MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury College football team scored a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter on Saturday to erase a 24-23 deficit and pull out a 37-24 victory over visiting Bowdoin (0-2). The Panthers evened their record heading into a game this Saturday at Colby.
Middlebury took the lead 22 seconds into the fourth quarter when reserve quarterback Will Jernigan capped a six-play, 90-yard drive with a 16-yard touchdown run. A 21-yard carry by Drew Jacobs and a 48-yard scamper by Peter Scibilia set up a score that made it 29-24.
SOPHOMORE QUARTERBACK WILL Jernigan rushed for 36 yards and a touchdown in Middlebury College’s 37-24 win over Bowdoin Saturday.
Independent photo/Trent Campbell
Midway through the fourth quarter the Panthers drove 48 yards, all on the ground to score on a Conrado Banky end-around three yards out. Jernigan hit Jimmy Connell for the two-point conversion to create the 37-24 final score.
Middlebury running backs Scibilia (184 yards) and Jacobs (105 yards) became the first Panther duo to rush for at least 100 yards in a game since 1995.
Scibilia scored on a four-yard rush at 3:27 of the first quarter to put Middlebury up 7-3. Linebacker Pete Huggins forced a Bowdoin fumble at the Middlebury 43-yard line to set up the score.
An impressive interception by Panther defensive end Charles Roselle set up the next score: Quarterback Jack Meservy found Banky for an 18-yard touchdown.
Middlebury’s Jack Pistorius blocked a punt to create a safety later in the first quarter to make it 16-3.
Bowdoin’s Nate Richman scored on a five-yard run late in the quarter. The Panthers answered by covering 72 yards in under a minute to make it 23-11. A 24-yard pass from Meservy to Jernigan was the key play on the drive, and Meservy hit tight end Frank Cosolito on a fade route for the TD.
The Polar Bears’ Richam scored on a 75-yard run on the next play from scrimmage to make it 23-18 at the half.
Bowdoin took the lead late in the third quarter by taking advantage of an interception on the Panther eight-yard line. Three plays later, after a penalty, Polar Bear QB Austin McCrum found Gregory Olson from 20 yards to give his team a short-lived, 24-23 lead.
Scibilia’s career-high 184 yards came on 22 carries, while Jacobs ran 22 times for his 105 yards, also a career best. The Panthers gained 344 yards overall on the ground. Meservy completed 16 of 24 passes for two touchdowns, but tossed three interceptions, while Jernigan completed one of five passed while rushing for 36 yards.
Cosolito caught four passes for 55 yards, while Banky finished with three receptions for 44 yards. On defense Coltrane Marcus led the Panther defense with 13 tackles, while Jonathan Hobart had nine to go along with an interception and fumble recovery.
Richam broke the Bowdoin school record for rushing, finishing the contest with 30 carries for 288 yards, 227 in the first half. McCrum completed 20 for 39 passes for 206 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions. 
The teams combined for more than 1,000 yards of total offense, with Middlebury earning a 540-495 edge.