Polar Bears Begin CBB Quest With Battle at Bates Saturday

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Bowdoin.Edu

November 5, 2009

Polar Bears Begin CBB Quest With Battle at Bates Saturday

SATURDAY'S GAME
The Bowdoin and Bates College football teams will battle for the 112th time in the second leg of the CBB (Colby-Bates-Bowdoin) championship on Saturday at Garcelon Field in Lewiston. The Polar Bears (2-4) are coming off a heartbreaking home loss to Wesleyan last weekend while the Bobcats (0-6) dropped the first leg of the CBB series to Colby, 34-27. Bowdoin will be looking for their sixth straight win in the rivalry.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
Bates will provide a video webcast and live statistics of Saturday's contest.

HIGH FIVE
In the 111-game history of the Bowdoin-Bates rivalry, the Polar Bears have never won six-straight against their neighbors from Lewiston. Despite holding a 65-39-7 lead in the all-time series, Bowdoin has won five-straight on just one prior occasion (1968-73). The Polar Bears will be looking to equal the longest win streak in the series - Bates' six consecutive wins between 1999-2004.

TAKING THE BITE OUT OF THE BOBCATS
Oliver Kell, who was named the NESCAC Co-Offensive Player of the Week thanks to his record-setting performance against Wesleyan last week, has been outstanding against Bates in his career, directing the Polar Bears to three consecutive wins. Kell has completed 38 of 64 passes for 587 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions in his career against the Bobcats. In addition, he has rushed for 105 yards and two scores.

RECEIVING PRAISE
For the first time in school history, Bowdoin had three receivers eclipse 100 yards receiving in a game last week. The Polar Bears' three-headed monster of Pat Noone (60 catches, 818 yards this season), Jon Gren (41 catches, 323) and Justin Starr (29 catches, 573) all passed the century mark in the Wesleyan game.

The trio has a chance to rank 1-3 on the school's single-season receptions list as the single-season record of 41 catches (Bert Sciolla in 1982) has already been passed by Noone, tied by Gren with Starr in hot pursuit.

BOWDOIN BY THE NUMBERS
The Polar Bears rank fourth in scoring (29.2 points/game) and second in total offense (432.2 yards/game) this season. Bowdoin stands eighth in total defense (367.0 yards/game) and ninth in scoring defense (28.0).

Kell leads the league in pass efficiency (138.8) is tied for first in passing touchdowns (15) and ranks second in passing yards (2,012). Noone, by over 40 yards per game, leads the league in receiving yards per contest (136.3) and has 15 more catches than anyone else in the league. Starr is second in receiving yards (95.5) while Gren has the fifth-most catches in the league (41). Nick Tom is fourth in the league in rushing at 50.8 yards per contest.

SCOUTING THE BOBCATS
Still looking for their first win of 2009, Bates is eighth in the league in scoring offense (15.5 points/game) and last in scoring defense (28.5 points/game). The Bobcats are fifth in the league in total offense (289.7 yards/game) and seventh in total defense (358.7 yards/game).

Quarterback Ryan Katon has thrown for 770 yards and five touchdowns this season to rank eighth in the NESCAC in passing. His top targets have been Sean Wirth (36 catches, 369 yards) and Matt Gregg (34 catches, 294 yards), who have combined to receive 70 of Katon's 86 completed passes this year.

The resourceful Tom Beaton ranks eighth in the NESCAC in all-purpose yards (109 yards/game) and is responsible for four touchdowns this year for the Bobcats.

LAST MEETING
The Polar Bears handed Bates their worst defeat in the rivalry since 1893, humiliating the Bobcats, 55-14, in Brunswick. Bowdoin dominated from the get-go, accumulating 595 yards of total offense and scoring their most points in a game since 1951. Kell finished with 92 yards rushing and 254 yards passing to lead the Bowdoin offense. Six different receivers caught passes, led by Ian Merry's four catches for 64 yards. Greg Pierce totaled 122 rushing yards - all but 16 coming in the fourth quarter - averaging 13.6 yards per carry. Kevin Zikaras led Bowdoin with six solo tackles and a 75-yard interception return for a touchdown while Dominic Ridgard had two sacks.

BOWDOIN vs. BATES
The Bowdoin-Bates rivalry, at 111 games entering play on Saturday, is the 10th-longest in Division III, dating back to 1889 (a 62-0 Bowdoin win). The Polar Bears hold a 65-39-7 edge in the all-time series, and have won five straight in the rivalry. The winning streak started in 2004 with a 21-0 blanking of the Bobcats in Brunswick. Over the five games, Bowdoin has outscored Bates 151-49.