Though Wesleyan scored the game’s first TD on a 33-yard
pass from wide receiver Mark Noonan to wide receiver Danny Granatell at 10:03 of
the third period, Middlebury used its pair of first-quarter safeties and pair of
fourth-period field goals from Steve Hauschka, the second of 23 yards with 3:10
to play, to take a 10-7 victory. It was the first meeting between the teams
since 2003 and ended Wesleyan’s five-game win steak over Middlebury. The
Panthers last beat the Cardinals in 1994.
Wesleyan grabbed a 7-4 edge early in the second half after QB Zach Librizzi
tossed an overhand lateral to Noonan, a former QB turned receiver, in the right
flat. Despite defensive pressure, Noonan launched a 33-yard pass to the endzone
which a diving Granatell grabbed to erase the 4-0 deficit. Middlebury got a
sack in the endzone by Kevin Ryan and a tackle of Wesleyan running back Phil
Banks in the endzone from Alex Buggy on consecutive first-period series for its
safeties. A mishandled snap by Librizzi disrupted the timing of the play
leading to the second two-point play after a Hauschka punt had been downed
inside the one-yard line..
Middlebury also missed two first-half field goals of 45 and 29 yards,
helping Wesleyan keep the game close.
But down 7-4 in the fourth quarter, Middlebury mounted a 10-play, 77-yard
march from its own 21 to the Wesleyan two-yard line, setting up a 19-yard
Hauschka three-pointer with 10:42 to go, evening the count at 7-7.
Wesleyan moved into Middlebruy territory on its next possession but an
interception by Brian Young gave Middlebury the ball at the Panthers’ 39, and 11
plays and five minutes later Hauschka added the game-winning field goal.
Wesleyan did penetrate Middlebury territory on its final possession
but came up short on a 4th-and-9 pass attempt from the Middlebury
49. Middlebury ran the clock out from that point. Statistical Summary of Wesleyan/Middlebury Game
Wesleyan
(1-1) 7, Hamilton (0-2) 0 - 9/30/06 at Middletown, Conn.
Senior running back Phil Banks capped a seven-play,
72-yard drive with a five-yard burst behind the right side of the Wesleyan line
to score the game's only TD at 12:41 of the third period and Wesleyan
University's (1-1) defense made it stand up in a 7-0 decision over visiting
Hamilton College (0-2) here this afternoon. Banks finished the day with 19
carries for 92 yards and also caught two passes for 18 yards.
It was the second straight shutout suffered by Hamilton this season
as Tufts blanked the Continentals, 17-0, a week ago. It was the first shutout
victory for the Cardinals since handing Hamilton a 21-0 defeat during the 2001
season. The win also ended an 11-game losing skid for Wesleyan dating back to
the 2004 season.
After a scoreless first half, Wesleyan took the opening kickoff of
the second half at its own 28-yard line and march downfield on the arm of junior
QB Zach Libirzzi. Librizzi completed passes of, 3, 21, 25 and 23 yards on six
attempts to move the Cardinals to a 1st-and-goal at the Hamilton five-yard
line. After a timeout, Banks burrowed behind the right side of the line into
the endzone and sophomore Chris Helsel's kick made it 7-0.
Neither team mounted much of a threat over the next 10 miiutes until
Hamilton sophomore linebacker Trevor Pedrick stepped in front of a Librizzi pass
at the Hamilton 42-yard line and returned it 31 yards to the Wesleyan 27 with
3:25 left in the third quarter. Sophomore QB Ben Saccomano hit junior Joe
Rinaldo for 16 yards, then junior Tom Tidgewell for six to get the Continentals
to the Wesleyan five-yard line. A Saccomano run for four yards set up
1st-and-goal at the one-yard line. Two sneaks by Saccomano were stuffed by the
Wesleyan defense with sophomore John Harding and senior Brian Smithson stopping
the first try and grad student Quincy Francis joining Harding to negate the
second try. On 3rd-and-goal, Saccomano tried the middle again but found no room
and went to his right. Senior Steve Secundo caught him back at the six-yard
line to set up 4th-and-goal as the quarter ended. Hamilton elected to go for it
using a counter pass play with motion to the left. Saccomano then set up and
threw back to his right, finding junior Dan Hood at the one-yard line. Hood was
hit by sophomore Kwasi Ansu right away, with help from junior Ryan McLaren, and
taken down short of the goalline. Hamilton got the ball back via punt and drove
to the Wesleyan 18-yard line on its next possession but again came up empty on
4th-and-15 from the 23 with an incomplete pass at the 10:00 mark.
Banks then ran the ball 12 of his 19 times over the next two
Wesleyan series to gain 79 yards and allow Wesleyan to run out most of the
remaining time.
Librizzi ended the day with 18-for-36 passing, good for 237 yards
while Saccomano hit on 18-of-29 tries for 195 yards. Rinaldo led Hamilton with
nine receptions for 126 yards while junior Mark Noonan had eight catches for 108
yards and sophomore Ryan Walsh six for 100 yards for Wesleyan. Statistical Summary of Wesleyan/Hamilton Game
Sophomore placekicker Brian Bachow
kicked a 22-yard field goal with :26 left in the fourth quarter to break a 21-21
tie and propel Colby to a 24-21 victory at home vs. Wesleyan.
Wesleyan took the ensuing kickoff, which was returned 27 yards by
senior Joe Pepe to the Wesleyan 46 and got a 23-yard completion from junior QB
Zach Librizzi to grad student Matt Barnum to the Colby 31 with :06 to go. With
a timeout remaining, Librizzi threw a quick pass which was caught at the Colby
25 by sophomore Ryan Walsh with :02 left, setting up what could have been a
game-tying 42-yard field goal, but Wesleyan was flagged for ineligible man
downfield, forcing Librizzi to throw a final desperation pass to the left side
which was intercepted in the endzone by Colby junior Chafic George to end the
game.
Wesleyan had taken a 7-0 lead on Colby’s opening drive as grad
student Quincy Francis tackled Colby senior Mike Bracco after a short reception
to the Colby 38 and jarred the ball free. Francis then scooped up the fumble
and ran 38 yards down the right sideline for a TD at 13:09. Colby went ahead
14-7 in the first period with an eight-play, 65-yard march capped by a sophomore
Casey Shea three-yard catch from senior QB Justin Smith at 9:32 and an 11-play,
50-yard drive which ended in Smith finding senior Brennan Moore in the back of
the endzone from 14 yard out with 2:35 left.
Wesleyan scored the next two TDs with the help of an unusual
formation. With a 4th-and-goal at the Colby 4 after driving from
midfield, Wesleyan used a spread formation with the bulk of the line 20 yards to
the left of the ball and only the snapper, potential holder, field-goal kicker
and one blocker behind the ball. Senior holder and starting DB Joe Pepe took
the snap and ran right, getting into the corner of the endzone for the TD with
9:29 left in the second quarter. Wesleyan used the same formation on 4th-and-2
at the Colby 5 late in the third period and Pepe again ran the ball, this time
for a first down at the Colby 3. From there, senior Phil Banks ran outside to
the right for the TD with 3:24 remaining in the period.
The lead lasted seven minutes as Colby score its third TD with 11:18
remaining in the fourth quarter on a nine-yard catch by freshman Dan Prunier.
Colby drove deep into Wesleyan territory with a 15-play drive that consumed
nearly seven minutes on its next possession but came up empty when Bachow missed
a field-goal try from 37 yards with 3:15 on the clock. Colby held Wesleyan and
forced a punt which sophomore Tom Daley returned 27 yards to the Wesleyan 36,
setting up the game-winning field goal.
Colby defeated Wesleyan for the fifth straight time and took a 15-14
lead in the overall series.
Smith completed 19 of 32 passes for 215 yards and the three TDs,
completing passes to 10 different Colby receivers. Librizzi connected on 18 of
39 attempts for 232 yards for Wesleyan. Statistical Summary of Wesleyan/Colby Game
Sophomore placekicker Chris Helsel
booted a 27-yard field goal during Wesleyan’s possession in overtime to give
Wesleyan a 17-14 win over Bates, snapping a two-game losing streak to the
Bobcats and raising Wesleyan’s all-time record vs. Bates to 21-4. The Cardinals
had held Bates off the board during its overtime possession. On first down,
senior Brian Mahr caught senior running back Jamie Walker (21 carries for 73
yards) behind the line for a four-yard loss. It was Mahr’s ninth tackle of the
day and fifth for a loss. Bates followed with three incomplete passes, giving
Wesleyan a chance for instant victory with its possession. Wesleyan got one
first down then worked the ball to the 10-yard line in the middle of the field
for Helsel’s winning kick.
Helsel had two earlier field-goal tries from similar range in the
fourth period, only to miss wide right from 31 yards with 5:20 left and having a
25-yard try blocked after a low snap from center with 3:25 remaining in
regulation. That opportunity came after a Bates fumble at its own 22.
Bates scored first on a 67-yard interception return by sophomore
Shawki White at 7:44 of the first period but Wesleyan came right back on its
next possession to march 63 yards for the tying TD, a two-yard run by senior
Phil Banks at 5:18. With just 40 seconds left in the second quarter, Wesleyan
QB junior Zach Librizzi capped a 10-play, 60-yard series by running in from a
yard out. He was initially stopped at the line of scrimmage but bounced out to
the right and found the endzone for a 14-7 Cardinal lead at halftime. Librizzi
came into the game as the NESCAC’s total yardage leader, averaging 217 yards a
contest. He added 279 yards in this game with 22 runs for 51 yards and 228
yards through the air, completing 17 of 43 attempts. Two Cardinal receivers had
more than 100 yards as sophomore Ryan Walsh had eight catches for 116 yards and
freshman Danny Granatell caught seven passes for 111 yards.
Bates evened the count on the last play of the third period as
junior QB Brandon Colon ran in from a yard out on second effort, completing a
10-play, 50-yard series.
This was the third overtime game between Wesleyan and Bates, the
first coming in 1999 won by Wesleyan, 36-29. Last year, Bates took a 30-29
decision in overtime. Statistical Summary of Wesleyan/Bates Game
Entering the game as the top defensive team for scoring in Division III with a
5.8 point-per-game figure, Amherst College held Wesleyan scoreless in a 23-0
victory for its fourth consecutive win over its Little Three rivals and 12th in
the last 13 years.
Jumping ahead 14-0 in the first quarter, Amherst took the opening
kickoff and scored just 2:14 into the contest, thanks to a 54-yard connection
from senior QB Nick Kehoe to top receiver senior Mark Hannon for a TD. Hannon
entered the game with 22 receptions in four games. On Wesleyan first
possession, Amherst junior DB Rob Grammar stepped in front of a junior QB Zach
Librizzi offering at the Wesleyan 38-yard line and raced down the left sideline
to put Amherst ahead by two touchdowns. That score came only 4:17 into the
period.
Amherst gave up only 182 yards of total offense to Wesleyan, under
its average of 197 yards coming in, which ranks 11th in NCAA Division III.
Wesleyan deepest penetration of the game came late in the first period when it
reached the Amherst 19-yard line but a fumble on a 4th-and-2 run turned the ball
over to Amherst at the 20.
Amherst added a third TD at 6:31 of the third period when Kehoe
again found Hannon, this time in the back left corner of the endzone from 22
yards out. Hannon finished the game with 11 catches for 98 yards and the two
scores. Kehoe completed 23 of 31 passes for 226 yards. He was intercepted
once. First-year placekicker Matt Eberhart added a 36-yard field goal at 12:51
of the fourth period for the game's final points.
Wesleyan got nine catches from sophomore Ryan Walsh as its offensive
highlight and grad student linebacker Quincy Francis led all tacklers with 16 on
the day.
Amherst improved to 4-1 on the season and hosts Tufts next week
while Wesleyan, now 2-3, plays winless Bowdoin in Middletown October 28. Statistical Summary of Wesleyan/Amherst Game
Wesleyan kept Bowdoin winless on the year with an 18-0 victory on a very sloppy
field..
With a portion of the field under water, the teams kept the play
limited to short passes and runs most of the afternoon. The Wesleyan defense,
led by the 10 tackles of junior linebacker Tim O'Callaghan, held Bowdoin to nine
first downs and 171 total yards. Bowdoin deepest penetration of the game was
the Wesleyan five-yard line late in the second quarter with the score 8-0 in
favor of Wesleyan, But the Polar Bears failed to convert on 4th-and-3 from that
point as a pass to the endzone was incomplete. The drive was the only one
mounted by Bowdoin all day as the Polar Bears consumed 7:10 and ran 14 plays for
63 yards. Bowdoin's other eight possessions ended in five punts and three
fumbles. Despite the conditions, Wesleyan did not have a turnover.
Wesleyan got a pair of rushing TDs from senior Phil Banks as he
bolted in from five-yard out to cap an 11-play, 69-yard first-quarter march.
The extra point was missed. Wesleyan was forced to punt on its next possession
but it turned into an offensive weapon as junior AJ Taucher launched a 48-yarder
which the Cardinals downed at the two-yard line. Two plays later, senior
outside linebacker Brian Mahr caught junior running back Jeff Smith in the
endzone for a safety.
The Cardinals added a 31-yard sophomore Chris Helsel field goal to
make it 11-0 at 10:12 of the third quarter and a one-yard plunge by Banks at
9:31 of the fourth made it 18-0. Banks finished the day with 24 carries for 69
yards. Wesleyan junior QB Zach Librizzi ran the ball 18 times for 34 yards
while passing for 121 on 15-of-26. Sophomore Ryan Walsh had seven receptions
for 70 yards.
Bowdoin QB freshman Oliver Kell completed 11 of 22 for 90 yards and
ran 11 times for 35 yards. Smith ended the game with 17 rushes for 46 yards.
Bowdoin had a pair of players with 12 tackles to pace the defense - senior Dave
Donahue and freshman Tyler Tennent.
This was Bowdoin's fourth shutout loss of the year and the second
shutout of the season for Wesleyan, which defeated Hamilton 7-0 Sept. 30. The
last Wesleyan team to post two shutouts in a season was the 1980 squad.
Wesleyan also celebrated the 125th birthday of its football field,
Andrus Field, the oldest continuously used collegiate football field in the
country, which was the site of Wesleyan first collegiate contest October 31,
1881 vs. the Amherst Aggies (now UMass Amherst). Statistical Summary of Wesleyan/Bowdoin Game
Williams jumped out to a
28-0 edge in the first quarter and held a 42-7 lead at halftime en route to a
51-21 Little Three win over Wesleyan in Williamstown, setting up a showdown for
the 2006 Little Title at Amherst (5-2, 1-0) in Amherst Nov. 11. Williams
remained in first place in the NESCAC with a perfect 7-0 record and was ranked
first in New England Division III to start the week.
Williams struck for a TD on just four plays on its
opening possession, highlighted by an 83-yard connection from junior QB Pat
Lucey (11-of-14, 199 yards) to senior Jon Drenckhahn to the Wesleyan four-yard
line. From there, Lucey hit sophomore Ryan Powell for the TD. Drenckhahn
caught his own TD pass of 23 yards at 4:46, coming from senior Brendan Fulmer
after he got a lateral from Lucey. Just 46 seconds later, Williams sophomore
Sean Milano picked off a Wesleyan pass at the Wesleyan 43-yard line and raced up
the right sideline to the endzone to make it 21-0. A Wesleyan fumble at the
21-yard line on the next possession led to a 20-yard connection from Lucey to
senior Jim O’Leary for a 28-0 Williams lead.
Lucey saw little action after that and senior QB Sean
Gleeson added a 17-yard strike to O’Leary for a 35-0 Williams bulge at 13:44 of
the second quarter. Wesleyan scored three of the final five TDs, two on short
runs by senior Phil Banks and one on a 16-yard catch of a senior Zach Canter
pass by freshman Danny Granatell,
who led all receivers in the game with eight for 73 yards. The TDs by Banks
upped his season total to seven and 21 in his four-year career.
Wesleyan linebackers Quincy Francis, a grad student,
and Tim O’Callaghan each had nine tackles to lead in that department while
senior Brian Mahr had six, two for a loss. Statistical Summary of Wesleyan/Williams Game
After stumbling a bit on its opening two
possessions, Trinity College got to work for a 27-0 halftime lead and added a
pair of second half scores for a 41-0 victory over Wesleyan University in the
season finale for both squads. It was the sixth win in a row for the Bantams
after having their 31-game win streak snapped by Williams back on Sept. 30, and
gave Trinity a 7-1 final record. Wesleyan fell to 3-5 on the year and has lost
six straight to Trinity since last winning in Middletown in 2000.
A quick reversal of fortune early in the game set the tone as
Wesleyan held Trinity on its first two possessions, forcing punts. When Trinity
junior punter Jeff Pratt saw Wesleyan grad student Quincy Francis barreling in
on him, he tucked the ball away and was thrown down by Francis at the Trinity
eight-yard line, where Wesleyan took over. On the next play, Trinity sophomore
Tyler Berry tipped a junior Zach Librizzi pass to the endzone into the hands of
his teammate senior Matt Soules, who returned the interception to the Trinity
15-yard line. From there, the Bantams went on an 85-yard march on 11 plays with
62 of the yards coming on passes from sophomore Eric McGrath to junior Justin
Holiday for 39 yards and 23 yards. McGrath did the honors on the TD, skipping
through the middle on a QB draw from nine yards out. McGrath ended the game
with 25 completions on 41 attempts for 262 yards. Holiday led all receivers
with six catches for 98 yards while also scoring Trinity's third TD on a 17-yard
strike from McGrath at 11:10 of the second quarter. That capped a streak of
three straight possessions for TDs as Trinity went 84 yards on 16 plays for a
14-0 lead at 14:28 of the second period.. Senior Gennaro Leo ended the drive
with a three-yard run for his ninth TD of the season. He finished the game with
20 carries for 82 yards and also threw a third-quarter TD pass to McGrath of six
yards on a fake sweep to the right and throw back to the left. Gennaro led the
NESCAC in rushing this season with 872 yards, an average of 109 yards a game.
Trinity senior placekicker Kevin Swiniarski had a pair of field
goals, covering 23 and 27 yards in the second quarter, to up his career total to
22, a Trinity team record.
Trinity scored its final TD on a five-yard pass from McGrath to
senior Joe Clark late in the third period.
Wesleyan's Quincy Francis led all tacklers in the game with 12 as he
finished the season with a NESCAC-best 86 tackles to average 10.8 tackles a
game. Tyler Berry had eight tackles to lead Trinity and two of his team's six
interceptions on the day. Statistical Summary of Wesleyan/Trinity Game
