Angus Leary (89) and Koy Price (2) celebrate a safety against Middlebury on Sept. 21. Brian Beard / Bowdoin Athletics

WHERE: Pratt Field at Lehrman Stadium, Amherst, Massachusetts.

WHEN: 1 p.m. Saturday

STREAMING: Northeast Sports Network

ALL-TIME SERIES: Amherst leads 81-18-2. The Mammoths have won the last two meetings.

KEY STAT: 14, the number of interceptions all four Amherst and Bowdoin quarterbacks have thrown this season. Amherst leads the NESCAC in interceptions thrown with eight; Bowdoin and Bates are both tied for second with six.

OUTLOOK: Both teams are coming off of losses — Bowdoin fell at Williams, 34-14, Amherst fell at home to Middlebury 29-21 — so the Polar Bears and Mammoths are looking to enter the second half of the season with a win. The last three meetings between the two have been decided by seven points or fewer. In the last two games, Amherst has intercepted Robbie Long on Bowdoin’s final drives of the game. Against Williams, Long and Michael Wolfendale combined to complete 11 of their 30 throws for 132 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Through four games, the two quarterbacks have completed 50.9% of their throws with a 5:6 touchdown to interception ratio.

“That’s the big task of my offensive staff this week and myself, is just making our quarterback better prepared to play,” Bowdoin coach B.J. Hammer said. “If you’re not playing well offensively, you’ve got to be perfect on defense, and that’s really hard to do in this day and age.”

Bowdoin has allowed the most total yards (383.8), rushing yards (139.9) and points (29.3) per game in the NESCAC. The Polar Bears’ defense is led by linebackers Koy Price (5 tackles for a loss, 2 defensive TDs) and Dan Fiore (35 tackles). Amherst’s offense does not gain many points (15.3 ppg, 7th in NESCAC) or many yards (220 ypg, last in conference). Junior quarterback Mason Morrow has completed 57.63% of his passes for 664 yards and three touchdowns, but has also thrown a league-high seven interceptions. Demitirus Smith leads the Mammoths with 86 rush yards and a touchdown. Defensively, Luke Harmon lead the team in tackles (33) and interceptions (3).

Extending drives and converting points in the second half will be the key to Bowdoin’s gameplan, as the Polar Bears have led or been tied in the third quarter or later every game so far, but have been outscored 31-79 in the second half.

“I would love for us to convert on some big plays and not make it a close game,” Hammer said. “But we know it’s going to be a battle versus a good, solid, really well-coached football team.”

OF NOTE: Both teams are in the bottom of the league in third down conversion percentage, Bowdoin converts 26.8% of the time, and Amherst converts 19.6% of the time, while the league average is 35.5%…Bowdoin has punted 30 times this season, tied with Middlebury for most in the NESCAC…Linebacker Price leads Bowdoin in points scored this season (14) after last week’s 15-yard fumble recovery returned for a touchdown. In Week 2, he contributed to a safety and in Week 3, he had a 1-yard pick six…Bowdoin defensive lineman Aidan Reidy leads the NESCAC in tackles for loss (7.5)…Bowdoin and Amherst first played in 1896, ending in a scoreless tie.