LEWISTON — It won’t go into the books as a shutout.

But if it hits like a shutout, gang-tackles like a shutout and forces a fistful of turnovers like a shutout, the spectator is free to draw his own conclusions.

Bates beat Bowdoin from the coin flip to the shouting of the fight song in a 24-2 trouncing Saturday at Garcelon Field.

“I wish the zero was up there, but the defense played great, the offense drove the ball, and the special teams other than one play was awesome,” Bates senior linebacker Kevin Helm said. “It was a total team victory.”

Helm had 13 tackles to lead a Bates defense that intercepted Bowdoin quarterback Mac Caputi four times and held the Polar Bears to 168 total yards.

Freshman Gilbert Brown sacked Caputi twice and picked off a pass. Four of Brown’s six tackles went for a loss.

Andrew Kukesh, Will Taft and Kyle Starr also had interceptions for the Bobcats, who snapped a three-game losing skid.

“There’s nothing like a complete game,” Taft said.

Bates (3-4) shoots for its first .500 season since 1999 at Hamilton next Saturday. The Bobcats also could share the CBB title if Bowdoin beats Colby. All three Maine schools are part of a five-way tie for fourth place in NESCAC.

Patrick George rushed for three short touchdowns and Trevor Smith found John Squires for a 23-yard score.

The only highlight for Bowdoin (3-4) followed Squires’ touchdown with 2:38 remaining in the first quarter.

Tom Wells swatted Kevin Regan’s extra-point attempt. It took a friendly hop into the hands of Beau Breton, who covered the 88 yards down the Bobcats’ sideline.

In high school or the pros, the play would have been dead after the block. In the NCAA, Wells and Breton’s collaboration changed the score from 7-0 to 6-2.

Bowdoin couldn’t sustain the momentum, however. Its next drive dissolved on downs at the Bates 32. The Bobcats battled through two fruitless drives before Chris Alfiero downed David Kurey’s punt at the Bowdoin 1.

Winning that battle of field position paid off on the Bobcats’ ensuing series. Squires’ 12-yard catch and Smith’s 9-yard keeper set up George’s 1-yard scoring plunge. In what would become an afternoon-long trend, the two-point try failed.

“From an offensive standpoint it’s just running the ball up the middle, and from there we open up everything,” senior offensive lineman and tri-captain Andrew Scichilone said.

Kukesh’s interception and 21-yard runback set up another Bates touchdown in the final minute.

Again, a Smith-to-Squires strike moved the chains. Again, Smith’s option surge brought the Bobcats within sniffing distance of the goal line.

George punched it in from 3 yards out for an 18-2 halftime advantage.

“We were making a lot more turnovers and playing with a lot more fire than we had the past three weeks,” Taft said. “It really got things going our way.”

Bowdoin’s only scoring threat of the second half materialized after an unnecessary roughness penalty against Batesmoved the ball deep into Bobcats territory.

It fizzled when Helm stuffed Zach Donnarumma for a 3-yard loss on fourth-and-1 with 10:17 left.

“Those guys have a lot of pride, and the last couple of weeks guys have played well against us,” Bates coach Mark Harriman said.

Caputi was only 11-for-30 through the air. Bates contained Donnarumma to 45 yards on 21 carries.

Smith (77 yards) and South Portland’s Ryan Curit (67) spearheaded the Bates’ ground game along with George. Squires caught five passes from Smith for 92 yards.

George scored from the 2 with 52 seconds left after Bowdoin tried and failed on fourth down inside its own 20.

Bates lined up for two points and took a knee.

“It was a whole team effort. Every single guy played their heart out,” Scichilone said. “Sixty minutes of football. We talked about that all week long, playing a whole game, and we really did.”

koakes@sunjournal.com

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