MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – For the second time this season, the Wesleyan football team handled a Maine school at home in dominating fashion. Three weeks after defeating Bates 41-10, the Cardinals (3-1) returned home and played to a similar script as Wesleyan rattled off 28 unanswered points in the second quarter to hand the Mules (2-2) a 31-14 defeat on Saturday from Corwin Stadium at Andrus Field.
 
Wesleyan scored a touchdown on four straight possessions in the second quarter, taking advantage of a couple costly Colby mistakes to build the 31-7 halftime lead. Despite being shut out in the second half, the Cardinal defense held the mules in-check and a late Colby touchdown was the only score of the second half.
 
Coming in with the NESCAC's second-best rush defense, Wesleyan only lowered their already sensational season-long averages, holding the Mules to 21 rushing yards on 20 carries for an average of 1.1 yards/rush. On the other end, Wesleyan managed just one rush over 10 yards for the entire game, but consistent gains helped lead to 110 yards as the Cardinals owned a +90 margin over Colby on the ground.
 
QBs David Estevez '22 and Niko Candido '25 combined to throw for 237 yards with 2 TD and 1 INT as the two traded possessions for most of the game. Estevez finished 14-for-23 for 124 with 1 TD, 0 INT and 20 yards rushing. Candido went 11-for-17 for 113 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. This is the second consecutive week where Candido mixed in with the Cardinals' passing attack which ranks second-best in the league at 288 yards per game.
 
It was a very well-balanced receiving game as nine different Cardinals caught a pass while seven caught at least two. WR Logan Tomlinson '23 led the way with seven catches for 54 yards and 1 TD, giving him five scores through four games this season. WR Thomas Elkhoury '24 also scored a TD, his first of the season. WR Matt Simco '22 had a solid day with four receptions for 47 yards and WR Luis Sanchez '24 added three catches for 34 yards.
 
On defense, the Cardinals posted a season-high 8 tackles for loss while continuing to lead the NESCAC in sacks, totaling three on the day to put Wesleyan's season total up to 11. LB Jake Edwards '24 led the way with eight tackles (six solo) to go along with 2 TFL. S Jack Nally '24 posted five tackles with 1 TFL. CBs Wesley Abraham '25 and Danny Banks '22 each had four tackles and two pass breakups. DT Nick Helbig '23 had a big forced fumble and recovery that led to a Cardinal TD on the ensuing drive in the second quarter.
 
A productive start to this contest saw Wesleyan march 73 yards down the field in 13 plays, taking up nearly six minutes of game clock before K Mason Von Jess '23 connected from 35 yards out to put the Cardinals on the board early. Colby responded on their first drive of the game, with Brendan Sawyer breaking loose on the far sideline for a 49-yard gain to make it 1^st-and-goal Mules from the 2-yard line. It only took one more play as Keon Smart rushed it in as Colby held a 7-3 lead with 5:14 left in the first.
 
Candido took the snaps at QB for the Cardinals late in the first and into the second, executing an eight-play drive including a huge 4^th-and-7 conversion in Colby territory, finding Tomlinson with a deep pass to the near sideline. After two straight penalties backed Wesleyan up to a 1^st-and-25 from the Colby 33-yard line, one play later, Candido launched a ball deep into the end zone for Tomlinson who leaped over the Colby defensive backs, hauling in a 27-yard TD as Wesleyan retook the lead at 10-7.
 
Later in the second, Colby appeared to retake momentum as Tyler Robbins sacked Estevez on a 2^nd-down play, but a costly Mule holding call set the Cardinals up with a 1^st-and-10 play from the Colby 11-yard line. If the play had stood, it would have been a 3^rd-and-14 play from the Colby 31-yard line. Wesleyan made the Mules pay the price, scoring on an Aidan McDonald '26 six-yard rush.
 
Another Colby error, this time on a miscommunication in the backfield, led to a fumble forced and recovered by Helbig in Colby territory. On the ensuing drive, Candido came up with another big fourth down conversion, finding Simco open for 18 yards on a 4^th-and-6 play. Wesleyan again had a decision to make on fourth down later in the drive with the ball on the Colby 8-yard line, choosing to be aggressive, the move paid off as RB Owen Brickley '23 rushed up the middle for seven yards. The next play, RB Charlie McPhee '22 finished the job, plowing his way in from one yard out to make it 24-7 Cardinals late in the half.
 
After a Colby three-and-out, followed by a poor punt, Wesleyan got the ball back with two timeouts and a 1^st-and-10 from the Colby 31. Two plays into the drive, Estevez stepped into the pocket, drawing the attention of the defense and leaving Elkhoury wide open along the sideline as he waltzed in for a 29-yard score. That late TD capped a 28-0 second quarter run for Wesleyan who held a commanding 31-7 halftime lead.
 
Wesleyan nearly made it five straight drives ending in a TD as the Cardinals again converted a 4^th-and-long play, this time on a 4^th-and-16 as Estevez connected with Sanchez for 18 yards deep in Colby territory. But the drive stalled on the Mules' 4-yard line as Estevez couldn't find Tomlinson with a fade route in the far corner of the end zone.
 
Colby's offense, meanwhile, continued to sputter as the first four Mule possessions in the second half finished as three-and-outs. The lone score of the second half came on a Matt Hersch to Isaac Anderson connection from 10 yards out as Colby still trailed 31-14 with 6:51 remaining.
 
Neither team performed well on third down, with Wesleyan going 4-for-16 but the Cardinals managed a 4-for-5 showing on fourth downs. Colby, meanwhile, was held to 1-of-12 on their third downs as the Wesleyan defense continued to dominate through four games.
 
The Cardinal defense will have to be ready for next week's matchup as in steps Tufts (3-1) who sit right behind Wesleyan in terms of points per game (29.5) as next Saturday will feature the NESCAC's top two offenses (in points and total yards) thus far in 2022. The game is set to begin at 6 PM, under the lights at Corwin Stadium.