LEWISTON, Maine - The Bates College football team held the Bowdoin offense scoreless in a 24-2 win on Saturday at Garcelon Field. The win moves both teams to 3-4 this season and gives the Bobcats three wins in a season for the first time since 2002.

Bowdoin scored its lone two points on a defensive PAT runback by Beau Breton, after the Polar Bears blocked Bates' extra-point kick attempt in the first quarter.

Patrick George ran for three touchdowns for Bates, while quarterback Trevor Smith ran for a game-high 77 yards and completed 11 of 20 passes for 146 yards, including a 23-yard touchdown pass to John Squires in the first quarter. Squires finished with five catches for 92 yards and the score. Bates rushed for 194 yards, the Bobcats' fourth time this season netting more than 190 yards on the ground.

Bates' defensive stalwart was first-year linebacker Gilbert Brown, who saw his first extended action on the Bates defense and made the most of it, tallying six tackles, including four for a loss and both of the Bobcats' quarterback sacks, to go along with an interception. Kevin Helm tied with Bowdoin's Griffin Cardew for a game-high 13 tackles.

The Bobcats picked off Bowdoin quarterback Mac Caputi four times -- one each by Kyle Starr, Andrew Kukesh, Brown and Will Taft. Caputi threw the ball 30 times with 11 completions for 105 yards. Pat Noone caught four passes for 51 yards and also rushed for 24 yards. Zach Donnarumma rushed for a team-high 45 yards on 21 carries.

Bowdoin (3-4) will take on Colby (3-4) next week in Brunswick. A Bowdoin win would mean a three-way split of the CBB title for the second time in the last three seasons, while a Colby win would give the Mules the regional crown outright. Bates, Bowdoin, Colby, Middlebury and Wesleyan are now all tied for fourth place in the NESCAC.