BRUNSWICK, Maine - Jackson McGonagle'16 scored two touchdowns including a program-record 97-yard reception as the Amherst College football team cruised to a decisive 30-7 win on the road Saturday against Bowdoin College.

The Jeffs (2-0) have now won 15 of the last 16 meetings against their NESCAC foe and have claimed nine consecutive meetings dating back to 2005, as they drop the Polar Bears to 0-2 on the year.

Alex Berluti '17 went 11-for-15 for 187 yards with two touchdowns and Reece Foy '18 added 40 yards on 5-of-7 attempts. McGonagle totaled 124 yards receiving on four catches, while Raheem Jackson '17 rushed for 59 yards on 11 carries and Kenny Adinkra '16 added 31. McGonagle also had a stellar day punting the ball and totaled 249 yards on five attempts for an average of 49.8 yards per punt, including a long of 65.

Defensively, Jimmy Fairfield-Sonn '16 led all Jeffs with nine tackles (7 solo, 2 assists) and added a fumble recovery. Ned Deane '15 and Jaymie Spears '16 each recorded a sack while Spears also registered an interception which he returned for 15 yards.

Tyler Grant led the Bowdoin offense, rushing 25 times for 86 yards. Tim Drakeley went 13-for-24 for 96 yards passing while Mac Caputi finished 14-of-21 with 106 yards and two interceptions. Daniel Barone led the squad with 61 yards receiving on seven catches, while Branden Morin and Brendan Lawler registered a team-high seven tackles.

Amherst held a 390-to-316 advantage in total offense with 163 on the ground and 227 through the air. Bowdoin threw 198 yards and rushed for another 118. The Polar Bears did hold a lead in first downs, however, 22-to-18.

The Jeffs scored on their second drive of the game, which began with a 20-yard run by Nick Kelly '17 to the Bowdoin-36. Later in the drive, on 3rd-and-19, a Polar Bears' penalty brought the Jeffs to the 14-yard line. On the following play, McGonagle rushed to the endzone to put the Jeffs ahead, 6-0.

Amherst quickly got the ball back just two minutes later when Caputi was picked off by Jake Shuman '15 at the Amherst 23-yard line. The Jeffs capitalized on the home team's mistake when Phillip Nwosu '15 hit a 29-yard field goal to put the visitors ahead by nine with 14:13 remaining in the second quarter. Both defenses forced five total punts and two fumbles to keep the offenses scoreless the rest of the way as they entered the break with the visitors ahead, 9-0.

The Purple & White came out strong in the second half. Bowdoin received the ball and was forced to punt, but a great kick by Andrew Murowchick was downed at the Amherst 1-yard line. On the following play, the Polar Bears stopped Adinkra for what initially looked like a safety, but the junior gave Amherst some room on 2nd-and-10 with a two-yard rush. On third-down, Berluti found McGonagle as the junior got past all Bowdoin defenders on his way to a program record 97-yard touchdown. The reception was the longest in Amherst history and second longest play of all-time. 

After a Nwosu kick put the Jeffs up 16-0, Spears added his third interception of the season when he picked off Caputi on 2nd-and-10 at the Bowdoin-18. The following play, Gene Garay '15 found the back of the endzone on an 18-yard rush at the 9:26 mark of the third quarter.

The Jeffs forced a Bowdoin punt and stopped the home team on 4th-and-4 when they took over at the Amherst-28. After three consecutive rushes from Jackson, including a 27-yard dash, brought the Purple & White to the Bowdoin-39, Berluti completed consecutive passes to McGonagle and Kelly as Kelly tacked on the Jeffs' fourth touchdown of the game to go ahead, 30-0.

The Polar Bears added a late touchdown when Caputi punched it in from the 1-yard line with 39 seconds to play as the Jeffs cruised to the 30-7 win.

Amherst remains on the road next week when they head to Middlebury, Vt. to face the Panthers at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4.