Williams 34, Bates 10

Bates (1-2) 7   3   0    0   10
Tufts (3-0) 7   3  10   14   34

Tm    Q   Scoring Play					Drive Score
BAT   1   Brian Mulready 19 pass from Matt Bazirgan
 				(Rejean Guerriero kick) 6/61  7-0
WIL   1   Mike Paolercio 62 pass from Sean Keenan
				(Rob Kaufman kick)	2/66  7-7
BAT   2   Guerriero 27 FG				10/77 10-7
WIL   2	  Kaufman 30 FG					10/50 10-10
WIL   3   Fred Storz 1 run (Kaufman kick)		10/53 10-17
WIL   3   Kaufman 34 FG					6/53  10-20
WIL   4   Storz 1 run (Kaufman kick)			7/56  10-27
WIL   4   Luis Moll 41 fumble return (Kaufman kick)	0/0   10-34

Full Game Stats

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. -- After playing what may have been their best-ever half of football against Williams (3-0), the Bates College football team (1-2) was unable to sustain their momentum into the second stanza, as the Bobcats dropped a 34-10 decision to the Ephs.

The Bates defense forced Williams to go four-and-out on the first possession of the game. Going against a defense that had not been scored upon this season, the Bobcats opened things up impressively on offense, driving 61 yards in six plays for a touchdown. Senior QB Matt Bazirgan (Newbury, Mass.) rushed for 16 yards on the drive, while completing a 28-yard pass to senior wideout Jason Coulie (Manchester, N.H.) and a beautiful 19-yard play-action fake to tight end Brian Mulready (Lewiston, Maine), who made his first catch of the season. The Bates defense forced two more four-play drives before the Ephs picked up their first first down and looked to take the lead into the second quarter before Williams struck for a 62-yard TD with just 17 seconds left in the quarter.

The Bobcats regained the lead in the second quarter after Bazirgan completed a 56-yard pass to senior Paul Fantasia (Watertown, Mass.) on third-and-nine to the Williams 23. Bates got as close as the Williams nine-yard line when junior Rejean Guerriero (Spofford, N.H.) kicked his fourth field goal of the season from 27 yards out. Williams answered with a field goal of their own on the next possession, tying the game at 10 with 6:40 left in the half. After the Bobcats punted, junior DB Pat Collins (Walpole, Mass.) made his third interception of the season, jumping with a Williams receiver at the Bates 10 and taking it out of his hands as the two hit the ground.

In all, the Bobcats gained 217 yards in the first half, as much as Williams had allowed in their first two games combined. Bazirgan completed 10-of-21 passes for 129 yards and rushed for another 30 yards, while senior Paul Erickson (Merrimac, Mass.) had 54 yards on the ground. Bates also held Williams QB Sean Keenan, the top rated passer in the NESCAC to six-of-14 passing and 100 yards, while the Ephs gained 181 yards

The second half was a different story, as the Williams outgained Bates 212-72, mostly through the air. The Ephs also returned a fumble for a touchdown in the second half to help ice the contest. The Bobcats did get good performances late in the game from a pair of first-year players, running back Sean Atkins (New York, N.Y.), who gained 30 yards on four carries (7.5 ypc) and quarterback Steve Barry (Boston, Mass.), who was two-for-three for 20 yards, plus a nine-yard carry. The Bobcats travel to Wesleyan next week.