"Every year in the NESCAC, there is a team who rises up and has a great season," Williams football coach Mike Whalen told the Daily last week, days before his Ephs took the field for their season opener. "Last year it was Middlebury, in 2005 it was Bowdoin, and in 2004 it was Colby. I expect that someone will do it again this year."
It didn't take Whalen long to realize he was exactly right.
The Bowdoin Polar Bears, a team that came out of nowhere to make a Cinderella run to a 6-2 finish two years ago, are once again threatening to be the surprise team of the year in NESCAC football.
Coach David Caputi's Bears opened their season Saturday against Whalen's Ephs, the defending conference champions and winners of their last 14, a streak dating back to October of 2005. With a shocking 28-14 win in Brunswick, Maine, its first over Williams since 1979, Bowdoin moved to 1-0 on the season and erased the memory of last season's frustrating 2-6 finish.
"I think we went into the game feeling confident," Caputi said. "I think they recognized that we weren't the same team as were last year. We finished up the season with a lot of momentum. We thought we were a much different team, so I don't think we went in intimidated by any stretch."
The Bears headed into their season opener surrounded by low expectations. Their defense, the league's third-worst last season, was expected to struggle after the departures of All-NESCAC defensive lineman Zach Hammond and linebacker John Regan. Oliver Kell, an untested sophomore making just his fifth career start under center, was to lead the offense.
Nevertheless, the Bears looked forward to their matchup with the defending-champion Ephs.
"We were real excited to get out there and play a real game after the long preseason," Kell said. "A lot of people predicted we would be the worst team in the league, but we honestly went into Williams thinking it was a great matchup for us, and we thought we could beat them."
And indeed, the Bears were up to the task. Kell threw for 216 yards and a touchdown, sparking the offense, and the defense absolutely humiliated the Ephs' normally potent attack, forcing eight interceptions in the second half alone.
"Our defense was exceptional," Kell said. "Our offense played well in the first half, but the defense really picked us up and won the game for us. It was an amazing performance."
The Ephs' nine second-half drives ended as follows: fumble, interception, missed field goal, another fumble - and, in a surreal sequence of five fourth-quarter drives - five more interceptions. The two fumbles came from Brian Morrissey, a junior All-NESCAC running back, and the interceptions, six in all, were thrown by none other than the reigning NESCAC Player of the Year, senior Pat Lucey.
"He's a heck of a football player, but he was hobbled a little bit," Caputi said. "You can never really stop that kid - you just hope to slow him down a couple of times. And that's what we did - it was just a great performance by our team."
Despite the dominance of the Bowdoin defense, the game was actually tied until midway through the fourth quarter. With the score knotted at 14 and seven minutes remaining, Lucey marched the Eph offense into Bowdoin territory. But at the 6:48 mark, Lucey threw a pick to senior cornerback Lamont White, and seven plays later, the Bears had taken a 21-14 lead they did not relinquish.
The Ephs began their next drive at their own 33, and a frustrated Lucey responded with three straight incomplete passes. Whalen opted to go for the fourth and 10, and that's when an errant Lucey pass found its way into the hands of White, who returned the interception for 40 yards, a touchdown, a 28-14 Bowdoin lead and a well-earned NESCAC Defensive Player of the Week honor.
The final Lucey interception came with 38 seconds left, and when Kell then came out to take the final knee, the celebration began in Brunswick.
"It was something I will remember for years to come," Kell said. "It's hard to put into words how fulfilling it was. Some of the fans charged the field, and it was a very exciting atmosphere."
And if that excitement continues into the next couple of weeks, the Bears should be well on their way to erasing the painful memory of last season, which they began with six straight losses. Bowdoin must next prepare for a pair of tough road games, playing first Amherst and then Tufts, two teams that also began their seasons with Week 1 wins.
If the Bears can top the Lord Jeffs and Jumbos in Weeks 2 and 3, they'll surely gain some respect from around the NESCAC, something they must be missing after a frustrating 2006. But according to Caputi, respect is the last thing on his mind.
"It's not one of those things I lose lot of sleep over," Caputi said. "I'll lose sleep preparing for Amherst [this week], and next week I'll lose sleep preparing for Tufts. But what people think of our respect level is rather immaterial."
Whether Caputi wants it or not, he's likely already earned a good deal of admiration from around the league. But whether it will last is another question altogether - and it's one that will be partially answered Oct. 6, when the Bears come to Medford.
