Logo: Wesleyan Athletics

at Wesleyan 20, Colby 13

Saturday, October 4, 1997 at Middletown, Conn.

Game Notes:

Holding Colby scoreless in the second half while scoring 14 points of its own, Wesleyan rallied for a 20-13 win to extend its record to 3-0 on the year. Colby fell to 0-3 on the season.

Behind the passing of QB Jake Fay, who completed 15 of 20 tosses for 244 yards and a pair of TDs, Wesleyan overcame a 13-6 halftime deficit, tying the game with 12 seconds remaining in the third quarter on an 18-yard pass from Fay to fullback John Pascucci. That TD was set up when Colby punter Matt Smith couldn't handle a snap and ended up throwing an incompletion, giving Wesleyan the ball at the Colby 38. Pascucci, a junior who moved within one rushing TD of the all-time Wesleyan record with the 18th TD of his career on the ground, scored the game-winner on a 10-yard gallop with 11:42 to play. That completed a 54-yard drive and helped Pascucci pick up his third straight 100-yard rushing game as he amassed 117 yards on 18 carries.

After Wesleyan appeared to be going in for a game-clinching TD with four minutes to play, Colby recovered a Wesleyan fumble at the one-yard line. Though Colby was forced to punt, Nathan Bradley got off an 81-yard kick, then held Wesleyan to get the ball back at its own 39 with 1:32 to go. Bradley, also the QB, completed a crucial 4th-and-15 pass to Brian DiBello for 28 yards to keep Colby's hopes alive. Colby eventually reached the Wesleyan 10-yard line with 20 seconds to play, but tried a draw play that was stuffed at the nine-yard line as time ran out.

Bradley completed 18 of 36 passes for 200 yards and a TD, that of eight yards to Don Gage 15 seconds before halftime, to lead Colby.

Colby's opening score came on a 22-yard end-around reverse by Miguel Gonzalez with five minutes to go in the second quarter.


SCORING SUMMARY 

1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr - Total
Colby (0-3) 0 13 0 0 - 13
Wesleyan (3-0) 0 6 7 7 - 20

1st Quarter 
No scoring

2nd Quarter 
Colby - Miguel Gonzalez 22 run (kick failed) 5:04 (3-play, 55-yard drive)
Wesleyan - Nate Moore 39 pass from Jake Fay (bad snap - no kick) 2:38 (5-play, 61-yard drive)
Colby - Don Gage 8 pass from Nathan Bradley (Andrew Tripp kick) 0:15 (6-play, 80-yard drive)

3rd Quarter
Wesleyan - John Pascucci 18 pass from Jake Fay (Ben Kozik kick) 0:12 (4-play, 38-yard drive)

4th Quarter
Wesleyan - John Pascucci 10 run (Ben Kozik kick) 11:42 (6-play, 46-yard drive)

TEAM STATISTICS 
WESLEYAN COLBY
First Downs (Run-Pass-Penalty) 17 (6-10-1) 16 (8-7-1)
Rushing Attempts 32 32
Positive Yards Rushing 149 155
Negative Yards Rushing 53 25
Net Total Yards Rushing 96 130
Net Total Yards Passing 244 200
Passes Attempted-Completed-Intercepted 30-15-1 37-18-0
Total Offensive Plays 62 69
Total Net Yards 340 330
Average Gain Per Play 5.5 4.8
Penalties: Number-Yards 7-45 6-46
Fumbles: Number-Lost 1-1 1-0
Interceptions By: Number-Yards 0-0 1-9
Punts: Number-Yards-Average 7-311-44.4 10-379-37.9
Punt Returns: Number-Yards 2-15 4-27
Kickoff Returns: Number-Yards 3-43 2-31
Fumble Returns: Number-Yards 0-0 0-0
Time of Possession 30:42 29:18
Third-Down Conversions 4 of 13 3 of 15
Fourth-Down Conversions 0 of 1 1 of 1
Sacks by: Number-Yards 3-19 4-31

 


INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: Colby - Tom Keblin, 13-68; Don Gage, 9-33; Brian Souza, 6-26; Miguel Gonzalez, 1-22, 1 TD; Nathan Bradley, 3-(-19). Wesleyan - John Pascucci, 18-117, 1 TD; Tom Themistocles, 7-15; Jake Fay, 7-(-36).

PASSING: Colby - Nathan Bradley, 36-18-0, 200 yards, 2 TD; Matt Smith, 1-0-0. Wesleyan - Jake Fay, 30-15-1, 244 yards, 2 TDs.

RECEIVING: Colby - Don Gage, 5-68, 1 TD; Miguel Gonzalez, 3-37; Adam Rolewicz, 3-5; Brian DiBello, 2-36; David McGeehan, 2-28; Chris Ryan, 1-13; Tom Keblin, 1-7; Brian Souza, 1-6. Wesleyan- Nate Moore, 5-108, 1 TD; Matt Perceval, 5-82; John Pascucci, 3-31, 1 TD; Henry Wasserman, 1-12; Mark Olschefskie, 1-11.

PUNTING: Colby - Matt Smith, 7-246, 35.1 average; Nathan Bradley, 3-143, 47.7 average. Wesleyan - Rob Stager, 7-311, 44.4 average.

Attendance: 2,400