Logo: Wesleyan Athletics

Wesleyan 31, at Colby 28

Saturday, October 5, 1996 at Waterville, Maine

GAME NOTES

Behind the quarterbacking of Jake Fay, who earned both ECAC New England Division III rookie of the week and NESCAC freshman of the week honors for his performance, Wesleyan captured a see-saw battle over Colby, winning in Waterville for the first time since 1983. The Cardinals had lost their last four times in Waterville (1994, 1992, 1991, and 1989). All three of Wesleyan's games so far in the season were decided by three points or fewer.

After Colby appeared to be driving toward a possible clinching score with four minutes to go, moving to the Wesleyan 25-yard line, the Cardinals' Ross Stafford recovered a Lawaun Curry fumble, his second of the game. Curry had lost the ball on the day's opening play from scrimmage inside his own 30 with Stafford coming up with the loose ball, but Wesleyan failed to capitalize on the first miscue. This time, moving from its own 22 on 14 plays, Wesleyan got the game-winning score on a 4th-and-10 pass from Fay to wide receiver Mike Hakim, covering 12 yards to the goal line with 44 seconds to play. Wesleyan had trailed 28-25 at the time.

Colby did cross midfield after the ensuing kickoff, but on 2nd-and-10 from the Wesleyan 40 with nine seconds to go and no timeouts remaining, Colby tried one last-ditch play, but QB P.J. Matson was thrown down by defensive tackle Rome Riddick to end the game. It was Riddick's second sack of the game.

Fay, who completed 19 of 37 passes for 288 yards and three TDs while also rushing five times for 14 yards, including a one-yard QB sneak for a TD, accounted for 62 of the 78 yards by completing four passes for 47 yards and rushing twice for 15 yards. The other 16 yards came from a six-yard Tom Themistocles run and a 10-yard pass-interference penalty.

Neither team led by more than seven points at any time in the contest as Wesleyan had the only consecutive scores, those coming in the second quarter en route to a 19-13 halftime edge. Wesleyan tied the game at 13-13 on a solid 80-yard march in nine plays, then held Colby deep, forcing a punt. From there, Wesleyan went 42 yards quickly, most of them coming on a 34-yarder from Fay to Henry Wasserman. John Pascucci got the final yard in the lat minute of the half for the six-point lead.

SCORING SUMMARY 

1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr - Total
Wesleyan (2-1) 0 19 6 6 - 31
Colby (0-3) 7 6 7 8 - 7

1st Quarter 
Colby - Don Gage 8 pass from P.J. Matson (Jerrod DeShaw kick) 3:26 (12-play, 72-yard drive) 

2nd Quarter 
Wesleyan - Henry Wasserman 43 pass from Jake Fay (kick failed) 12:13 (3-play, 56-yard drive)
Colby - Jerrod DeShaw 26 pass from P.J. Matson (kick failed) 9:14 (6-play, 58-yard drive)
Wesleyan - Jake Fay 1 run (Rob Stager kick) 2:35 (9-play, 80-yard drive)
Wesleyan - John Pascucci 1 run (kick failed) 0:36 (4-play, 42-yard drive) 

3rd Quarter 
Colby - Chris Sheehan 4 run (Jerrod DeShaw kick) 6:00 (5-play, 25-yard drive)
Wesleyan - Shane Doyle 11 pass from Jake Fay (run failed) 0:33 (11-play, 64-yard drive)

4th Quarter
Colby - P.J. Matson 1 run (P.J. Matson pass to Don Gage) 12:31 (7-play, 53-yard drive)
Wesleyan - Mike Hakim 12 pass from Jake Fay (kick failed) 0:44 (14-play, 78-yard drive) 

TEAM STATISTICS 
COLBY WESLEYAN
First Downs (Run-Pass-Penalty) 19 (6-12-1) 20 (8-11-1)
Rushing Attempts 45 35
Positive Yards Rushing 158 123
Negative Yards Rushing 21 10
Net Total Yards Rushing 137 113
Net Total Yards Passing 205 288
Passes Attempted-Completed-Intercepted 26-14-1 37-18-1
Total Offensive Plays 71 72
Total Net Yards 342 401
Average Gain Per Play 4.8 5.6
Penalties: Number-Yards 7-55 4-48
Fumbles: Number-Lost 3-2 2-1
Interceptions By: Number-Yards 1-12 1-0
Punts: Number-Yards-Average 3-107-35.7 3-97-32.3
Punt Returns: Number-Yards 1-3 1-6
Kickoff Returns: Number-Yards 5-104 5-86
Fumble Returns: Number-Yards   1-0 2-0
Time of Possession 29:34 30:26
Third-Down Conversions 9 of 14 8 of 15
Fourth-Down Conversions 0 of 2 1 of 2
Sacks by: Number-Yards   0-0 3-17

 


INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: Wesleyan - Tom Themistocles, 16-61; John Pascucci, 12-33, 1 TD; Jake Fay, 5-14, 1 TD; Nate Moore, 1-8; Team, 1-(-3). Colby - Chris Sheehan, 21-70, 1 TD; Lawaun Curry, 15-69; Don Gage, 4-13; P.J. Matson, 5-(-15), 1 TD.

PASSING: Wesleyan - Jake Fay, 37-20-1, 288 yards, 3 TDs. Colby - P.J. Matson, 26-14-1, 205 yards, 2 TDs.

RECEIVING: Wesleyan - Nate Moore, 4-61; Henry Wasserman, 3-85, 1 TD; Shane Doyle, 3-43, 1 TD; Tom Themistocles, 3-13; John Pascucci, 2-32; Mike Hakim, 2-20, 1 TD; Matt Perceval, 2-26; Jake Eighmy, 1-8. Colby - Chris Sheehan, 6-95; Jerrod DeShaw, 5-85, 1 TD; Don Gage, 2-14, 1 TD; Jon Hiltz, 1-11.

PUNTING: Wesleyan - Rob Stager, 3-97, 32.3 average. Colby - Nathan Bradley, 3-107, 35.7 average.

Attendance: 2,600