BOWDOIN

The Bowdoin College football team open its 127th season on Saturday as the Polar Bears host Williams College at 1 p.m.

The contest will be the 75th all-time between the schools.

LIVE COVERAGE — Fans can follow all of the statistics from today’s game on their smartphones by downloading the Bowdoin Front Row app in the iTunes Store or on Google Play. Links to live statistics and video coverage of the contest can be found in the app, as well as push notifications and alerts on all of your favorite Polar Bear teams. For fans unable to attend games at Whittier Field, all Bowdoin home games will be carried live online -with instant replay – on the Northeast Sports Network (www.nsnsports.net).

LAST SEASON — After finishing the 2016 season winless, Williams bounced back to a 6-3 campaign, including a dramatic overtime victory over arch-rival Amherst in their season finale. Bowdoin had less luck, going without a victory and finishing 0-9 despite having a lead in four games, including their last three games of the 2017 campaign.

POLAR BEAR NOTES— The Polar Bears were decimated by injuries last season but will look to reap the benefits of last year’s infusion of youth with a number of returners at virtually every position.

— Quarterback Griff Stalcup (133.7 yards of total offense/game) will return for the Polar Bears and will be joined by sophomore transfer Austin McCrum, who is likely to see considerable time under center as well for Bowdoin.

— Junior tailback Nate Richam (346 yards rushing) was on pace for another fantastic season before suffering a season-ending injury in week five. With 830 career yards he will look to become the first Bowdoin running back to surpass 1,000 yards in a career since Tyler Grant ‘17.

— Defensively, junior captain

Joe Gowetski, who had his season end in the first game of the 2017 campaign, will look to bring stability to a linebacking unit that had numerous players see time last fall. Gowetski was second in the NESCAC as a first-year in 2016 with 92 total tackles.

SCOUTING THE EPHS — Williams quarterback Bobby Maimaron led the Ephs in both passing yards (1800) and rushing yards (402) last season, ranking third in the NESCAC in total offense as a first-year.

— He returns his top target, receiver Frank Stola (51 receptions, 658 yards), who ended the year fifth in the conference in receiving.

— Despite ranking in the middle of the league in most statistical categories, Williams was able to post six wins thanks to the strength of a defense that ranked third in scoring defense (18.0 points allowed/game) and was particularly tough against the run, permitting just 118.9 yards/game.

— The Ephs are returning nine of their 11 defensive starters, including top tackler T.J. Rothmann, who was fourth in the league with 83 stops last fall.

LAST MEETING — Last year in Williamstown the teams were tied at 7-7 at halftime, but Williams scored 21 unanswered points in the second half to pull away for a 28-14 victory. The Ephs racked up 439 yards of offense, including 283 yards through the air from Maimaron. Stola ended with seven catches for 168 yards. Quarterback Noah Nelson tossed for 111 yards for Bowdoin while Nate Richam ended with 54 yards on the ground.

BOWDOIN vs. WILLIAMS — ALL TIME — Due to the NESCAC’s previous rotating eight-game schedule, the teams have played sparingly in the last two decades. Williams holds a 53-15-6 edge in the all-time series and have claimed five straight against Bowdoin. The Polar Bears’ last win against the Ephs came in 2007, 28-14, at Whittier Field.

A LOOK AHEAD — For the first time in program history, Bowdoin will play a night game at Whittier Field as the Polar Bears will host Bates on Saturday, November 3 at 5:30 p.m. That game highlights a five-game home slate for the Polar Bears that also includes Saturday’s game, Sept.. 29 vs. Amherst, Oct. 6 vs. Tufts and Oct. 20 vs. Trinity.