Polar Bear gridders nip Jumbos > Good throws TD pass to Nye in waning minutes

GALWAY, Ireland – Peter Nye caught Chris Good’s 40-yard touchdown pass with two minutes to play and Mark McCormack kicked the extra point, giving Bowdoin College of Brunswick a 7-6 victory over Tufts University in a game played 3,000 miles away from home Sunday.

The final game of the season for both schools was played in a steady rain and muddy conditions before an estimated crowd of 2,500 at Pearse Stadium.

Bowdoin finished the year at 4-4, Tufts at 3-4-1.

Tufts took a 6-0 lead early in the fourth period on a 39-yard punt return by Todd Romboli. The extra point attempt by Ronnie Bronstein was blocked.

Tufts squandered two good scoring chances in the first half, losing fumbles at Bowdoin’s 1-yard line and 28-yard line. But the defense came up with two goal-line stands in the second half, holding Bowdoin from scoring from inside the 1.

The game was called the Christopher Columbus Classic, in keeping with tradition that Columbus stopped to pray in this port city before crossing the Atlantic on his 1492 voyage to the New World.

Ireland has hosted several college football games in recent years.

Bowdoin Coach Howard Vandersea said, “It’s been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. For the kids, it’s something they will never forget for the rest of their lives. It’s been like a minor bowl game for us.”

UF10hb,8p3Bowdoin, 7-6

Tufts 0 0 0 6 – 6 Bowdoin 0 0 0 7 – 7

TUFTS – Romboli 39 punt return (kick blocked)

BOWD – Nye 40 pass from Good (McCormack kick)

A – 2,500