Off to a 3-0 start for the third time in the past four seasons, the Wesleyan football team looks to continue their unbeaten run on Saturday with a trip to Colby. The Cardinals have dominated the series against the Mules of late, winning 12 straight meetings dating back to 2010 including a convincing 31-14 triumph in Middletown last season and a 21-5 win in Waterville the year before.
 
Wesleyan is coming off a 35-14 demolition of Hamilton, as the Cardinals outgained the Continentals 466-162 in a dominating home win on turf as the game was moved to Citrin Field due to heavy rain. Wesleyan was +100 (131-31) in rushing yards and +204 (331-131) in passing yards compared to Hamilton in Week 3.
 
The Cardinals featured several individual standouts last Saturday, with WR Chase Wilson '25 earning the Golden Helmet Award, given to the top individual D2/D3 collegiate football player in New England, for his 10-catch, 158-yard, 4 TD performance in the 21-point win. Wilson set career-highs across the board while his 4 TD are the most for a Cardinal in a single-game since Marc Perceval '00 set the NCAA Division III single-game record with seven in a win at Middlebury in 1998.
 
Also of-note is CB Wesley Abraham '25 earned NESCAC Defensive Player of the Week honors after snagging two interceptions, one forced fumble, and one tackle for lose. His first career POW honor comes after the first multi-interception game of his career. Abraham now has three INT over the last two game while he leads the NESCAC with seven pass breakups through two games.
 
QB Niko Candido '25 hit on big plays down the field all afternoon, finishing with 332 yards on 23-for-38 throwing with 5 TD and 0 INT. Candido has been dynamic all season, leading the NESCAC in completions (69) and touchdowns (10) while he is second in yards (935) and third in competition percentage (59.0).
 
A Look at the Cardinals
 
Wesleyan heads into Week 4 with the NESCAC's third-best scoring offense and defense. The Cardinals average 29 points per game and allow 17.3 points per game through three weeks of the 2023 season. In terms of yardage, Wesleyan's offense ranks fourth with 428.3 yards per game while the defense has shined, allowing just 234.7 yards per game.
 
Even though Wesleyan's rushing attack is fifth-best in the NESCAC (115.7 yards per game), the Cardinals have won the time of possession battle in all three games this season and lead the NESCAC in with an average of 35:18 minutes with the ball per game. The Cardinals convert third downs at a 44.7 percent clip (2^nd in NESCAC) while the defense allows just 13 first downs per game (fewest of any NESCAC defense).
 
The Cardinals' dynamic duo at wide receiver features Wilson who comes in with 21 catches for 301 yards and 5 TD through three games while WR Thomas Elkhoury '24 leads all NESCAC players with 22 catches for 293 yards and 2 TD. Both players ranks Top 5 in the NESCAC in receiving yards and are 1-2 in the NESCAC leaderboard in receptions.
 
LB Jake Edwards '24 leads the team with 25 tackles in three games while LB Ben Carbeau '25 has 22 tackles as both rank Top 10 in the NESCAC in tackles per game. Both DL Mike Rowan '25 and Jake Karmin '27 have three tackles for loss while Karmin has two sacks to lead the team. Abraham (seven), S Jack Nally '24 (three) and CB Sean Walker (three) all rank Top 10 in the NESCAC in passes defended.
 
A Look at the Mules
 
Colby heads into Week 4 with a 1-2 record, but are coming off their first win of 2023, a 30-24 win at Bates in the annual CBB Showdown before the Mules, Bobcats, and Bowdoin. The Mules opened the year with a 25-22 loss at Williams before falling at home to Trinity 48-7.
 
The Mules scored 30 points despite totaling just 10 first downs last week in their win over the Bobcats. Colby rushed for 149 yards (5.3 yards per carry) and generated three turnovers on defense. RB Keon Smart was at his best, gaining 137 yards on 15 carries with 2 TD including a 69-yard score while he added six catches for 118 yards and another TD, scoring on a 75-yard catch. In total, Smart accounted for 255 of Colby's 314 total yards of offense on 21 touches.
 
Smart broke out in a big way after being held in-check in Weeks 1-2, totaling just 29 rushing yards combined in those first two games.
 
Quarterback has been a trouble spot for the Mules this season, with Miles Drake starting both Weeks 1-2 and totaling 359 passing yards with 2 TD and 3 INT. Colby turned to Thomas Keeling in Week 3 with some success as the senior hit on 63.2 percent of his attempts for 165 yards with 1 TD and 0 INT. Smart is the key player on this Colby offense as he has 166 rushing yards and the most receptions on the team with 17 which have gone for 172 yards.
 
On defense, Julian Young leads the NESCAC with 39 tackles as the junior is averaging 13 per game while he also has four tackles for loss and one blocked kick this season. Five different Mules have one sack.
 
Colby averages 239.7 yards of offense per game (9^th in NESCAC) while the Mules allow 416 yards per game on defense, easily the most in the NESCAC.