The Bowdoin Orient

November 17, 2000
Volume CXXXII, Number 10

Bad News Bears: Football goes 0-8

by J.P. Box, STAFFWRITER

   The Bowdoin football squad ended their winless season last Saturday in Waterville, Maine as the Colby Mules (7-1) bested the Polar Bears 34-7 before a crowd of 1500. The win also gave the CBB Championship to the Mules as they proved their supremacy over Bates and Bowdoin this season.
    Bowdoin linebacker, Sean Lannigan ‘01, sparked his team early in the first quarter. He intercepted a Pat Conley pass and ran it back 55 yards for a Polar Bear touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
    However, the momentum quickly turned as Colby rattled off 34 unanswered points. With 5:58 left in the first, Conley connected with Don Williams for a 5-yard TD pass to tie up the contest. Rashad Lewis upped the lead as he ripped through the Polar Bears’ defense for a 22-yard touchdown. Colby then connected on a field goal with only 46 seconds left in the half for a 17-7 lead.
    The second half belonged to the Mules as well. Kicker Keith Jonassen split the upright from 37 yards and RB Danny Noyes rushed for two scores to hand Bowdoin its eighth loss of the season by a score of 34-7. The Mules dominated statistically the game as they tallied 26 first-downs compared to only eight for Bowdoin. Colby also won the time of possession battle by 15 minutes and amassed 179 yards rushing and 261 yards passing. Conversely, Bowdoin gained 62 net yards on the ground and 57 through the air. Co-captain Tim Lawson ‘01 finished his Bowdoin career with 41 yards on 11 carries.
    Mike Taylor ‘02 carried the bulk of the load, running for 48 yards on 13 carries. Before the season started, head coach Dave Caputi talked about building upon “small victories” in order for his team to be successful, but did not quantify the Polar Bears goals with respect to wins and losses. Upon reflection, Caputi remarked, “I think we had a lot of those little victories early on, but as the season progressed, we were beat up with injuries and lost some of that continuity.” However, the Polar Bear football team featured many young players who played significant minutes and received valuable experience. Youngsters who contributed considerably include tailback Kevin Bougie ‘04, quarterback Justin Hardison ‘03, wideout Jason Rawlins ‘03, as well as others.
    “Offensively, we were able to play a lot of young kids even though some of them may have been a little over their heads. They lacked the physical maturity as freshman or sophomores that other kids who have been in the weight room for three years already have. But, they got a taste of what they need to do on the field and in the off-season,” said Caputi.
    Caputi’s young offensive unit averaged 10.1 points per game while their opponents tallied an average of 29.4. The Polar Bears were also heavily out-rushed throughout the season. Bowdoin’s backfield rushed for 716 yards and seven TDs with an average of 2.5 yards per carry, but the Polar Bear’s opposition totaled a whopping 1659 yards on the ground with a 4.3 yards per carry average and 17 TDs. Tim Lawson ‘01 led the Polar Bear’s rushing attack and gained 304 yards on 71 carries while punching it into the end zone four times. Bougie was the team’s second leading rusher, and used 62 carries to gain 200 yards and score a TD.
    Although Bowdoin fell short of their opponents on the ground, Hardison and backup, Kyle Quinn ’01, combined to throw for more yards than their opponents by a total of 1108 yards to 1000. However, the Polar Bears only passed for two scores while their opponents threw for 12 TDs. In his first year as a starter, Hardison completed 118 out of 217 passes for 1046 yards and two TDs, but also was picked off nine times.
    Hardison’s favorite target was Jason Rawlins ‘03 who caught 29 passes for 312 yards and two TDs. Fellow wideout, Mike Taylor ‘02, pulled in 25 passes for 166 yards and was second in the team in all-purpose yards averaging 44.1 yards per game.
    However, the defensive side of the football will be losing many valuable senior contributors. Senior DB Brian Losier led the Polar Bears in tackles with 67 including seven that went for losses. Nick Krol ‘01 made 61 tackles from the linebacker position while his fellow linebacker and co-captain Tom Connelly ‘01 made 47 tackles and had two sacks. Linebacker Sean Lannigan ‘01 made 50 tackles, including 13 tackles for a loss and three sacks. Another senior defensive stalwart, Shaun Leonardo ‘01, tallied 53 tackles throughout the year and had two sacks. However, Travis Cummings ‘02 will return next year after making 60 tackles this season and intercepting four passes for 112 yards.
    Despite losing a fair number of senior defensive players, Caputi and the Polar Bears remain optimistic for next season due to the number of returning players on the offensive side of the ball and the work they plan to put in during the off season.
    The coaching staff has also been vying for talented recruits in the off season. Said Caputi, “We are working hard in the recruiting aspect. The coaches have attended over 20 different camps and a lot of players have visited campus. The main thing is that we have let the College sell itself and show the recruits the opportunities they have in the Bowdoin football program.”

It was a tough first season for Dave Caputi & company. (Colin LeCroy/Bowdoin Orient)