This was the fifth game I’ve covered this season.  All of them have been one-score games.  And most of them, including this one, have been decided in the final minutes.

Bates defeated Tufts on Saturday night, 35-28, behind an exceptional performance by Ryan Lynskey.  The Bobcats’ running back rushed for 221 yards and four touchdowns, the last of which gave his team the lead back with 58 seconds remaining.  Tufts had one last shot, but Hudson Weidman was intercepted by Major Spencer in the final seconds, setting off a raucous celebration on the visiting sidelines.

This game turned late in the fourth quarter when a Bates punt hit a Tufts player, and the Bobcats recovered.  They cashed in with Lynskey’s third touchdown of the night, but the ensuing extra point was blocked.  So, the Jumbos still had a one-point lead.  But the Bobcats got the ball back, drove down the field, and Lynskey’s final score was the difference.

The score was tied on three different occasions: at 7, 14 and 21 apiece.

Weidman did throw three touchdown passes for the Jumbos.  He also led the team in rushing with 85 yards.

Both teams are now 2-3 on the season.