BRUNSWICK, Maine - Trinity College running back Evan Bunker rushed for 223 yards and a touchdown to lead the Bantams in a 31-14 win over Bowdoin on Saturday at Whittier Field. Trinity, ranked sixth in the latest New England Division III poll, improves to 4-1 with the win while the Polar Bears fall to 1-4 with the setback.

After a 31-yard field goal by Tim Costello gave the Bantams the early advantage, Bowdoin responded with a historic touchdown strike. After kick returner Pat Noone slipped on the ensuing kickoff and spotted the ball at the Polar Bear 5, quarterback Grant White lobbed a perfectly-placed pass over the shoulder of receiver Sean O'Malley, who broke loose from his defender and scampered 95 yards to paydirt. The catch became the longest play in Bowdoin football history, surpassing a 90-yard pass from Hayes MacArthur to Steve Lafond against Tufts in 1997.

Bowdoin would increase their lead early in the second quarter after a Dan Evans interception. White faked a hand-off and ran 22 yards up the middle to cap a three-play drive and give the hosts a 14-3 lead with 10:42 left before halftime.

Trinity would score 28 unanswered points from there, however, totaling a 340 yards on the ground and wearing down the Bowdoin defense with several long drives. A pair of Chris Hunt touchdown receptions from Craig Drusbosky gave the Bantams the lead before halftime, 17-14, and, following a scoreless third quarter, Trinity rolled off a pair of lengthy drives to seal the win. Hedley Jennings ran 12 yards to end an 11-play, 57-yard drive that clocked over six minutes to push the Bantam lead to 24-14 with 13:35 remaining. Then Bunker dove into the endzone to wrap a 10-play, 80-yard possession that covered 5:32 to clinch the 31-14 decision.

The win was the 12th straight for Trinity over Bowdoin dating back to 1998. Of their 70 offensive plays, the Bantams called 58 rushes. In addition to Bunker's 223 yards, Delonte Wellington racked up 73. Drusbosky was forced to throw on 11 occasions, throwing the pair of scores to Hunt but also tossing three interceptions. Harry Melendez collected two more interceptions for the Bantams to run his NESCAC-best total to seven for the season. Tom Finnucan and Matt Walker had a pair of sacks each.

White went 11-22 with a touchdown and two interceptions for the Polar Bears. Brendan Garner caught a team-high six passes while O'Malley ended with four balls for 113 yards and the record-breaking score. First-year Joey Clearly had a pair of interceptions for Bowdoin, both inside the red zone. Reed Harasimowicz led Bowdoin with 13 total tackles and a forced fumble.

Trinity will host Middlebury next Saturday in Hartford while the Polar Bears will travel to Connecticut to face Wesleyan.

Photos courtesy of Brian Beard and Creative Images Photography.