WHERE: Whittier Field, Brunswick

WHEN: Saturday, 5 p.m.

STREAMING: Northeast Sports Network

RADIO: WCME 99.5/900 AM

ALL-TIME SERIES: Bowdoin leads 72-53-9. The Polar Bears have won the previous two meetings.

KEY STAT: Five: the number of touchdowns Peter Macaulay threw in his second career game at quarterback in Bowdoin’s 35-24 win over Bates College last week. The mark ties a school record, also held by Ricky LeClerc (2005 vs. Wesleyan) and Andrew Boel (2021 vs. Wesleyan).

OUTLOOK: Saturday marks the final game of the NESCAC football season, and although a winning record is out of the question, there is plenty left to fight for. Both Bowdoin and Colby have already beaten Bates, so Saturday’s matchup will decide the 2024 CBB champion between the Polar Bears and Mules.

“This is a rivalry game, so our players are going to be ready,” Bowdoin head coach B.J. Hammer said. “If I need to say or do anything to motivate them in the last football game this season, with the CBB title on the line, we’re in trouble. I’ve got all the confidence in the world in our guys. They were incredibly ready to play last week, and they will be ready to play this week.”

Led by freshman quarterback Peter Macaulay, Bowdoin had its best offensive performance all year (434 total yards) against Bates and never lost the lead. The Bowdoin defense did allow 392 yards rushing (including a NESCAC-record 344 yards from Ryan Lynskey), but the Bobcats struggled to get much offense going outside of long explosive runs. Hammer says the key to stopping Colby’s balanced offensive attack is to force junior quarterback Miles Drake (58.3% completion, 12-6 TD-INT ratio) to throw the ball and limit explosive bursts from senior running back Keon Smart (852 yards from scrimmage, 3 TDs). Jack Nye (28 rec., 434 yards, TD) and Duke Ferrara (40 rec., 377 yards, 2 TDs) lead the Mules in receiving. Defensively, Colby is anchored by linebackers Julian Young (65 tackles, 3 sacks) and Sebastien Romain (47 tackles, 6 sacks). In order to beat the cover-three base defense, Bowdoin will try to find weak spots in Colby’s pass coverage with Jed Hoggard (5 rec. 136 yards, 2 TDs in last two weeks) and Ty Connolly (9 rec. 72 yards, TD in last two weeks).

“We feel confident that (Macaulay) is going to be a good young player,” Hammer said. “I think the guys just needed a spark. We have some good talent at receiver, running back, O-line, and we just needed a little spark. We just weren’t hitting at all cylinders, and we were able to do that (last) Saturday, so we can repeat that this Saturday.”

OF NOTE: Each of Bowdoin’s and Colby’s three wins have come against the same opponents (Hamilton, Amherst and Bates)…Six of Colby’s games have been decided by one possession, Bowdoin has had three games decided by one possession…Bowdoin leads the NESCAC in sacks (33), while Colby is second (22)…Colby held the CBB title last from 2018-21.