The first half of the season is traditionally tough for the Colby College football team, but this season was particularly so.
Two of Colby’s first four opponents, Amherst and Trinity, are 4-0. Another opponent, Wesleyan, is 3-1. The schedule gets a little easier for the Mules (0-4), as the four remaining teams on their schedule are a combined 6-10, and none is currently over .500, but if Colby doesn’t show some improvement, that won’t matter.
Injuries have hurt the Mules, particularly on defense, and it shows. Colby is last in the New England Small College Athletic Conference in yards allowed, averaging 428.2 per game. Colby has allowed 32 points per game, also a conference high.
Opponents throw for a conference-high 265.2 yards per game against the Mules, and some of that is because of Colby’s pass rush. The Mules have just one sack in four games.
This week, the Mules make the longest road trip in the conference as they travel to Clinton, N.Y., to face Hamilton.
The Continentals might be just the cure the Colby defense needs. Hamilton averages just more than 200 yards per game of offense, a league low.
The Continentals will, however, throw the ball. No team in the NESCAC runs the ball less than Hamilton, which averages just 27 rushes per game.
• • •
Maine Maritime Academy has its biggest game of the season Saturday. The Mariners play at Massachusetts Maritime Academy in the 39th annual Admiral’s Cup game.
Massachusetts Maritime (4-2) leads the series, 21-17, but the Mariners have a seven-game winning streak against the Buccaneers.
Last season, Maine Maritime took a 28-27 win when the Buccaneers missed a 38-yard field goal as time expired.
One of the top rushing teams in Division III, Maine Maritime (4-2) was held to 234 yards on the ground in last week’s 42-14 loss to Framingham State.
Lawrence High School grad Brock Lawrence is second on the Mariners defense with 36 tackles. Winslow grad Chris Brawn has 27 stops and four sacks.
• • •
Husson will try to snap a 10-quarter scoreless streak Saturday. The Eagles host Norwich in an Eastern Collegiate Football Conference game.
Husson (0-6) hasn’t scored since the second quarter against Becker on Oct. 1 and is coming off back-to-back shutout losses to Gallaudet and Mt. Ida.
Norwich (4-3) is undefeated in conference play. The Cadets rank sixth in the nation in rushing offense, with 318.4 yards per game.
• • •
Bowdoin set a program record last week, holding Hamilton to minus-34 yards rushing in a 20-7 win over the Continentals.
The game also marked the first time since 2005 that the Polar Bears (2-2) held an opponent to single-digit scoring.
Bowdoin plays at Trinity on Saturday.
Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242
tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com
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