In a matchup that has all the makings of one of the best all season, the setting is certainly appropriate as Wesleyan and Tufts will do battle under the bright lights of Corwin Stadium at Andrus Field on Saturday night.

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• 2021 RECAP (Wesleyan 36, Tufts 35)

In what is already a very lively fixture in recent seasons, Saturday certainly shapes up to be another one. Wesleyan comes into this contest as the highest-scoring team in the NESCAC (32.8 points per game), followed closely by Tufts who feature the league's second-highest scoring offense at 29.5 points per game. Team defense is much the same as Wesleyan has allowed the third-fewest points (15.5 per game) while the Jumbos are fourth-best (18.5) through four games.
 
The Wesleyan-Tufts rivalry has provided all sorts of sparks in recent memory as the final score has been decided by one score or less in each of the past five meetings. Last season saw the Cardinals hang on for a 36-35 win wherein Wesleyan marched 93 yards down the field in 13 plays to score the go-ahead TD with just under five minutes remaining. After forcing a Tufts three-and-out, Wesleyan iced the game away on offense, converting a big 3^rd-and-6 play to cross midfield and later finishing the game off with a 4^th-down conversion as the Jumbos never got the ball back.
 
The last two times these two sides met in Middletown both were instant classics as the 2019 version saw Wesleyan drive down the field late in the fourth with the game tied at 13 apiece, before Ashton Scott '22 found Matt Simco '22 for a 29-yard touchdown with just six seconds left that won it for the Cardinals, 20-13. And in 2017, with Wesleyan trailing 17-3 with 13:26 left in the fourth, the Cardinals scored a pair of touchdowns including one with six seconds left to tie the score and send it into overtime. In the OT, Wesleyan cashed in with a TD two plays into their possession while an interception on the Tufts possession sent the home faithful home in hysterics.
 
If history is any indication, the 2022 version shapes up to be yet another thriller as both teams come in having played at their best in recent weeks. Wesleyan has scored 80 points in the last two games, both lopsided wins at Hamilton (49-14) and home against Colby (31-14). Tufts, meanwhile, has won three straight after a tight 26-23 week 1 loss to undefeated Trinity. The Jumbos started the win streak with a 35-7 win at Bates, followed by a 35-28 win at Williams before defeating Bowdoin 31-13 last week at home. Scoring 30+ points three straight weeks now, Tufts is firing on all cylinders coming into a week 5 matchup in Middletown.
 
Both teams rely heavily on the passing game as the two sides rank first and second in terms of passing yards per game this season. Tufts is averaging 320 passing yards per game, the only team in the NESCAC averaging 300+/game, as the Cardinals rank second in the NESCAC at 288/game. Michael Berluti is putting together a Player of the Year worthy season thus far, as the sophomore signal caller has thrown for 1,255 yards with 10 TD and 2 INT while completing 72.9 percent of his 118 pass attempts which ranks seventh-best in the nation. Berluti's top targets this season are both high on the national leaderboard as WR Phil Lutz is currently fourth in the nation in both receiving yards per game (135.2) and receptions per game (8.2). WR Jaden Richardson is having a great season in his own right, putting up 18 catches for 357 yards and 5 TD through four games.
 
Countering what is a lethal Tufts passing game is the Wesleyan defense, which heads into this showdown ranking second-best in the NESCAC in total yards allowed (256.8 per game) and passing yards allowed (195.3). The Cardinal pass rush figures to be a major key to success in this one as Wesleyan comes in with the most sacks in the NESCAC (11) against a Tufts offensive line that has only allowed six sacks all season.
 
On the other side the ball, Wesleyan will look control the game from the opening series as the Cardinals have outscored their opponents 66-3 in the first halves of the last two games. Wesleyan features four players who have at least 22 carries on the season while the Cardinals welcomed back RB Charlie McPhee '22 in last week's win over Colby after the senior missed the first three weeks of the season with an injury. The deep stable of ball carriers has paid dividends as the Cardinals rank third in the NESCAC in rushing offense (128.8 per game).
 
The Tufts defense is a balanced unit that doesn't feature individual standouts. Rather, the Jumbos' reliance on a team approach has paid off thus far, with Tufts ranking fourth-best in the NESCAC in terms of points allowed per game (18.5). Tufts doesn't feature a single player ranked in the Top 15 of the NESCAC leaderboard in tackles, tackles for loss, sacks or pass breakups.
 
The winner of this contests catapults right into the mix in terms of the NESCAC title hunt as the two remaining unbeaten teams left in the conference (Middlebury and Trinity) are set to meet in Vermont on Saturday.