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Date: October 22, 2005
Contact: Bill Sodoma

 

Colby football earns win over Hamilton, 34-20

CLINTON, N.Y. ---- Justin Smith had three touchdown passes and ran for another score as the Colby College football team got back on the winning track with a 34-20 victory over Hamilton College on Steuben Field on Saturday. Colby improved to 4-1 on the season heading into next Saturday's home game with Bates College at 1 p.m. Hamilton fell to 1-4.

The Mules, who started out 3-0 before falling last Saturday to Amherst, went up 20-0 in the first half. Colby needed just one offensive play to get on the scoreboard after Hamilton went four and out on its first drive. Smith hit Michael Tomich on a 47-yard touchdown pass on Colby's first offensive play with 13:46 remaining in the first quarter.

Colby went up 13-0 with 4:51 remaining when Smith hooked up again with Tomich on a 31-yard pass play. The Mules took 4:15 off the clock and went nine plays and 80 yards on the drive.

Smith had his third touchdown pass of the half with 4:37 left to intermission when he connected with Brennan Moore on a 16-yard scoring play that finished off a 69-yard drive in 10 plays.

Colby turnovers helped Hamilton get back in the game in a hurry. Taylor Soobitsky recovered a fumble and returned the ball 12 yards for a touchdown with 2:11 left in the half. The Continentals then made it 20-13 at the break when Trevor Pedrick picked off a pass and went 56 yards for the score with 1:23 left in the quarter.

The Mules went ahead again by two scores just 4:15 into the third quarter when sophomore Chris Bashaw ran in from 35 yards out for his fourth touchdown of the year and his 10th score in two years.

Hamilton quarterback Dan Hood cut the lead to 27-20 with 8:56 left in the third quarter on a 44-yard touchdown run that capped a five-play, 62-yard drive.

The game remained tight until Smith gave Colby an insurance touchdown with 2:21 left in the final quarter on a 52-yard touchdown run. Smith was 17-of-24 for 237 yards and rushed 10 times for 60 yards.

Aaron Stepka, who went over 3,000 career yards in the Amherst game last Saturday, had 20 carries for 77 yards. Bashaw had 10 rushes for 60 yards. Jon Vacca caught nine balls for 104 yards to lead Colby's receivers. Tomich had the two touchdown catches among his three grabs for 101 yards.

Josh Berman had a team-high 12 tackles, including nine solo stops, for Colby's defense. Scott Rouston made eight tackles and had two sacks among his three tackles for loss. Conor Sullivan added seven tackles and 1.5 sacks, while Josh Donabedian made seven stops.