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Volume CXXXIII, Number 5 |
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Football optimistic for Hamilton
SEAN WALKER
STAFF WRITER
When you're the Bowdoin Football Team and you've been outscored 69-0
in the past two games, you look for small details to convince yourself
that next weekend will be better. This weekend, the team will return to
the comfortable confines of Whittier Field, whose bleachers will hold
a large contingent of players' families on Parents Weekend.
This support will be important during a point in the season when players
are trying to fight the negative emotions associated with an 0-3 start.
"The players are all disappointed after Saturday [against Tufts],"
said head coach Dave Caputi. "It's taken us a while to get back,
but I think we're prepared [for tomorrow]."
One of the things Caputi mentioned was his team's inability to capitalize
after long drives. Last Saturday, a 15-play drive was squandered and didn't
yield any points for the Polar Bears. "For a team as young as we
are, we need to finish those drives," he said.
A blocked Bear punt in the first quarter yielded Tufts' first touchdown.
The Jumbos then scored on drives of 19 and 17 yards, pushing the score
to 20-0. Two additional touchdowns would round out the scoring and complete
a 34-0 loss for the Polar Bears. Running back Keven Kelley scored three
of five Jumbo touchdowns on 21 carries, tallying 89 yards.
Junior quarterback Justin Hardison completed 11 of 28 passes for 76 yards.
Kevin Bougie '04 led Bowdoin's running game with 51 yards on 19 carries.
Youth has proved both useful and detrimental in the 2001 season. Mistakes
caused by inexperience have cost the team during games, but key contributions
have also been made by underclassmen. Against Tufts, first year Brian
Durant led the team in receptions, making three catches for 29 yards.
Wide receiver Dan Foley '05 has also been coming along well, according
to Caputi.
Upperclassmen combined with younger players on the defensive end in the
Tufts matchup. Jeb Bodreau '04, Travis Cummings '02, Jesse Demers '05,
and Andrius Knasas '02 combined to make 30 tackles.
Injuries have depleted the Polar Bear roster, resulting in a loss of
senior leadership. Brett Bowen '02, who Caputi called, "one of the
top five wideouts in the league," is out for the season with chronic
knee problems. Fellow senior Eric Morin, who had been having shoulder
trouble, had barely returned to action before injuring his ankle.
Despite a rough start, short-term goals are still important for these
Bears. "A win would be great," Caputi said. "I think this
is a team we have a good chance to beat...we have to prepare for every
possible scenario."
On a positive note, defeating Hamilton College tomorrow should prove
to be an easier task than were attempts to dethrone three of NESCAC's
premier teams in Middlebury, Amherst and Tufts. The Continentals from
Hamilton are winless as well.
In practice sessions this week, the Polar Bears attempted to correct
mistakes from the Tufts game. Limiting opponents' field position, completing
drives, and special teams are some of the game aspects that will decide
whether or not Bowdoin parents will see their sons win the team's first
game in more than two years.
Caputi is remaining positive by focusing on small improvements. "We
have to find ways to get better every day, every practice," he said.
The Bowdoin community hopes that these small improvements will be key
in ending the Polar Bears' losing streak. There's no better time for the
men, playing at home against a struggling team, and on a weekend where
there will be more moral support than ever.