Logo: Wesleyan Athletics

Amherst 9, at Wesleyan 7

Saturday, October 21, 2000 at Middletown, Conn.

Game Notes:

Scoring all of its points on special teams with a 68-yard punt return for a TD from Derrell Wright with 5:04 to play in the second quarter and a blocked punt by David Frankel which traveled out of the endzone with 31 seconds to go in the half for a safety, Amherst held on for a 9-7 victory over Wesleyan here this afternoon. Improving to 4-1, Amherst stayed among the teams tied for the lead in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC). Wesleyan dropped to 3-2. It was the seventh consecutive win for Amherst over Wesleyan, going back to 1994.

Wright scored Amherst's only TD of the contest when he scooped up a driving punt by Wesleyan's Mark Olschefskie and burst up the left sideline 68 yards for the score. It was the first time since 1994 that a punt was returned for a TD against Wesleyan. Amherst added to its lead with what proved to be the winning points when Dave Frankel got through the line and blocked an Olschefskie punt from the Wesleyan 15-yard line. When the ball rolled out of the back of the endzone, the score moved to 9-0 for Amherst. It was only the second time in the last three seasons that Wesleyan has had a punt blocked, spanning 110 kicks by Olschefskie.

Wesleyan got on the board when QB Brennan Carney (23 for 45, 206 yards) hit George Thompson right in stride as he broke behind the Amherst defense for a 60-yard TD pass with 5:18 remaining in the third quarter, Thompson finished the game with six catches for 112 yards.

Wesleyan forced a fumble near midfield on Amherst's next possession but just let the loose ball get away as Amherst lineman Josh Ahearn made the key recovery.

Wesleyan outgained Amherst, 271 yards to 184 yards, in the game but could not convert on its early scoring chances, twice moving inside the Amherst 15, but coming up empty as two 30-yard field goal tries were missed in the first half. Amherst also held on a crucial 4th-and-1 play when Wesleyan running back Ronnie Jacobs (25 carries for 87 yards) was stopped inches short of a first down at the Amherst 44-yard line in the final minute of the third quarter.


SCORING SUMMARY 

1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr - Total
Amherst (4-1) 0 9 0 0 - 9
Wesleyan (3-2) 0 0 7 0 - 7

2nd Quarter 
Amherst - Derrell Wright 68 punt return (Liam Fleming kick) 5:04 
Amherst - Safety (punt blocked out of endzone) :31 
3rd Quarter 
Wesleyan - George Thompson 60 pass from Brennan Carney (James Maund kick) 5:18 

TEAM STATISTICS 
AMHERST WESLEYAN
First Downs (Run-Pass-/Penalty) 9 (6-2-1) 16 (6-8-2)
Rushing Attempts 43 30
Positive Yards Rushing 141 91
Negative Yards Rushing 22 26
Net Total Yards Rushing 119 65
Net Total Yards Passing 65 206
Passes Attempted-Completed-Intercepted 17-6-1 46-23-2
Total Offensive Plays 60 76
Total Net Yards 184 271
Average Gain Per Play 3.1 3.6
Penalties: Number-Yards 6-58 7-66
Fumbles: Number-Lost 1-0 2-1
Interceptions By: Number-Yards 2-0 1-0
Punts: Number-Yards-Average 11-407-37.0 7-258-36.9
Punt Returns: Number-Yards 6-126 5-32
Kickoff Returns: Number-Yards 2-33 3-75
Fumble Returns: Number-Yards 0-0 0-0
Time of Possession 28:52 31:08
Third-Down Conversions 2 of 15 6 of 19
Fourth-Down Conversions 1 of 2 0 of 3
Sacks by: Number-Yards 4-23 2-3

 


INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS 

RUSHING: 
Amherst - Okey Ogwonali, 22-57 ; Kevin Kennard, 9-32 ; Peter Honig, 9-25 ; Derrell Wright, 3-5.Wesleyan - Ronnie Jacobs, 25-87 ; Brennan Carney, 5-(-22).

PASSING: 
Amherst- Peter Honig, 17-6-1, 65 yards. Wesleyan - Brennan Carney, 45-23-2, 206 yards, 1 TD ; George Thompson, 1-0-0. 

RECEIVING: 
Amherst - Jerimy Hiltner, 3-47 ; Jeff Ryan, 2-15; Derrell Wright, 1-3.Wesleyan - George Thompson, 6-112, 1 TD ; Larry Woolard, 6-33 ; Pat Moffett, 4-19 ; Ronnie Jacobs, 4-13 ; Todd Themistocles, 3-29. 

PUNTING: 
Amherst - Geoff Bough, 10-389, 38.9 average ; Liam Fleming, 1-18, 18.0 average.. Wesleyan - Mark Olschefskie, 6-258, 43.0 average ; Team, 1-0.

ATTENDANCE: 6,500