COLLEGE
FOOTBALL FINAL SCORE
Tufts 25, Bowdoin 22 OT
At Somerville, MA
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Game
Statistics
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Adam Auerbach's 37- and 35-yard field goals
helped Tufts to its second victory
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SOMERVILLE -- Tufts sophomore Adam Auerbach (Glen Rock,
NJ) kicked a 37-yard field goal with 27 seconds remaining
in the fourth quarter to send the game to overtime, and then booted
a 35-yarder in the extra period to lift the Jumbo football team to
an exciting 25-22 victory over Bowdoin on Homecoming Day at
Tufts.
The Jumbos, who rushed for 266 yards in the game, improved to
2-1 overall with their second straight win. Bowdoin, which got two
touchdown passes from senior quarterback Oliver Kell (Westford, MA)
to sophomore Patrick Noone (North Attleborough, MA), dropped its
second straight to fall to 1-2.
Bowdoin opened the game impressively with a 15-play, 94-yard
scoring drive following a misplay on the kickoff. Kell completed
five of six passes for 37 yards and rushed for 32 yards on the
drive. Sophomore Ian Vieira (Plymouth, MA) finished it off with a
two-yard touchdown run. Adding junior Bill Donahue's (East Walpole,
MA) kick, Bowdoin led 7-0 with 8:53 remaining in the first.
The Jumbos answered with a scoring drive of their own on their
first possession. An eight-yard run by senior quarterback
Tom McManama (Wakefield, MA) and a 15-yard carry
by junior RB Pat Bailey (Beverly, MA), both on
third down, preceded a 23-yard end-around rush by senior
Tim Puopolo (Wenham, MA) to the Bowdoin 9-yard
line. Three-plays later, a rollout by McManama found senior
fullback Noah Hatfield-Biondo (Southampton, NY)
for a five-yard touchdown pass that closed the gap to 7-6 after a
blocked extra point.
Following the opening scores by both squads, the defenses took
over. Tufts senior safety Tom Tassnari (Andover,
MA) and sophomore linebacker Ferras Albitar (Coto
de Caza, CA) made a fourth-down stop of Vieira on the
Tufts 46. Bowdoin's Laurence Duggan (Weston, MA) and Andrew
Belmonte (Beverly, MA) had sacks of McManama, while Tufts'
Keith Novak (Albuquerque, NM) intercepted a Kell
pass.
Late in the half, Bowdoin seemed to have forced a Jumbo punt
again. However, Puopolo muffed the snap and turned it into a
28-yard gain. McManama then passed to junior receiver Billy Mahler (Milwaukee, WI) for 24 yards down to the Polar Bear
7. On a trick play, McManama put the ball on the ground and
Hatfield-Biondo picked it up and took it seven yards into the end
zone for his second touchdown of the game and a 13-7 Tufts lead at
the half.
Early in the second half, back-to-back delay of game penalties
against Tufts and a sack by Vieira and Greg Pierce (Beverly, MA)
pinned the Jumbos at their own five-yard line. Bowdoin took over at
the Tufts 36 following a punt and four plays later Kell passed 24
yards to Noone for a 14-13 advantage at 6:35 of the third. The
Polar Bears held that one-point margin into the fourth quarter.
Early in the fourth, Bailey rushed four times for 65 yards
during a Jumbo touchdown drive that culminated with his 16-yard
scoring reception from McManama at 12:47. That capped a six-play,
84-yard drive giving the hosts a 19-14 lead.
The Polar Bears answered right back. Noone and Kell hooked up
four times for 68 yards on the next offensive possession, including
an 18-yard gain on a third and 11 play. They capped a 12-play,
72-yard possession with a 20-yard scoring combination at 8:18 of
the fourth. Kell rushed for the two-point conversion to give
Bowdoin a 22-19 lead.
Bowdoin's Michael Blouin (Rochester, NH) intercepted McManama at
the Polar Bear 29 with 4:26 remaining in the fourth. However, the
Jumbo defense stopped Bowdoin on a three-and-out, with junior
linebacker Brian Danshaw (Colleyville, TX)
pressuring Kell into an incompletion on third down. Tufts took over
at their own 28. McManama passes for 14 yards to freshman receiver
Mike Howell (Phoenixville, PA) and 17 yards to
sophomore tight end Nick Croteau (Pepperell, MA)
put the Jumbos in Bowdoin territory. Consecutive carries by
McManama for 15 yards brought Tufts to the 20. After three
incomplete passes, Auerbach came on and lofted a 37-yard kick
through the uprights with 27 seconds on the clock to tie the score
at 22-22. Bowdoin took a knee after the kickoff and the game went
to overtime.
Bowdoin won the toss and went on offense to start the OT period.
They moved to the 11-yard line, but a 28-yard field goal attempt by
Donahue was wide left. Tufts, after three Bailey rushes, won the
game when Auerbach again boomed a kick from 35 yards out.
The Jumbos out-gained Bowdoin 366 yards to 343, with Bailey
rushing 23 times for 129 yards. The Jumbos scored on all five of
their red zone opportunities. McManama completed eight of 22 passes
for 100 yards and two touchdowns, and also rushed 12 times for 40
yards. Mahler was his top target with three catches for 42 yards.
Tassinari led Tufts with 12 tackles, while Novak added a nine-yard
sack to his interception.
Kell completed 21 of 35 passes for 219 yards, with 10 balls
going for 140 yards to Noone. Kell was also the visitors' leading
rusher with 46 yards on 14 rushes. Senior linebacker Tyler Tennant
(Swampscott, MA) had nine tackles to lead Bowdoin. Senior Matt
Leotti (Bound Brook, NJ) finished with seven solo tackles.
Tufts remains home to play Trinity College next Saturday (Oct.
17) at 1:30 pm. Bowdoin hosts Hamilton that day at noon.
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