Volume CXXXIII, Number 4 October 3, 2003 f

Bears still waiting for long overdue victory
BOBBY DESAULNIERS
STAFF WRITER

The Bears dropped their second straight game last weekend to Amherst. Once again, the defense held the Lord Jeffs to only seven points in the first half. Once again, the offense failed to put the ball in the end zone before the half. Once again, Bowdoin walked off of the field with another loss marked in the book and another notch of frustration carved into their high preseason hopes.

Bowdoin rushes a kick off during a game played at home. The men are 0-2 this season. (Hans Law, Bowdoin Orient)

One can make the argument that Amherst and Williams are premiere teams and the Bears, with their youthful lineup, had trouble containing them. Excuses help swallow the bitter, dry pill that is loss-but they do not win games. The harsh reality is that answers come in the form of wins, and the Bears have been waiting for an answer since October 12 of last year.

The truth is that teams in the NESCAC are beginning to even out. Trinity topped Williams last weekend 10-0, and the seemingly top-shelf teams like Amherst are playing tight games into the half against historically poor squads. The excuse that the Bears are constantly improving and playing well yet coming up with losses is getting stale. Its redundancy makes it almost instinctive to refer to all Bowdoin football games in such a manner. This needs to end.

By looking at statistics, one weakness is glaring. It is not the defense as a whole as they kept Williams's big play potential contained and Amherst's Fletcher Ladd out of the end zone. The run game has been strong, as tailback Rob Patchett '05 is averaging 115 yards per contest.

The passing game has been the Achilles' heel for the Bears. Against Williams, Bowdoin did not break the 100-yard mark, and they barely did at Amherst. Does this sound familiar to anyone? At this point in the season last year, the passing attack was not flourishing, with the rushing attack dwarfing the passing game. This constant deja vu from week to week, year to year must stop.

With injuries and sub-par game time performances, quarterbacks have been shuffled in and out this season. A passing rhythm can only be established if one steps up and claims the job. The apathy perpetuated by assuming that Coach will make the final decision is what is holding the Bears down.

To win, Bowdoin must put up some points in the first half. Keeping the defense off of the field as much as possible is key for the success of the Bears. Opening up the offense with more pass completions is perhaps the most important piece of the puzzle.

Play like a champion today, make it happen, leave it all on the field: these are typical football clichés that are usually posted in locker rooms and fly off of the tongue of coaches in pre-game speeches. As many times as you have heard these sayings, they embody exactly what Bowdoin needs to do.

No more waiting around for things to fall into place. No more hoping that the passing game will pick up sometime soon. No more apathetic, pseudo-desire. Make it happen. Above all, no more "We are improving" excuses.

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