MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – In another epic dual between Little 3 rivals, it was the visiting Mammoths that spoiled the Cardinals' Homecoming in a rain-soaked affair as Amherst scored the game-tying touchdown with 23 seconds left in regulation and punched home the winning two-point conversion in the fourth overtime to leave Corwin Stadium with a thrilling 16-14 victory. Wesleyan (6-1) sees its six-game unbeaten streak to start the season snapped while Amherst (5-2) has now won two straight.

A disappointing result for the home side, Wesleyan held a 14-0 halftime lead and appeared in complete control as DB Corey Fausto '22 intercepted Amherst QB Brad Breckenridge on a 4^th-and-3 play in Wesleyan territory that gave the Cardinal offense the ball back leading 14-7 with 3:37 remaining. Looking to come through in the clutch once more this season, Wesleyan took a costly personal foul penalty that stalled a potential game-ending drive.

Punting the ball back to Amherst, the Mammoths took over at their own 43-yard line with 2:46 left. On the first play of the ensuing drive, Breckenridge found Joe Masterson open down the right sideline for a 40-yard gain, setting Amherst up inside the Wesleyan red zone. Three plays later, the Wesleyan defense had held the Mammoths and it was 4^th-and-1 with 36 seconds left but Louie Eckelkamp carried for a big two-yard gain to give Amherst the ball, 1^st-and-goal from the 6-yard line. On that 1^st-and-goal play, it was Breckenridge lofting a pass to PJ Clementi in the back of the end zone, silencing the home crowd and sending the game into OT.

In the first overtime period, Wesleyan drove deep inside Amherst territory and on a 4^th-and-goal play from the 1-yard line, the Cardinal offense stayed on the field and QB David Estevez '22 wasn't able to compete his pass attempt into the end zone, giving Amherst the ball back with a chance to win with any score.

With the pressure cranked up, Wesleyan's defense needed to make a big stop and they did just that as Danny Banks '22 stole a would-be game-ending TD away from a Mammoth receiver, fighting the ball away from the Amherst player in the end zone for an interception, sending the game into a second overtime.

Amherst had the ball first this time and a big 2^nd-and-10 sack from Isaiah Miller '22 and Jackson Eighmy '22 put Amherst out of field goal range and with no points to show on their possession, Wesleyan took over with a chance to win on any score.
This time it was the Mammoth defense that came up with a huge INT as Estevez rolled to his right and his throw down the right sideline was picked off by Ricky Goodson as this epic dual went into a third overtime period.

With the new NCAA rule starting this season, each overtime period sees the two teams each have one play to score on a two-point conversion play. Wesleyan had first crack at scoring and an Estevez rush off tackle to the left was stuffed at the line of scrimmage. Then Amherst was unsuccessful as Breckenridge's pass was incomplete, sending the game into a fourth overtime.

On the next play, Amherst was up first and Breckenridge this time was successful as he fumbled the shotgun snap but was able to recover in time, dodge a couple Wesleyan defenders and find Carson Ochsenhirt open just over the goal line to put the pressure on the Cardinals to match the score. Needing a successful conversion to extend the game, Estevez lofted a fade in the left corner of the end zone that was picked off by Goodson again, giving Amherst the thrilling 4OT victory.

In a game largely dominated by the Wesleyan offense, the Cardinals were done in by penalties as Wes was whistled for 12 penalties for a total of 104 yards. Amherst, meanwhile, was nearly flawless as the Mammoths had one penalty all game for five yards. This 99-yard difference in penalty yardage helped Amherst overcome Wesleyan's 350-263 advantage in total yards on offense, 182 of which was gained on the ground for the Cardinals.

RB Charlie McPhee '22 was eight yards short of the 100-yard mark, finishing game with 92 rushing yards on 15 carries with 2 total TD (1 rushing, 1 receiving). McPhee added two catches for 20 yards to give him 112 combined yards for the day.
Estevez finished 16-for-26 for 160 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT while he picked up 79 yards on 21 carries on the ground. For the season, Estevez hit the 1000-yard passing mark in today's loss as he has 1092 passing yards through seven games to go along with 649 rushing yards (2^nd most in the NESCAC).

Wesleyan's defense played very well for most of the game, generating a season-high five sacks as Miller posted a career-high 2.5 sacks with 3 tackles for loss and eight total tackles, a season-high for the senior linebacker. Eighmy added two sacks, his second two-sack game of the season. He now has a team-leading 4.5 sacks on the season. DL Nick Helbig '23 was a problem for Amherst to deal with in the middle of the line all game, as the sophomore tied his career-high with eight tackles while adding 1.5 TFL. Fausto's INT was the first of his career while Banks' pick is his third in 2021 and the eight of his career.

In a game that featured brutal weather conditions, neither side was able to generate any offense in the early going as each side punted four straight times to start the game as the first points weren't scored until late in the second quarter. Minutes after Wesleyan came away empty-handed on a 15-play, 60-yard drive that ended in a punt deep in Amherst territory, the Cardinals were able to strike first as Estevez found WR Logan Tomlinson '23 for gains of 19 and 20 yards, setting the Cardinals up with 1^st-and-goal from the 1-yard line. It took two attempts but McPhee was able to punch it in on an inside handoff, giving Wesleyan a 7-0 lead with 3:21 left in the first half.

After forcing an Amherst three-and-out, Wesleyan took the ball back with 2:03 left in the second quarter looking to prolong the momentum. Estevez was brilliant on another TD-scoring drive, finding WR Thomas Elkhoury '24 for 12 to get the drive started and then rushing for 13 and again hooking up with Elkhoury for a gain of 22 to put Wesleyan in the red zone. After finding Tomlinson for 12 yards, Estevez hit McPhee with a swing pass to the near side and the Cardinal running back did the rest, scoring to make it 14-0 at the half.

With all the momentum on Wesleyan's side, Amherst took advantage of the halftime break and came out with a huge 3^rd-and-10 conversion before Breckenridge found Clementi for 44 yards, taking the ball inside the Wesleyan 10-yard line. On the very next play, Ochsenhirt took the ball and passed to the far corner where Turner Garland hauled in a 9-yard TD and suddenly it was a 14-7 game.

Amherst was threatening to tie the score late in the third quarter as the Mammoths had the ball 1^st-and-10 at the Wesleyan 12-yard line, but two plays later, Miller came up with a huge sack that forced Amherst into a 38-yard FG attempt that was pushed wide left by Conor Kennelly, preserving Wesleyan's 7-point lead.

Wesleyan used that FG miss and marched 50 yards down the field on 14 plays but a costly false start made what was a 3^rd-and-2 play from the Amherst 27-yard line into a 3^rd-and-7. Estevez then carried for 3 but on the 4^th-and-4 play, he was forced out of the pocket and unable to find an open receiver as the Cardinals weren't able to make it a two-score game, setting the stage for a thrilling finish that saw Amherst come away victorious.

Wesleyan needs to regroup and prepare for another huge game next week as the Cardinals (6-1) head to fellow Little 3 rival Williams (7-0) who just blew out previously unbeaten Trinity 42-3 this afternoon. Saturday's game at Williams will kickoff at 1 PM.