On Saturday Oct. 4 over Alumni & Family Weekend, Bates football hosted division rival Colby College in a nail-biting overtime loss of 13-7.
After a scoreless opening drive from Colby, Bates started with the ball on their own 4-yard line, rushing for a total of six yards before punting it away. Colby gained possession on the Bates 46-yard line, placing the Bobcat defense under immediate pressure.
In eight plays, the Colby offense secured three first-downs, the last landing them just five yards from the endzone.
Over the next two plays, a sack and a tackle from inside linebackers Ryan Rozich ‘27 and Brooks Potter ‘29 resulted in a loss of six yards for Colby, and held their drive to a field goal from kicker Will Schneider ‘29 to put Colby up 3-0.
An interception from cornerback Marquez Narvaez-Estrada ‘28 got Bates the ball back early in the second quarter. Multiple important runs from Ryan Lynskey ‘27, gave the Bobcats an opportunity to get on the scoreboard with a field goal from kicker Marcos Ruiz ‘27 to tie the game at 3-3.
Another impressive showing from the Bates defense held the Mules to a net loss of three yards in their next drive. For the rest of the half, both defenses kept the opposition out of the red zone.
The third quarter showed the same struggle with neither offense able to gain any meaningful yardage in the first few drives. An interception from Major Spencer ‘28 on the Colby 28-yard line and a 14-yard pass from Jack Perry ‘26 allowed for a field goal attempt from the 21-yard line, giving the Bobcats the lead 6-3.
Bates had a promising drive at the start of the fourth quarter, marching 52 yards down the field to Colby’s 28-yard line where their momentum was halted by a fumble recovered by the Colby defense.
The Mules made their way back towards the Bobcats’ endzone, landing on the 15-yard line where they lined up for a field goal. With 38 seconds left on the clock, Colby kicker Will Schneider ‘29 kicked the ball wide of the uprights, but an offside penalty against the defense gave Schneider another chance to punch it through. This brought the game to a 6-6 tie with 21 seconds left.
The Bobcats let the clock run through to overtime. Colby started with the ball on the 25-yard line, and a 21-yard pass from quarterback Miles Drake ‘26 to Jack Duffy ‘27 followed by a 4-yard touchdown rush gave the Mules the lead 13-6.
With one drive to score a touchdown, the Bates offense fought to get the ball into the endzone. Colby’s effective pass coverage held their opponent at the 10-yard line and resulted in a 13-6 loss for the Bobcats.
Despite the unfortunate finish to the game, friends and family spectating the game enjoyed their time on campus and getting to witness the camaraderie of the Bates community.
In a post game interview, alumni Andrew Roberts ‘92 and Karen LaConte Roberts ‘90 talked about the amazing community that surrounded Bates, specifically in the parents’ tailgate prior to kickoff.
“It’s a community like no other community in the NESCAC,” said Roberts. When asked about her favorite part of returning to campus, LaConte Roberts responded, “the people. Everybody is so friendly and so welcoming and warm. It’s literally like going back to family.”
