: 9 tackles, 1 forced fumble and 1 PBU

What we learned – Colby:

Colby outgained Hamilton 340-289 yds, but had a fumble and went 0 for 3 on 4^th down
QB Thomas Keeling was 23-41 for 260 yds including a 51 yd strike to WR Matt McHugh
McHugh finished with 7-120 yds receiving
The Mules had only one trip into the red zone and settled for a FG
In addition to the fumbles and 4^th down misses, Colby had 6 penalties for 50 yds to Hamilton’s 1 for 5 yds
LB Julian Young was again a tackling leader – he had 10 tackles

Bottom Line: Trinity hands Williams lopsided loss

Official links:

Trinity: Football Dominates Williams, 41-14 – Trinity College (bantamsports.com)

Williams: Ephs Football Loses to Trinity 41-14 – Williams College

What we learned – Trinity

Trinity gave up an opening TD to Williams, then preceded to score 41 straight points
The Bantams threw an INT on their opening drive and then scored TDs on 6 of their next 8 drives
WR Sean Clapp was impressive: 5-129 and 3 TDs including a 52 yd catch
RB Colin McCabe rushed for 11-103 and 2 TDs and fellow RBs Bill Kirby and Tyler DiNapoli combined for 23-104 yds on the ground
QB Spencer Fetter was again an efficient 12-18 for 242 yds and 4 TDs; his yards per completion was over 20 yds
LB Dan Calhoun had 5 tackles, 1 TFL and 1 sacks

What we learned – Williams

Williams opened the game with a 75 yd TD drive, with QB Owen McHugh going 3-3 for 49 yds and a TD
The Ephs next 10 drives included 8 three and outs, 1 four and out and zero points; at that point it was 41-7
McHugh ended up 14-27 for 200 yds and 2 TDs
No RB Mario Fischetti for a 2^nd game; the other Williams backs rushing for 19-73 yds
The Ephs were 1 for 4 on 4th down and had a fumble
Freshman LB Nathan Rodi had 5 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, 0.5 sacks and a forced fumble

Week 7 – October 28, 2023

Game recaps

Bottom Line: Hamilton rallies to stun Tufts in five overtimes

Official links:

Hamilton: Football pulls out thrilling 36-34 win over Tufts in five overtimes – Hamilton College

Tufts: Hamilton Tops Football In Five Overtimes, 36-34 – Tufts University (gotuftsjumbos.com)

What we learned – Hamilton

Hamilton was down 17-0 at half, but rallied for 17 unanswered 2^nd half points to force overtime and then traded blows in the OT, outlasting Tufts with a stop in the 5^th OT
The Continentals opened the 2nd half with a long TD drive, then blocked a punt for a TD to cut the lead to 17-14
Freshman QB Luke Kurzum converted a 3^rd and 31 with a 31 yd run to set up freshman K Ben Waterman’s game tying FG with two seconds to play
After throwing 2 INTs in the first half, Kurzum shook off an injury and rallied Hamilton to the win: he led the game tying drive and converted multiple scores and needed 2-point conversions to secure the upset
Kurzum had 177 yds passing and 61 yds rushing and Matt Banbury, who was switched from QB to RB, rushed 23-87 yds and scored in OT
LB Cole Rivell had 11 tackles, and DB Kyle Bratcher had 6 tackles, 1 TFL and 3 PBUs

What we learned – Tufts:

Tufts took a 17-0 at half time in their classic fashion: RB Chartellis Reece rushing TD, QB Michael Berluti to WR Jaden Richardson TD strike and a DB Louis Timmins interception
In their 4 first half drives they drove the ball effectively: they scored two TDs, kicked a FG, and missed one
The Jumbos drove 10 plays for 49 yds in their opening drive of the second half, but missed the FG, and then proceeded to punt on their next three drives, including a three and out on a drive that started with just 2:35 left
Tufts missed 2 FGs, had a punt blocked for a TD and yielded a 31 yd run on 3^rd and 31 with just 14 seconds to go
Tufts traded TDs and most all 2-point conversions until the 5^th OT, where the Jumbos failed to convert on a Berluti pass to WR Cade Moore
RB Reece had a monster game rushing 27-168 yds and WR Richardson had a 63 yd TD catch
DL Javier Rios had 7 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble but had a costly facemask penalty in the final minute.

Bottom Line: Wesleyan’s two pick sixes bury Amherst

Official links:

Wesleyan: Football Celebrates Homecoming with 34-7 Domination of Amherst – Wesleyan University

Amherst: Mammoths fall to Wesleyan on gridiron, 34-7 – Amherst College

What we learned – Wesleyan:

Wesleyan scored on two pick sixes including one by one of the best DBs in the NESCAC, Wesley Abraham, who took an interception back 30 yds for the score
WR Chase Wilson had a huge game going 9-146 yds and 2 TDs
DB Dylan Connors had a 82 yd pick six, and added 2 BPUs and 3 tackles
QB Niko Candido went 16-25 for 228 yds and 3 TDs, but had 2 INTs
The Cardinals running backs were effective rushing – the RB trio of Tyler Flynn, James McHugh and Ezra Jenifer combined to rush for 22-123 yds, an impressive 5.6 per carry
Wesleyan had a FG and a PAT blocked by the Mammoths

What we learned – Amherst:

Amherst had the ball trailing 13-7 with less than a minute left in the 1^st half and then threw a pick six, gave up a 50 yd TD 4 plays into the 3^rd qtr and in their next offensive series threw another pick six on the first play
That 21-point barrage put the game at out of reach at 34-7
Quarterback issues persist for the Mammoths as QB Jack Cox alternated with Mike Piazza, but the duo was just 18-37 for 132 yds with Cox tossing two interceptions for TDs
QB Piazza was Amherst’s leading rusher (12-55 yds) and their RB Jack Roberge was their leading receiver with 5-35 yds
In addition to the two pick sixes, Amherst was plagued by a lost fumble and a missed FG
LB Andy Skirzenski was back making an impact – he had 13 tackles and 1.5 TFLs, and DL Kemit Fisher had 5 tackles, 1.5 TFLs and 1.5 sacks

Postponed to Nov 18^th:

Trinity at Bowdoin

Williams at Bates

Middlebury at Colby

Week 8 – November 4, 2023

Game recaps – Week #8

Headlines:

- - - Wesleyan rallies in the 4^th quarter to beat Williams to win the Little Three
    - Middlebury dominates Hamilton in Old Rocking Chair Classic
    - Amherst holds off Bowdoin with late defensive stands
    - Trinity blasts Bates in lopsided affair
    - Tufts drills Colby in impressive fashion

Bottom Line: Wesleyan rallies in the 4^th quarter to beat Williams to win the Little Three

Official links:

Wesleyan: Cardinals Complete Furious Comeback to Defeat Williams, Securing Consecutive Little Three Titles – Wesleyan University

Williams: Williams Football Falls on Homecoming to Wesleyan – Williams College

What we learned – Wesleyan:

Wesleyan fell behind 22-8 at halftime in part by giving up a safety on a 2 yd rush loss, fumbling on a kickoff from Williams and having a punt blocked
The Cardinals were not much better in the 3^rd quarter, where their four drives ended with an interception, failed 4^th and 8 try and two fumbles
The 4^th quarter the Cardinals took control scoring 3 TDs on successive drives to capture the win
QB Niko Candido was 24-48 365 yds and 3 TDs, but was sacked 8 times
WR Thomas Elkhoury caught 7-128 yds and 1 TD and WR Chase Wilson added 6-127 yds
The Wesleyan run game was limited as their RBs ran 12 times for 11 yds
LB Ben Carbeau had 7 tackles, 1 TFL and 1 sack

What we learned – Williams:

Williams settled for two FGs after having 1^st and goal at the 6 and 7 in the first quarter, but did convert a blocked punt they recovered at Wesleyan 8 for a TD
The Ephs also had a 47 yd strike from QB Owen McHugh to WR Brady Stahelski in the first half, but Williams was shut down in the 2^nd half
In their eight 2^nd half drives, the Ephs had 4 short drives they ended in a punt, 2 they ended in fumbles and 2 that ended in interceptions
McHugh went 13-32 for 190 yds and 2 TDs, but had 2 interceptions and 2 fumbles
No RB Mario Fischetti, but McHugh rushed for 22-73 yds and RB Jon Oris added 12-49 yds
Williams had 8 sacks and LB Ethan Scott had 4 tackles, 3.5 TFLs , 3.5 sacks and 3 forced fumbles
WR/DB Holden Gering played both ways – he caught 3-37 and had 5 tackles, 1 INT and 4 PBUs

Bottom Line: Middlebury dominates Hamilton in Old Rocking Chair Classic

Official links:

Middlebury: Football Topples Hamilton 41-7 In Old Rocking Chair Classic – Middlebury College

Hamilton: Football tripped up by Middlebury in Old Rocking Chair Classic – Hamilton College

What we learned – Middlebury:

The Panthers were dominant, outgaining Hamilton in yards 502-199 and showing balance with 194 yds rushing and 308 yds passing
QB Cole Kennon was outstanding – he threw 27-37 yds for 308 yds and 3 TDs offset by 1 INT
A trio of Panther receivers were impressive: Patrick Jamin (8-121 yds), Mike Ahonen (8-82 yds, 1 TD) and Donovan Wood (6-79, 1 TD)
Five different Panther RBs combined for 36-170 and 2 TDs, averaging 4.7 yds per carry
DB Finn Muldoon had 8 tackles and 1 PBU

What we learned – Hamilton:

Hamilton only got 10 first downs, and on their last 7 possessions they had zero first downs, no more than 6 yds on any drive and a combined net negative 3 yds
Freshman QB Luke Kurzum struggled going 12-21 for 141 yds and was sacked 3 times
WR Ezra Lombardi had 6-72 yds
The Continental running game never got going – RBs Matt Banbury and Nate Wildman could only generate 34 rushing yards on 13 carries
Middlebury ran 78 plays to Hamilton’s 48, and Hamilton allowed the Panthers to convert 50% of their 3^rd and 4^th down opportunities
LBs Cole Rivell and Nick Hoff each had 8 tackles

Bottom Line: Amherst holds off Bowdoin with late defensive stands

Official links:

Amherst: Piazza’s passing, goal-line stand help Mammoths topple Bowdoin on the road, 27-23 – Amherst College

Bowdoin: Fourth Quarter Goal Line Stand Lifts Amherst Past Bowdoin Football – Bowdoin College

What we learned – Amherst:

The Amherst defense made two big plays in the 4^th quarter, including a 4^th and goal stop from DB Luke Harmon and an interception by LB Kevin Agnew to hold on for the win
The Mammoths passing game had one of their best games of the season: QB Mike Piazza went 25-35 for 374 yds and 3 TDs
Amherst’s WR made big plays: WR Owen Gaydos received 9-130 yds and 1 TD, Gabe dos Santos had a 72 yd catch and Carter Jung snagged a 51 yd TD reception
Piazza also contributed 45 yds gained on rushing, but the rest of the Mammoth RBs were limited
In addition to his big INT in the 4^th quarter, LB Kevin Agnew had 6 tackles, 1.5 TFLs and 1 PBU
DL Anthony Leneghan and Luke Harmon each had 7 tackles

What we learned – Bowdoin:

Bowdoin matched Amherst’s offense (419 yds for Bowdoin, 417 yds for Amherst), but had two interceptions and could not convert a big fourth down late in the game
The Polar Bears lost QB Andrew Boel, who was 13-14 for 129 yds and 1 TD before he exited in the 2^nd quarter
QB Robbie Long, who has game experience, stepped in and threw 8-16 for 117 and 1 TD and rushed 18-72 and 1 TD
The Polar Bear trio of WR Colton Fahey and Ausitn Hiscoe and TE Brendan King combined for 17-198 and 2 TDs
Bowdoin missed a PAT in the 2^nd quarter, which loomed large down the stretch of the game
DL Kanoa Young had 5 tackles, 3 TFLS and a sack

Bottom Line: Trinity blasts Bates in lopsided affair

Official links:

Trinity: Football Blasts Bates, 52-7, On Senior Day – Trinity College (bantamsports.com)

Bates: Ryan Lynskey Runs for Career-Best in Bobcats’ 52-7 Road Loss at Trinity – Bates College (gobatesbobcats.com)

What we learned – Trinity:

Trinity generated 524 yds of offense, scoring on 8 of their ten possessions
It was the usual suspects for the Bantams offense as Fetter, Clapp and the RBs led the way
QB Spencer Fetter was uber efficient going 27-35 for 311 yds, 4 TDs and no INTs
WR Sean Clapp caught 8-133 yds and TD and the RB duo of Tyler DiNapoli and Will Kirby combined for 19-115 and 2 TDs
The Trinity defense shut out Bates for the better part of the game, yielding a late TD after the Bantams led 52-0
Trinty’s defense was a true team effort: 10 different defenders combined for 10 tackles for loss and 5 defenders combined for 4 sacks

What we learned – Bates:

Bates was outgained by Trinity 524 yds to 183 yds, and Trinity had 31 first downs to Bates’ 12
The pass game was uneven – the Bates QBs went 11-23 for 113 yds and two interceptions
QB Colton Bosselait played all but one series in the first half, and threw 2 interceptions
Freshman QB Seneca Moore played the 3^rd quarter and QB Liam Foley led the Bobcats in the 4^th quarter, including their late TD drive
Freshman RB Ryan Lynskey rushed 14-71 yds
The experience difference was stark in this game – of Trinity’s 22 starters, 16 were grad students or seniors, while for Bates that number was 6

Bottom Line: Tufts drills Colby in impressive fashion

Official links:

Tufts: Football Uses Dominant Defense To Blank Colby 38-0 – Tufts University (gotuftsjumbos.com)

Colby: Colby Breaks Down in Boston – Colby College (colbyathletics.com)

What we learned – Tufts

Tufts defense was dominant, holding Colby to just 5 first downs and a mere 70 yds for the entire game
The Jumbos had five times the yardage of Colby, outgaining the Mules 357-70 and holding the ball for over 38 minutes
The Jumbos’ defense allowed just 3 completed passes and had an interception
RB Audre Smith was impressive rushing 10-95 at 2 TDs including a 47 yd scoring run and WR Jaden Richardson caught 7-70 yds
QB Michael Berluti had an average day for him: 14-21 for 163 yds with 1 TD and 1 INT; he rushed for 42 yds and sat out the 4^th quarter
DL Ed Iuteri was impactful – 4 tackles, 2 TFLs, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumbles, 1 QB hurry and a PBU

What we learned – Colby

Not pretty for the Mules – outside of their 2^nd drive of 11 plays for 56 yds, their offense did very little
Colby’s 10 other offensive drives yielded just two first downs and 14 yds
The Mules had two fumbles, an interception and a blocked FG
QB Thomas Keeling went 2-11 for 23 yds and was relieved by Shane Baldwin who wasn’t any better: 1-4 for 5 yds and an INT
Searching the positives, RB Locksley Burke had a 21 yd run and 30 yds on 2 carries
LBs Mark Kassis and Julien Young combined for 19 tackles, 1 TFL and an INT

Week 9 – November 11, 2023

Headlines:

- - - - Middlebury defense holds off Tufts to get a step closer to NESCAC crown
      - DB Moore’s defensive plays lead Amherst past archrival Williams
      - Bowdoin beats Colby soundly for CBB crown
      - Trinity blasts Wesleyan behind a potent aerial attack
      - Hamilton jumps out to 21-0 and staves off Bates

Bottom Line: Middlebury holds off Tufts to get a step closer to NESCAC crown

Official links:

Middlebury: Football Prevails 19-10 Over Tufts In Defensive Battle, Extends Win Streak to Six – Middlebury College

Tufts: Football Drops Season Finale At Middlebury, 19-10 – Tufts University (gotuftsjumbos.com)

What we learned – Middlebury:

DB John McCool intercepted Tufts late in the 4^th quarter and returned his pick 59 yards for a touchdown to seal the game
The Panther defense created 3 turnovers, stuffed Tufts on 4^th down from their 1 yd line and had 11 pass breakups
McCool had 11 tackles and 0.5 TFLs and DL Tomas Kenary had 2 sacks
The Middlebury offense struggled: QB Cole Kennon threw an interception, fumbled (which the Panthers recovered) and then was relieved by QB Brian Moran
Moran was serviceable going 7-15 140 yds and 1 INT, but the Panther offense did not score in the 2^nd half and went 3 for 11 on 3^rd downs
WR Patrick Jamin caught 6-114 yds and RB Carter Stockwell ran for 20-78 yds and 1 TD

What we learned – Tufts:

The Jumbos outgained Middlebury 443 to 269 yds, but made too many mistakes to win
Tufts had 2 INTs, 1 fumble, a failed 4^th down on the Middlebury 1 yd line, a missed FG and committed 11 penalties
The Jumbos Tufts were only 2 for 5 in the red zone
QB Michael Berluti went 19-41 232 yds and rushed 12-61 yds, but had 2 INTs
RB Chartellis Reece rushed 20-125 yds and 1 TD
WRs Jaden Richardson and Cade Moore combined for catching 10-149 yds
DB Drew Guida had 6 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1 INT and 1 QB hurry

Bottom Line: DB Moore’s defensive plays lead Amherst past archrival Williams

Official links:

Amherst: Mammoths use Moore big plays to top rival Williams, 21-14 – Amherst College

Williams: Ephs Lose on the Road at Amherst – Williams College

What we learned – Amherst:

Coverted freshman WR Christian Moore had an impressive day playing DB: he intercepted a bobbled Eph pass at the Amherst goal line and returned it 76 yds, had a scoop and score and intercepted Williams in the Amherst goal line late in the game
QB Mike Piazza was solid going 13-19 for 195 yds and 2 TDs and led the Mammoths on a 9-play 92 yd TD drive in the 4^th quarter to take the lead
The running game struggled generating just 44 yds
A special team gaffe, a snap over the punter’s head, led to an easy score for Williams
In addition to Moore, two of Amherst’s top defensive players shined: LB Andy Skirzenski and DB Luke Harmon
Skirzenski had 17 tackles and Harmon had 14 tackles, 1 TFL and one forced fumble

What we learned – Williams:

Williams outgained Amherst 297 to 249 yds, held the ball for 34 minutes and had 19 first downs to Amherst’s 14, but could not overcome the turnovers
The Ephs had two long drives of 72 and 53 yds that ended up in no points due to interceptions
Freshman QB Owen McHugh went 9-16 and a mere 70 yds, but had 2 TD passes and 63 yds rushing
RB Jon Oris rushed 26-111 as Williams’ ground game generated 227 yds
WR/DB Holden Gehring caught 4-43 yds as a WR and an interception as a DB

Bottom Line: Polar Bears

Official links:

Bowdoin: Football Crushes Colby To Capture First CBB Crown Since 2010 – Bowdoin College

Colby: Bowdoin Bests Colby for CBB Title – Colby College (colbyathletics.com)

What we learned – Bowdoin:

Bowdoin outgained Colby 352 to 158 yds
In the 2^nd quarter, the Polar Bears scored touchdowns on four consecutive drives including drives of 68, 61, 75 and 46 yards.
QB Robbie Long stepped in for Andrew Boel and went 18-30 for 263 yds and 2 TDs
WR Colton Fahey caught 9-193 yds and 2 TDs
The running game was effective with RB Andre Eden going for 18-68 yds and 2 TDs
Bowdoin was 10-16 on 3^rd downs and 1-1 on 4^th downs
Defensive linemen Liam Wholey, Kanoa Young and Aidan Reidy combined for 16 tackles and 5 sacks

What we learned – Colby:

Colby fell behind 21-0 in the first half, struggling on offense with drives ending in a fumble, two 3^rd down sacks and an interception
Freshman QB Christian Milmoe went 11-21 for 87 yds with 1 TD and 1 INT
The passing game struggled: Colby had only 112 yds passing and the Mules gave up 7 sacks
On the Mules first 10 offensive drives, they did not run more than 6 plays on any of them
WR Matt McHugh caught 4-42 yds and 1 TD
LB Julien Young was tackling machine, notching 14 tackles

Bottom Line: Trinity blasts Wesleyan behind a potent aerial attack

Official links:

Trinity: Football Clips Wesleyan, 58-6 – Trinity College (bantamsports.com)

Wesleyan: Football Falls to Trinity in 2023 Season Finale – Wesleyan University

What we learned – Trinity:

Another week, another Trinity blowout
The Bantam outgained their Connecticut rivals 495-275 yds including 359-138 through the air
QB Spencer Fetter was outstanding going 21-28 for 311 yds and 6 TDs
WR Sean Clapp had a monster day catching 9-169 yds and 4 TDs
Fellow WR Matt Laughlin caught 5-84 and 1 TD
Trinity opened the game with five drives which resulted in 4 TDs and a FG, and after opening the 2^nd half with a punt, the Bantams scored touchdowns on their next 4 drives
DB Tyler Jamison had 9 tackles and 1 INT

What we learned – Wesleyan:

Wesleyan opened the game with 5 offensive drives that ended in 3 INTs, a fumble and a failed 4^th down
QB Niko Candido struggled against a stout Trinity, going 11-27 for just 91 yds with 1 TD but 5 INTs
The productive WR duo of Thomas Elkhoury and Chase Wilson was limited to receiving 4-37 yds
Wesleyan issues included 5 interceptions, 2 fumbles lost and going for 4 for 13 on third down
RB James McHugh broke away for 45 yd run, and the Cardinals rushed for 34-141 yds for a 4.1 per carry average
LB Kade Doverspike had 11 tackles

Bottom Line: Hamilton jumps out to early 21-0 lead and holds of Bates

Official links:

Hamilton: Football finishes season on a high note with 21-7 win at Bates – Hamilton College

Bates: Bates Football Honors Senior Class Prior to Saturday’s Home Contest vs. Hamilton – Bates College (gobatesbobcats.com)

What we learned – Hamilton

Hamilton scored 3 TDs on their first three drives of the game, racking up 151 yds of offense
After the opening drives, the Continentals did not score again: they had just 131 yds on 8 drives which included multiple 3 and outs, a fumble and 2 missed FGs.
Freshman QB Luke Kurzum went 12-23 for 143 yds and rushed for 10-50 yds
The Continentals had 6 sacks of Bates after having just 6 over the 8 games coming into the game
TE Mark Howrigan caught 5-67 yds
DB Kyle Bratcher finished with 6 tackles, 1 INT, 1 forced fumble and fumble recovery while DE Aidan Held had 6 tackles, 2 sacks and forced fumble

What we learned – Bates

Bates struggled in the passing game with QBs Colton Bosselait and Liam Foley combining to go 18-45 for 174 yds with 1 TD and 1 INT
Bates missed a 21 yd FG after an opening 17 play 69 yd drive and missed a pass on a 4^th and goal from the Hamilton 5 after 13 play 48 yd drive
In the 2^nd half, the Bobcats did not score with their 7 offensive drives ending in an interception, fumble, a 3 and out and 4 failed 4^th down conversions
Bates had a 7 yd punt, which set up Hamilton on a short field
WR Sergio Beltran was a standout for the Bobcat catching 11-112 yds and 1 TD
LB Jackson Collins had 11 tackles and DL Matt Juneau had 9 tackles and 1.5 TFLs

Week 10 (Rescheduled Slate) – November 18, 2023

Game recaps – Week #10

Headlines:

- - - - Trinity rolls over Bowdoin to capture co-championship
      - Middlebury rallies past Colby in 2^nd half to earn co-championship
      - Williams blasts winless Bates

Bottom Line: Trinity rolls over Bowdoin to capture co-championship

Official links:

Trinity: Football Wins Share of NESCAC Crown With 58-21 Win Over Bowdoin – Trinity College (bantamsports.com)

Bowdoin: Football Concludes Season With Loss to Trinity – Bowdoin College

What we learned – Trinity:

Another week, another Trinity blowout to claim their share of the championship
The Bantams outgained Bowdoin 603-316 yds and scored 7 TDs on their first 8 drives
The Trinity dominance was balanced: 221 by ground and 382 by air
The stats were staggering: QB Spencer Fetter threw 7, repeat 7, TDs going 26-42 for 378 yds
WR Sean Clapp had his 2^ndconsecutive monster game: catching 14-241 yds and 3 TDs
The RB duo of Tyler DiNapoli and Will Kirby rushed 12-181 and 1 TD, and the Bantams averaged 8.2 yds per carry
Even LB Michael Masse scored on offense as he caught a 1 yd TD

What we learned – Bowdoin:

Bowdoin scored on their opening drive, going 75 plays on 6 plays
After that opening drive, Bowdoin could not stop Trinity, as the Bantams scored 4 TDs on consecutive drives and mounted a 48-14 halftime lead
No Andrew Boel: QB Robbie Long went 16-37 for 169 yds and 2 TDs, but threw 3 INTs
TE Brendan King finished off his career with a strong game, catching 9-92 and 2 TDs
Bowdoin was 1-4 in red zone chances and went 1-3 on 4^th down conversions
DL Kanoa Young continued his strong play: he had 12 tackles and 2.5 TFLs

Bottom Line: Middlebury rallies past Colby in 2^nd half to earn co-championship

Official links:

Middlebury: NESCAC Co-Champions! Middlebury Tops Colby To Earn Share Of League Title – Middlebury College

Colby: Not posted

What we learned – Middlebury:

Middlebury won and earned a share of the NESCAC football championship
As they have done throughout the season, the Panther defense made two key plays in the first half to keep the game close: they stopped the Mules on a 4^th and one from their own 26 and they forced a fumble at the Colby 1 to set up the Panther offense for any easy score.
Tied 14-14 at half, Middlebury scored TDs on each of their first 3 drives to build a lead Colby could not overcome
The Panthers were effective on the ground averaging 4.4 yds per carry
RB Cody Weitzman rushed 13-82 yds and 1 TD and RB Caleb Smith had a 38 yd run
WR Donovan Wood caught 7-92 yds
QB Cole Kennon was just 14-34 for 215, but threw one TD

What we learned – Colby:

Colby outgained Middlebury 391-364 yds, but had two turnovers, went 0 for 2 on 4^th down and 1-2 in the redzone
In the 3^rd qtr the Colby offense bogged own – 4 drives amounted to just 12 plays, a net negative 7 yards with an interception
QB Thomas Keeling had a strong game throwing 34-54 for 362 and 4 TDs, outpacing any of his earlier starts
RB Keon Smart caught 11-143 yds and 2 TDs
WR Jack Sawyer caught 5-99 yds and 2 TDs and follow wideout Matt McHugh snagged 12-62 yds
LB Julian Young continued to be a defensive force– he finished with 11 tackles, 2 TFLs and forced and recovered a fumble

Bottom Line: Williams blasts winless Bates

Official links:

Williams: Ephs Triumph at Bates 43-0 – Williams College

Bates: Football falls to Williams in season finale – Bates College (gobatesbobcats.com)

What we learned – Williams:

Williams outgained Bates by close to 400 yards (556 to 163 yds), had 29 first downs to Bates’ 8 14, and averaged 8.8 yds per play
On the Ephs’ first 9 drives, Williams scored 7 TDs and a FG
Freshman QB Owen McHugh went 14-21 for 241 yds and threw 2 TD passes and ran for 51 yds and 1 TD
RB Jon Oris rushed 10-72 yds as Williams’ ground game generated 256 yds
The WR trio of Cameron Lee, Holden Gehring and Paul Harshbarger caught 12-198 yds and 2 TDs
The Williams’ defense held Bates to just 75 yds in the first half, including picking off Bates twice

What we learned – Bates:

No Colton Bosselait at QB for Bobcats; QB Liam Foley went 9-22 for 127 yds and 2 INTs
Freshman QB Seneca Moore also played several series
Bates was just 2 for 14 on 3^rd down, 1 for 3 on 4^th down and 0 for 2 in the red zone
Bates finished negative three in turnovers – fumbling once in addition to Foley’s two picks
Bobcats are young at RB and WR: their top three rushers and receivers in this game were sophom*ores and freshmen
Freshman LB Ryan Rozich had 8 tackles and LB Shane Broughton had 7 tackles and a TFL

2023 Game Recaps - nescacfootballreport.com (2024)

Week 1 – September 16, 2023

Week 2 – September 23, 2023

Week 3 – September 30, 2023

Week 4 – October 7, 2023

Week 5 – October 14, 2023

Week 6 – October 21, 2023

Week 7 – October 28, 2023

Game recaps

Week 8 – November 4, 2023

Week 9 – November 11, 2023

Week 10 (Rescheduled Slate) – November 18, 2023

References