Patrick Burns '11 caught five passes for 119 yards and one touchdown, and Colby College's defense did the rest as the visiting Mules shut out Hamilton College 16-0 in a New England Small College Athletic Conference game at Steuben Field on Oct. 24.
Burns' 64-yard catch-and-run with 5 minutes, 33 seconds left in the third quarter put Colby (2-3 overall, 2-3 NESCAC) up by two touchdowns. Nick Kmetz '12 completed just 11 of 34 passes, but finished with 200 yards and two touchdowns. Kmetz also ran for 36 yards. Matt Hellinger '11 caught a short pass from Kmetz and ran 25 yards into the end zone for the game's first score with 11:26 remaining in the second quarter. Conor Tidgwell '11 led all rushers with 53 yards on 16 carries.
The rain, which fell for most of the game, seemed to affect Hamilton's offense more than it did the Mules. The Continentals (1-4) finished with minus-14 yards rushing and ended up with a total of 87 yards on offense. Hamilton threw three interceptions and lost two fumbles. The Continentals have turned the ball over 15 times during their three-game losing skid. Hamilton picked up just nine first downs and was 2-for-15 on third-down conversions. Colby was even worse on third down, as the Mules converted 1-of-18 chances.
Colby recorded a safety with 5:18 left in the fourth quarter, when Continentals' quarterback Dan Peters '13 was sacked in the end zone by Peter Scheve '10. Scheve recorded two sacks and recovered a fumble. The Mules shut out Hamilton for just the second time in this 30-game series that dates back to 1976. Colby, which leads the series, 16-14, blanked the Continentals 35-0 in 2004.
Neither team scored in the first quarter, but the Mules came close. On fourth-and-7 from the Hamilton 11, the Continentals' Jacob Sheetz-Willard '12 intercepted Kmetz in the end zone after the pass was deflected by another Hamilton defensive back.
On the final play of the opening quarter, Colby's Chris Copeland '10 intercepted backup quarterback Lance Wilson '11 at the Mules' 32 and returned it to the Hamilton 30. A personal foul on the Continentals put the ball at the 15-yard-line. Colby turned the ball over on downs four plays later at the 8.
The Mules got the ball back in great field position after a 29-yard punt and a fair catch at the Continentals' 39. After a Hamilton offsides penalty, Tidgwell ran for nine yards and a first down. Kmetz and Hellinger hooked up on the next play for the 6-0 lead, and David Bendit '13 added the extra point.
The Continentals deepest drive into Colby territory came on the opening drive of the second half. Wilson completed three straight passes for 21 yards to get Hamilton to the Mules' 38. Wilson was then picked off by Sam Nuber '12 at the Colby 9. The Mules added their second touchdown on the long pass play later in the third, and then completed the scoring with the safety in the fourth. Brian Mellett '12 led Colby with six tackles and Lamont Henry '11 returned an interception 24 yards.
John Lawrence '10 was credited with a career-high 16 tackles for the Continentals. Landrey Mack '10 added 10 stops and Burke St. John '11 had a sack. Ted Finan '12 broke up three passes and blocked a 25-yard field goal attempt. Wilson (9-for-29) threw for 74 yards and Max Foster '10 caught five passes for 40 yards. Hamilton travels to Williams College for another NESCAC game next Saturday at 1 p.m.
Burns' 64-yard catch-and-run with 5 minutes, 33 seconds left in the third quarter put Colby (2-3 overall, 2-3 NESCAC) up by two touchdowns. Nick Kmetz '12 completed just 11 of 34 passes, but finished with 200 yards and two touchdowns. Kmetz also ran for 36 yards. Matt Hellinger '11 caught a short pass from Kmetz and ran 25 yards into the end zone for the game's first score with 11:26 remaining in the second quarter. Conor Tidgwell '11 led all rushers with 53 yards on 16 carries.
The rain, which fell for most of the game, seemed to affect Hamilton's offense more than it did the Mules. The Continentals (1-4) finished with minus-14 yards rushing and ended up with a total of 87 yards on offense. Hamilton threw three interceptions and lost two fumbles. The Continentals have turned the ball over 15 times during their three-game losing skid. Hamilton picked up just nine first downs and was 2-for-15 on third-down conversions. Colby was even worse on third down, as the Mules converted 1-of-18 chances.
Colby recorded a safety with 5:18 left in the fourth quarter, when Continentals' quarterback Dan Peters '13 was sacked in the end zone by Peter Scheve '10. Scheve recorded two sacks and recovered a fumble. The Mules shut out Hamilton for just the second time in this 30-game series that dates back to 1976. Colby, which leads the series, 16-14, blanked the Continentals 35-0 in 2004.
Neither team scored in the first quarter, but the Mules came close. On fourth-and-7 from the Hamilton 11, the Continentals' Jacob Sheetz-Willard '12 intercepted Kmetz in the end zone after the pass was deflected by another Hamilton defensive back.
On the final play of the opening quarter, Colby's Chris Copeland '10 intercepted backup quarterback Lance Wilson '11 at the Mules' 32 and returned it to the Hamilton 30. A personal foul on the Continentals put the ball at the 15-yard-line. Colby turned the ball over on downs four plays later at the 8.
The Mules got the ball back in great field position after a 29-yard punt and a fair catch at the Continentals' 39. After a Hamilton offsides penalty, Tidgwell ran for nine yards and a first down. Kmetz and Hellinger hooked up on the next play for the 6-0 lead, and David Bendit '13 added the extra point.
The Continentals deepest drive into Colby territory came on the opening drive of the second half. Wilson completed three straight passes for 21 yards to get Hamilton to the Mules' 38. Wilson was then picked off by Sam Nuber '12 at the Colby 9. The Mules added their second touchdown on the long pass play later in the third, and then completed the scoring with the safety in the fourth. Brian Mellett '12 led Colby with six tackles and Lamont Henry '11 returned an interception 24 yards.
John Lawrence '10 was credited with a career-high 16 tackles for the Continentals. Landrey Mack '10 added 10 stops and Burke St. John '11 had a sack. Ted Finan '12 broke up three passes and blocked a 25-yard field goal attempt. Wilson (9-for-29) threw for 74 yards and Max Foster '10 caught five passes for 40 yards. Hamilton travels to Williams College for another NESCAC game next Saturday at 1 p.m.
