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The football team escaped Lewiston, Maine with a win against Bates College this Saturday. After being held scoreless for the first half, the Cardinals picked up the pace in the final 25 minutes to bring their record to 3-1 for the year.

Wesleyan started off the game on an ominous note. On the opening play, quarterback Brennan Carney ’04 botched a pitch and Bates recovered at the Wesleyan 10-yard.

"That was my fault," Carney explained. "I pitched the wrong way. It was intended to be a pitch to the right, but I opened the wrong way and tried to throw it anyways."

Bates converted the turnover into a touchdown on a 4th-and-goal at the two-yard line. The Bobcats lined up for a field goal; however, instead of going for three points early in the game, holder Owen Meihe picked up the fake-kick and ran left for the first touchdown of the game and a 7-0 Bates lead.

Wesleyan came close to tying it up in the second quarter as the Cardinals managed to drive the ball to Bates’ 10-yard line. The Cardinals’ hopes were dashed when the Bates defense sacked Carney, who lost the ball at the Bates 20. 

Bates defensive back Kevin Jackson returned the fumble 60 yards to the Wesleyan 20-yard line. After a three-and-out, kicker Rejean Guerriero made good on a 30-yard field goal to bring the Bates lead to 10-0.

"We played very erratically in the first half," said Head Coach Frank Hauser. "The offense needs to play [well] the whole game."

Fortunately for Hauser and his team, Wesleyan’s offense recovered in the second half. With 10:46 remaining in the third quarter, running back Ronnie Jacobs ’03 capped off a 62-yard, eight play drive with a 29-yard run. Jacobs’ scamper closed the gap to 10-7 and allowed the Cards back into the game. 

"Our proverbial back didn’t break," said Quad-captain Nick Lodato ’01. "We went into halftime losing. We had to come back and score, and we did."

Wesleyan’s first touchdown of the game was a turning point for the Cardinals’ offense, which was stagnant during the first half.

"That first touchdown gave us a lot of momentum," Carney said. "Our offense was a lot better in the second half. We played the way we should have played all game. We threw the ball 32 times and our running game was really on."

Jacobs had a phenomenal third quarter, carrying the ball for 55 yards on seven plays. In addition to Jacobs’ contributions, the Cardinal offense rested largely on the shoulders of its receivers.

Wide receiver Todd Themistocles ’01 caught the ball nine times for 132 yards, and George Thompson ’02 made four catches for a total of 102 yards and two touchdowns.

Wesleyan took the lead with 10 minutes to play when Thompson caught a 27-yard touchdown pass from Carney to cap-off a 62-yard drive. The score marked the beginning of an exciting back-and-forth scoring exchange that marked the end of the game. 

Wesleyan’s 14-10 advantage didn’t last long. Bates regained the lead less than two minutes later when tailback Sean Atkins broke through the Cardinals’ defense for a 53-yard scoring run. 

Wesleyan’s offense responded to the call and asserted itself on its next possession. Carney and Thompson made quick work of the Bates’ defense, connecting on two consecutive plays for 55 yards. Thompson scored again, this time from 37 yards out, to bring the score to 20-17.

"The one time our defense messed up during this game, the offense came right back and scored," Lodato said. "That’s a good sign, if you ask me."

Hauser recognized Carney’s second touchdown pass to Thompson as the most important play of the game, pointing out that it happened right after Bates had taken the lead and kept the Cardinals in the game. 

Bates appeared to be rallying in the final minute of the game, but the Wesleyan defense held its ground. The Cards halted Bates for good when linebacker Dion Mueller ’02 intercepted a pass with 23 seconds left on the clock.

"That play was just huge," Carney said. "The Bates quarterback went back to pass and was getting a lot of pressure from our defensive linemen. One of our guys hit him just as he was about to throw and [the pass] was a real wobbler. It went about 20 yards down the sideline and Dion just picked it off."

As was the case in the team’s two previous wins, the Cardinals’ defense played a huge role in the victory. 

"[The defense] really plays as a big unit," Lodato explained. "They make plays when they have to. They might give up some yards but always tighten up and don’t give up a lot of points. They make big hits and big plays and give us good opportunities to score."

Hauser attributed the win to the defense’s consistent bend-but-don’t-break success, as well as the offense’s improvement in the second half.

"The defense played well all day and we were able to move the ball 

offensively in the second half," Hauser said. 

The Cardinals may have survived a challenge from Bates, but next weekend is Wesleyan’s homecoming game against archrival Amherst. College. Amherst defeated previously unbeaten Colby College Saturday to improve to 3-1 on the season, and has won the last six games in the Wesleyan/Amherst match-up, including a 28-14 drubbing last season. 

Lodato said he is optimistic about the game even though Amherst will test the Cardinals Saturday.

"We have to work on playing together as a team," Lodato said. "Like I tell the guys every day, when we go out there, the only team we’re playing is ourselves. If we play like we know we can play, Amherst is just an obstacle. They’re a good team, but we can beat them."