Bowdoin and Colby Clash For 121st Time Saturday Afternoon

SATURDAY’S GAME
The Bowdoin College (2-5) and Colby College (4-3) football teams will rekindle the third-longest rivalry in Division III football as they meet for the 121st time Saturday afternoon at Whittier Field (12:30 p.m.). The rivalry trails only Williams-Amherst (123 times entering this weekend) and Albion v Kalamazoo (122 entering this weekend) in D-III history. Saturday is also the final home game for 15 Polar Bear seniors, who have captured three CBB Championships and 11 career victories entering play this weekend. They will be attempting to be Bowdoin’s first senior class to post a perfect record against Colby since the 1987 squad (senior class of ‘88) went 4-0 against their Waterville rivals.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
As with every home game this season, Bowdoin will have live statistics and video webcast coverage of the season finale.

C-B-B UPDATE
Colby has the opportunity, thanks to a 34-27 win over Bates on Halloween, to win their first outright CBB Championship since 2005 with a victory over Bowdoin. A Bowdoin victory would result in all three teams posting identical 1-1 records and a three-way tie in the series for the first time since 1995.

BOWDOIN BY THE NUMBERS
The Polar Bear offense is posting its most prolific output in more than a decade. Bowdoin’s 28.4 points per game are their most since the institution of NESCAC play in 2000. They rank third in the NESCAC in scoring and second in total offense (412.3 yards/game) but stand 10th in the league in scoring defense (28.0) and ninth in total yardage allowed (361.7 yards/game). Despite missing the second half of last week’s game due to injury, quarterback Oliver Kell has broken every Bowdoin single-season passing record this year. He ranks first in the league in passing efficiency (136.5). Receiver Pat Noone has done likewise, breaking every single-season receiving mark in school history and leads the league in receptions (66), yards (885) and touchdowns (7). Nick Tom is third in the league with 327 rushing yards this season while Laurence Duggan stands fourth in the conference with seven sacks.

SCOUTING THE MULES
Colby has undoubtedly been the most opportunistic team in the conference this year, posting a winning record (4-3) despite being outscored by 30 points (162-132). After beginning the season 1-3, the Mules have rolled off three consecutive wins and stand with a chance at their first winning record since 2005. Colby ranks sixth in the league in both scoring offense (18.9) and defense (23.1) this year. Quarterback Nick Kmetz is coming off a NESCAC Player of the Week performance against Tufts and ranks fourth in the league in passing efficiency (112.3) with 1,415 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also leads the league in interceptions, however, with 10 this campaign. The Mules’ defense is led by Chris Copeland, who is sixth in the NESCAC in tackles (9.7/game) and interceptions (2).

LAST MEETING
Kell accumulated 244 yards of total offense - more than Colby had as a team - as Bowdoin won their third-straight CBB crown in Waterville, 20-6. Nolan McNair booted two field goals while Kell rushed for a six-yard score and threw a four-yard touchdown pass to Michael Welsh.

BOWDOIN vs. COLBY
One of the most bitter rivalries in all of college football, the Bowdoin-Colby game dates back to 1892- a 56-0 Bowdoin victory. With the exception of war years (1943-1945) the teams have faced each other every year since that original meeting in 1892. Bowdoin won eight straight to open the series history from 1892-1896, and hold a 65-46-9 overall edge in the series.