Bates 20, Colby 17 (OT)
at Waterville, Maine

Bates  (2-4)        14       0       0       3       3       -       20
Colby  (2-4)         0      14       0       3       0       -       17

TEAM   Q   TIME   PLAY						SCORE
BAT    1   11:54  Matt Bazirgan 16 run (Rejean Guerriero kick)   7-0
BAT    1    2:56  Paul Erickson 32 pass form Bazirgan 
				       (Guerriero kick)		14-0
COL    2   13:48  Thomas Keblin 3 run (Keith Jonassen kick)	14-7
COL    2   11:49  Dan Noyes 20 run (Jonassen kick)		14-14
COL    4    7:12  Jonassen 32 FG				14-17
BAT    4    0:21  Guerriero 33 FG				17-17
BAT   OT1   ----  Guerriero 27 FG				20-17

Full Game Stats

GUERRIERO BOOTS BOBCATS PAST COLBY, 20-17, IN OVERTIME

WATERVILLE, Maine -- Junior kicker Rejean Guerriero (Spofford, N.H.) kicked a pair of field goals late in the game to give the visiting Bates College Bobcats (2-4) a leg up on the annual Colby-Bates-Bowdoin series with a 20-17 victory over the host Colby College White Mules (2-4).

The Bobcats got on the board quickly, scoring a pair of touchdowns in the first quarter. Senior QB Matt Bazirgan (Newbury, Mass.) capped off a five-play, 70-yard drive on Bates' first possession off with a 16-yard option scamble for a touchdown. The big play on the drive was a 44-yard run by senior RB Paul Erickson (Merrimack, Mass.). The Bobcats also had a quick drive on their final possession of the first quarter, going 85 yards in four plays. From his own 15-yard line, Bazirgan scrambled for 19 yards on the first play, then found senior WR Jason Coulie (Manchester, N.H.), who came back to the ball to prevent an interception and make a spectacular one-handed grab for 33 yards to the Colby 33. After Erickson plunged into the line for a one-yard gain, Bazirgan connected with Erickson for a screen pass that the back turned into a 32-yard TD.

Colby used good field position on their first possession of the second quarter, starting right at midfield, to get on the board on an eight-play drive that ate 4:08 off the clock, capped by a three-yard TD plunge by senior Thomas Keblin (Bolton, Mass.) The White Mule defense led directly to the next score, as junior LB Alex Clark (Bradford, N.H.) intercepted a Bazirgan pass and returned it to the Bates 20-yard line. On the first play, sophomore WR Dan Noyes (Silver Lake, N.H.) scored on a reverse to tie the game.

The second half was a battle of defenses, as the teams' two punters ended nine straight drives and 12 of the first 13. The one exception in between was when the Bobcats stopped Colby on back-to-back plays on third- and fourth-and-one from the Bates 44-yard line, though the Bobcats were unable to use the great field position. Colby took their first lead of the game with a 32-yard field goal by sophomore kicker Keith Jonassen (Albion, Maine) though the Bobcats held after allowing a 42-yard pass to their own 21-yard line on the first play of the drive. Both teams punted once more, and Bates got the ball at midfield with 2:06 left in the game. After Erickson converted on fourth-and-one fron the Colby 41, the Bobcats drove to Colby 16, with Bazirgan just overthrowing Coulie in the end zone from the 25. With 26 seconds on the clock, the Bobcats called timeout to get Guerriero on the field. After the Mules answered with a TO of their own to try to ice the kicker, Guerriero just inched his 33-yard attempt across the crossbar, tying his season-long.

Bates got the ball first in overtime, taking over at the 25-yard line. The Bobcats moved 15 yards on five plays before Guerriero gave them the 20-17 lead with a 27-yard field goal. After Colby picked up 16 yards to the Bobcat 9-yard line on their first play, the Bobcat defense held tight, stopping Keblin for no gain on first down and forcing a pair of incomplete passes on second and third. On fourth down, Jonassen attempted a 26-yard field goal that went wide right, giving Bates their third win in a row over the White Mules.

In a very even game, the Bobcats outgained Colby, 320-313, while enjoying a 167-132 advantage on the ground. Erickson had 125 yards on 27 carries to go with his touchdown reception. Bazrigan went 15-for-30 with a touchdown and a pair of interceptions. Defensively, junior DB Pat Collins (Wapole, Mass.) had two interceptions for the second time this season, including a 35-yard return on a pick in the red zone.

This game was the first overtime affair in CBB conference history. Bates improves to 1-1 in overtime this season, having dropped a 36-29 decision to Wesleyan on Oct. 16. With the win, the Bobcats will host Bowdoin next week at 12:30 p.m. for a shot at their first outright CBB title since 1986. Bates has two wins in a season for the first time since 1990 and will have a shot at their first three-victory campaign since 1985.