LEWISTON – You typically don’t need a scoreboard to tell who’s winning a football game. It becomes obvious as the game unfolds.

That’s why Bates College was left scratching its head Sunday.

The Bobcats, led by freshman Ken Adams who ran the ball 36 times for 141 yards, looked up at the scoreboard and saw they lost a game they should have won, falling to Tufts, 24-14, in drizzling rain at Garcelon Field.

“I always tell my kids the most physical team is the one that wins football games. That wasn’t the case today,” Tufts coach Bill Samko said.

Bates won individual battles up and down the box score, but Sunday proved that one play can alter the course of a game.

Up 7-3 with 35 seconds remaining in the first half, the Bobcats had two chances to build on their lead before the break. On second and 11 from the Tufts 16, Chris Gwozdz’s pass to the flats went through the hands of safety Donovan Brown, who started running up the sideline without the ball.

The next play, defensive end Reid Palmer dropped back in coverage and picked off Gwozdz’s pass intended for Owen Miehe running a slant route. Reid returned the ball 91 yards and Marcellus Rolle’s point-after gave Tufts a 10-7 lead.

Exchanging touchdowns with Tufts in the third quarter, Bates was never able to make up the difference.

“The touchdown off the turnover really hurt us at the end of the first half,” Bates coach Mark Harriman said. “We had missed a field goal from the same distance the drive before, (so we decided to go for the touchdown). We ran the play we scored with before, but their defense made a big play.”

Tufts added another touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Mark Tilki picked off Gwozdz’s pass to the flats at the Bates 40 and scampered untouched to the end zone. Rolle’s point-after brought the final score to 24-14.

Tilki had two interceptions on the day, his first coming at the 11:45 mark in the second quarter. On second and four from the Tufts 13, Gwozdz scrambled right and threw on the run to Matt Orlando near the sideline. Tilki stepped in front of the throw, making a diving interception at the four. It was one of three Bates’ turnovers in the red zone.

“Bates played well today and they really took it to us,” Samko said. “I’m not sure the gods were looking down on them today, luckily we made some big defensive plays.”

Tufts struck first in the second half, extending its lead to 17-7 on Steve Cincotta’s 22-yard run up the middle.

But the Bobcats answered on their next possession.

Starting on its own 39, Bates, thanks to up-the-gut running from Adams, worked its way down to the Tufts 21. On third and second, Gwozdz surprised the Jumbo defense, pump-faking a three-step drop and lofting the ball to Miehe in the back of the end zone. Nat Carr’s point-after pulled the Bobcats within three, 17-14.

Using multiple-receiver sets, Bates opened the field early in the first half, allowing Adams to round the corner and cut upfield off-tackle. The shotgun trips formation where three receivers lined up on the same side also confused the Jumbo secondary. Despite three interceptions, Gwozdz finished 18-38 for 208 yards and two touchdowns.

Gwozdz hooked up with Orlando for Bates first score at the 5:21 mark in the first quarter, giving the Bobcats a 7-0 lead until Rolle chipped a 27-yard field goal near the end of the quarter. Orlando led all Bates receivers for eight catches for 103 yards. Miehe finished with six catches for 61 yards, while Billy Ball grabbed three for 34.