Logo: Wesleyan Athletics

at Wesleyan 21, Colby 19

Saturday, October 9, 1993 at Middletown, Conn.

Game Notes:

QB Troy Robinson rushed 18 times for 101 yards and scored two TDs while fullback Dave Cottrell collected 150 yards from 23 attempts and scored a TD to lead Wesleyan to a 21-19 victory over visiting Colby. The win upped Wesleyan's record to 3-0 on the season, while Colby dropped to 1-2.

Colby received a fine effort from its QB, Matt Mannering, who completed 20 of 41 passes for 268 yards while also rushing nine times for 38 yards and scoring one TD. Mannering hit eight different Colby players during the game, led by John Grady with five catches for 39 yards and Chris Fossella, who had four receptions for 74 yards.

But the one-two punch of Robinson and Cottrell powered Wesleyan for the third straight week. The game marked Cottrell's third 100-yard rushing effort of the three-game old season, the first time in known history a Wesleyan runner opened the season with three straight 100+ games. For the year, Cottrell had 425 yards on 77 rushes with four TDs at the time.

Colby overcame a 14-3 deficit in the second quarter on a two-yard run by Mannering with 2:57 left in the second period and a three-yard run by Mike Mullin with 12:46 to go, grabbing a 17-14 fourth-quarter edge.

But Wesleyan mounted a 10-play, 80-yard drive that featured a fake punt pass completion from Sean Downey to Eric Seigh on 4th-and-15 at the Wesleyan 15, good for 18 yards. Robinson completed the four-minute march with a 15-yard scamper to put Wesleyan ahead for good, 21-17.

Rick Wilson broke up a crucial 4th-down Colby pass from the Wesleyan 14 with 1:24 to play to preserve the win as Wesleyan conceded a safety with two seconds to go for the final margin.

Cottrell scored Wesleyan's first TD on a two-yard run at 8:29 after Wesleyan recovered a fumble at the Colby 20. Wesleyan led 14-3 in the second period after making the two-point conversion and yielding a 25-yard field goal to Colby's John Jordan while getting a 68-yard TD run from Robinson with 10:01 left in the half.


SCORING SUMMARY 

1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr - Total
Colby (1-2) 3 6 0 10 - 19
Wesleyan (3-0) 8 6 0 7 - 21

1st Quarter 
Wesleyan - Dave Cottrell 2 run (Matt Landolfi run) 8:29
Colby - John Jordan 25 field goal 3:13

2nd Quarter 
Wesleyan - Troy Robinson 68 run (kick failed) 10:01
Colby - Matt Mannering 2 run (kick failed) 2:57

3rd Quarter 
No scoring

4th Quarter
Colby - Mike Mullin 3 run (Matt Mannering pass to John Grady) 12:46
Wesleyan - Troy Robinson 15 run (Josh Stein kick) 3:50
Colby - Safety (Troy Robinson runs out of end zone) 0:02

TEAM STATISTICS 
COLBY WESLEYAN
First Downs (Run-Pass-Penalty) 23 (8-15-0) 17 (12-2-3)
Rushing Attempts 36 50
Positive Yards Rushing 171 321
Negative Yards Rushing 22 29
Net Total Yards Rushing 149 292
Net Total Yards Passing 268 79
Passes Attempted-Completed-Intercepted 41-20-2 16-8-0
Total Offensive Plays 77 66
Total Net Yards 416 371
Average Gain Per Play 5.4 5.6
Penalties: Number-Yards 6-78 15-97
Fumbles: Number-Lost 3-2 5-2
Interceptions By: Number-Yards 0-0 2-5
Punts: Number-Yards-Average 2-53-26.5 5-134-26.8
Punt Returns: Number-Yards 2-14 1-0
Kickoff Returns: Number-Yards 4-62 4-71
Time of Possession 28:18 31:42
Sacks by: Number-Yards 4-13 2-15

 


INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: Colby - Mike Mullin, 9-50, 1 TD; Lawaun Curry, 10-41; Matt Mannering, 9-38, 1 TD; Matt Morrissey, 1-15; John Parker, 7-5. Wesleyan - Dave Cottrell, 23-15-0, 1 TD; Troy Robinson, 18-101, 2 TDs; Jermaine Lawrence, 5-25; Frank Truslow, 2-14; Jason Cooper, 2-2.

PASSING: Colby - Matt Mannering, 41-20-2, 268 yards. Wesleyan - Troy Robinson, 14-7-0, 61 yards; Sean Downey, 2-1-0, 18 yards.

RECEIVING: Colby - John Grady, 5-39; Chris Fossella, 4-74; Matt Morrissey, 2-39; Brett Nardini, 2-34; Tyler Rainey, 2-29; John Parker, 2-16; Lawaun Curry, 2-13; Mike Mullin, 1-24. Wesleyan - James Yaker, 2-36; Frank Truslow, 2-1; Eric Seigh, 1-18; Jeff Wilner, 1-10; Rick Farwell, 1-7; Jermaine Lawrence, 1-7.

PUNTING: Colby - Matt Morrissey, 2-53, 26.5 average. Wesleyan - Sean Downey, 4-134, 33.5 average; Team, 1-0.

Attendance: 3,200