Trinity Football Visits Bowdoin Saturday
Bantams McGrath and Galligan Collect Offensive Awards
Hartford, Conn., Oct. 16 -- The Trinity College football team, which won its sixth straight game, 28-27, in overtime against Tufts last weekend, will visit the Bowdoin College Polar Bears (1-3) on Saturday, Oct. 18 at 1 p.m. The Bantams, coached by Jeff Devanney (3rd season, 17-3), are alone in first place in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) at 4-0 after scoring in the final minute and on their first possession of overtime to win their 29th consecutive home game last Saturday. Trinity has a one-game lead over Amherst and Williams in the NESCAC. Trinity leads the all-time series with the Polar Bears, 29-6-2, and owns a nine-game winning streak against them. Trinity, which suffered its last loss to Bowdoin in 1998 by a score of 19-0, defeated the Polar Bears, 54-13, last fall in Hartford thanks to a pair of touchdown passes from current senior tri-captain QB Eric McGrath (Lynn, Mass.) and two touchdown runs by current junior RB Robert Jackson (Atlanta, Ga.).
Trinity is currently ranked No. 2 in the New England Division III Poll and No. 9 in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Lambert Meadowlands Division III Poll. This week's New England Division III Poll: 1. Curry (6-0), 2. Trinity, Conn. (4-0), 3. WPI (5-1), T4. Plymouth State (5-1), T4. Williams (3-1), 6. Amherst (3-1), 7. Husson (4-2), 9. Tufts (2-2), 10. Salve Regina (3-2). This week's ECAC Lambert Meadowlands Poll: 1. Cortland State (5-0), 2. Muhlenberg (5-0), 3. Washington & Jefferson (5-0), T4. Delaware Valley (4-1), T4. Wesley (3-1), 6. Salisbury (5-1), 7. Rensselaer (4-0), 8. Ithaca (4-1), 9. Trinity, Conn. (4-0), 10. St. John Fisher (3-3).
At Tufts, McGrath threw for a College-record 470 yards and four touchdowns, including a game-tying toss to sophomore WR Michael Galligan (Shoreham, N.Y.) with 25 seconds remaining in regulation and the game-winning touchdown pass to Galligan in overtime. On 4th-and-3 in the first overtime and trailing, 27-21, McGrath scrambled out of trouble in the backfield and found Galligan streaking from right to left in the back of the end zone to tie the game at 27-27. Bantam senior PK Adam Cox (Garden City, N.Y.) calmly drilled his fourth PAT in as many tries in the game to give Trinity the dramatic triumph. Trinity scored in both the second and third quarters, as McGrath threw his first two touchdown passes to junior RB Ollie Starnes (Ledgewood, N.J.) on a 57-yard screen play and to sophomore FB Mike Paladino (Arlington, Mass.) on a two-yard play-action pass. Trinity finished with 520 yards in total offense, despite being held to 50 rushing yards and 1.9 yards per carry by the Jumbo defense.
McGrath completed a College-record 34 passes in 57 attempts for 470 yards, setting the previous record of 400 passing yards held by former NFL signal carrier Joe Shield, with two interceptions. He was selected as both the NESCAC Co-Offensive Player of the Week and the ECAC Division III Northeast Offensive Player of the Week for his tremendous performance. Galligan, who finished with 14 catches for 191 yards and two scores, earned a spot on the D3Football.com National Team of the Week. Senior tri-captain ILB Tyler Berry (East Lyme, Conn.) led Trinity defensively with 14 tackles, while sophomore DE Kyle Williams (Bethesda, Md.) had 10 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
Trinity ranks second in the NESCAC in total defense (284.3 yds. per game) and pass efficiency defense (105.3 eff. rating), while senior CB Harryl Smith (Ridgewood, N.J.) is tied for the league lead in interceptions with three. Senior WR Connor Wells (Haddam, Conn.) is third in the league in receiving yards with 368 and fifth in catches with 23, while Galligan ranks third in receptions with 27 and fourth in receiving yards with 358. Starnes is fourth in the conference with 282 rushing yards, followed by Jackson in eighth with 198 yards on the ground. McGrath has completed 86 passes in 152 attempts for 1109 yards (2nd in NESCAC) with nine touchdowns (1st in NESCAC), seven interceptions, and a 128.2 rating. Berry sits in third place the conference in tackles with 42 (25 solo), while Williams is tied for fifth in sacks with 2.5, and junior P Grant Kunkel (New Canaan, Conn.) is the league's second-leading punter with a 37.5 average per attempt. Sophomore OLB Ben Sherry (Wayland, Mass.) adds 28 tackles, and senior tri-captain S Conor Quinn (Milford, Mass.) has 28 tackles and two interceptions.
The Bowdoin College football squad, under the direction of Head Coach David Caputi (9th season), is 1-3 after a 28-17 loss at Hamilton, but has played close games each week this fall. Junior QB Oliver Kell (Westford, Mass.) has been a prolific passer with a 123.8 QB rating and 228 yards per game through the air and a running threat with 148 yards on the ground, while junior WR Justin Starr (Concord, N.H.) has 15 catches for 111 yards, and junior Nick Tom (Newton Square, Pa.) adds 148 rushing yards. Junior LB Kevin Zikaras (Milford, Conn.) tops the NESCAC leaders with 60 tackles, while sophomore DL Dominic Ridgard (Randolph, Mass.) and senior LB Damon Hall-Jones (Milton, Mass.) each have 3.5 sacks.
Click here for NESCAC Player of the Week information
