In the only matchup featuring two teams with winning records in the NESCAC this week, Wesleyan (2-1) is set to host Colby (2-1) with big rest-of-season implications on the line. If either squad has a chance at a NESCAC title, a loss in this matchup would be detrimental to those chances with both Trinity and Middlebury sitting at 3-0 atop the league standings.
Wesleyan is coming off a giant bounce-back performance last Saturday, shaking off a week 2 road loss to the Panthers with a dominating 49-14 win at Hamilton. In that contest, Wesleyan scored 35 unanswered points to start the game, scoring a touchdown on all five of their first possessions of the game, while forcing the Continentals into three-and-outs on each of their first five drives.
The 49 points is the most Wesleyan has scored in a game since defeating Middlebury 52-21 at home in week 1 of the 2018 season. In addition, it also represented the highest point total by the Cardinals in a road game since trouncing Williams 59-14 in Williamstown back in week 7 of the 2016 campaign.
The Cardinals dominated across the board, outgaining Hamilton 464-251 in total offense including a 189-55 disparity in rushing yards. The Cardinals produced 26 first downs compared to 12 for the Continentals while Wesleyan finished the game going 11-for-14 on third down conversions. Hamilton was held to a 4-for-15 showing on third downs in the lobsided affair.
David Estevez '22 returned to his All-NESCAC form, accounting for 3 TD, throwing for 142 through the air and rushing for 61 in one half of work, as the Cardinals played their second and third units for most of the second half at Hamilton. WRs
Chase Wilson '25 (seven catches, 108 yards, 2 TD) and
Logan Tomlinson '22 (eight catches, 75 yards, 2 TD) formed a lethal 1-2 punch, combining for 15 receptions for 183 yards and 4 TD.
Through three games, Wesleyan's offense has put up 100 points, including two games of 40+ points. Overall, the Cardinals are averaging 33.3 points per contest which ranks first in the NESCAC. In terms of total offense, Wesleyan is first in the NESCAC by a wide margin, as the Cardinals average 440 yards per game while the second-place team (Tufts) averages just north of 400 at 402.7. Wesleyan's defense is nothing to scoff at either, allowing just 16 points and 279.3 yards per game, both sit third-best in the NESCAC.
Wesleyan's passing attack continues to produce at an elite clip, averaging 305 yards per game, the Cardinals sit right behind Tufts at second-best in the conference. The Cardinals have thrown for at least 275 yards in all three games this season and lead the league with 9 passing TD.
The ground game got going in Saturday's big win, posting a season-high 189 yards in 39 attempts (4.8 yards per rush) with 3 rushing TD. Estevez was the team's leading rusher with 61 yards on seven carries while three RBs (
Kellan Walker '25,
Aidan McDonald '26 and
Owen Brickley '23) each tallied at least 34 yards rushing to help account for the 189 ground yards.
A big matchup to watch on Saturday against the Mules is when Colby drops back to pass. Through three games, Colby has allowed just one sack, the fewest of any team in the NESCAC, while the Cardinal defense leads the league with eight sacks this season. DL
Nick Helbig '23 has five of those eight sacks, as the reigning NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year leads the NESCAC in that category by a wide margin one-third of the way through the season. CB
Danny Banks '22 is one of four players in the NESCAC with two interceptions this season, as the playmaking defensive back has 13 career INT in 29 career games as a Cardinal.
Colby become one of the more dangerous teams in the NESCAC, dating back to last season wherein the Mules finished 4-5 overall but won three of their final five games including an impressive 28-14 win over Middlebury in week 5 of 2021. So far this season, Colby has continued their upward trajectory as the Mules are 2-1 for the first time since 2008.
After a 23-year stint as head coach at the University of Maine that included 129 career wins (most in school history), Colby's Jack Cosgrove has reignited the program in what is now his fourth season as head coach of the Mules. The 2022 season features wins over Williams (24-14) and Bates (38-17) while the Mules gave undefeated Trinity a test in Hartford, falling 19-7 in week 2. The 24-14 season-opening home win over the Ephs was particularly impressive as Williams won the NESCAC Championship, going 9-0 in 2021, while defeating the Mules 42-0 last season.
As a team, Colby comes in averaging 23 points per game (3
rd-best in NESCAC) but are only averaging 268.3 total yards of offense per game which is seventh-best in the NESCAC. Colby's defense has been solid all year, holding all three of their opponents thus far to under 20 points while the Mules have six interceptions as a team (most in the NESCAC). Colby is also the least-penalized team in the NESCAC, as the Mules incredibly have been flagged just nine total times through three games, easily the fewest in the league.
RB Keon Smart is a player to watch for the Mules as he is the go-to back, totaling double-digit carries in all three games this season for 215 total rushing yards. QB Matt Hersch is a senior and very experienced, having played in 30 career games. His season totals thus far are 458 yards with a 56.9 completion percentage, 4 TD and 2 INT. Hersch has also ran in 4 TD, sitting tied with four others for the most total TD in the NESCAC with eight on the season. WR Jack Sawyer leads the Mules in both catches (nine) and yards (172) while he is coming off a big four-catch, 104-yard effort with 1 TD in last week's 38-17 win over Bates.
On defense, sophomore LB Julian Young is one of the best in the NESCAC, as he comes in leading the conference with 34 total tackles (17 solo) through three games. LB Luke D'Aloia is a play-maker at the other linebacker spot, coming in with 3 TFL, 1 sack, 1 INT and 18 tackles on the year. Lowell Carr is the top kicker in the NESCAC, as he leads the conference in kickoff average (53) and punt average (44.2) while he is 2-for-2 on FG and 9-9 on PAT attempts in 2022.
