MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – Facing the defending NESCAC Co-Champion Middlebury on their home turf to kick off the 2024 season, the Wesleyan football team put in a resounding all-around performance as the Cardinals defeated the Panthers 43-7 on Saturday afternoon from Alumni Stadium.
 
The 36-point margin of victory stands as the biggest road win for the Cardinals over Middlebury in team history and the second-largest overall, second only to a 39-0 Wesleyan win in Middletown back in 1967. In addition, the last time Middlebury lost by more than 36 points at home to any opponent came all the way back in 1986.
 
Middlebury, who returned a bevy of starters on defense including 2023 NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year Tomas Kenary, saw the Cardinals pile up 454 total yards of offense on just 16 first downs as Wesleyan hit on explosive plays of 25, 31, 41, 45, 48, and 66 yards throughout the course of the game.
 
The Cardinal defense, meanwhile, looked the part in Week 1 as the unit forced three turnovers, totaled three sacks, and had a blocked punt return for a touchdown, playing a huge role in the outcome of Saturday's dominating win. Middlebury went 2-for-14 on third downs in the contest and were just 1-of-3 on their red zone chances.
 
After three-and-outs from each offense started the game, Wesleyan mounted a five-play, 72-yard drive to open the scoring. QB Niki Candido '25 rushed for 19 yards combined over the first two plays of the drive and two plays later, Candido gave to RB Tyler Flynn '26 who rushed left 41 yards down the sideline for a score to make it 7-0 Wesleyan.
 
On the next Cardinal possession, it only took two plays to score as a 2^nd-and-7 play saw Candido hit WR Chase Wilson '25 for a 66-yard touchdown as it was suddenly 14-0 Cardinals midway through the first quarter.
 
Despite starting with the ball on the Wesleyan 41-yard line, Middlebury's offense went backwards on a possession late in the first quarter, and with the punt unit lined up, DB Dylan Connors '26 broke through the line to block Ty Brinkmann's punt and with the ball still in play, he scooped and scored from 40 yards out and suddenly it was 21-0 Wesleyan late in the first.
 
Middlebury got something going on their next possession, getting inside the Cardinal red zone for the first time in the game, but consecutive runs for no gain on 3^rd and 4^th-and-1 plays resulted in a turnover on downs and big momentum lift.
 
Depsite starting a drive on their own 10-yard line, Wesleyan's offense flipped the field thanks to a 31-yard completion from Candido to Wilson and even though the Cardinals had to later punt, Middlebury had to start all the way back inside their own 20-yard line.
 
Regaining possession on the Middlebury side of midfield, it was again the Candido-Wilson connection, this time for 43 yards, that set up Wesleyan with a 1^st-and-goal from the 3-yard line. On 2^nd-and-goal, Flynn received the carry and scored for the second time in the game and the Middlebury faithful was left stunned at the 27-0 scoreline.
 
Looking for more before halftime, the Cardinals marched 70 yards down the field in nine plays to set up a Gage Hammond '27 who hit from 25-yards out for his first career field goal. The big play on the drive was a 48-yard Candido completion to WR Rickey Eng '25 on a 3^rd-and-10 from Wesleyan's side of midfield.
 
Trailing by 30, Middlebury had one last chance to put points on the board before halftime, but DL Corin Canada-Hunt '26 strip sacked Middlebury QB Brian Moran and DL Will Orso '26 recovered to keep the score at 30-0 Wesleyan at the break.
 
Early in the third quarter, Middlebury looked to have some momentum going with runs of 17 and 16 yards on consecutive plays, only for DB Wesley Abraham '25 to step in front of a Moran pass and return the interception 25 yards to the Panthers' 35-yard line.
 
Wesleyan's ensuing drive looked to have stalled out at the 15-yard line but the Panthers committed a costly delay of game penalty to hand the Cardinals a 1^st-and-goal. Three plays later, Wesleyan had backed all the way up to the Middlebury 25-yard line and on 3^rd-and-goal, Candido threw left to the back of the end zone where Eng made a sprawling catch with two defenders draped all over him, securing his second career touchdown and making it 37-0 Wesleyan.
 
Middlebury broke the shutout with a touchdown on their next possession but trailing by 30 at the start of the fourth, Wesleyan put the game to rest as DL Mike Rowan '25 stripped Carter Stockwell on a rush inside Middlebury's 10-yard line, recovered by DL Jake Karmin '27. Three plays later, RB James McHugh '26 scored his first career touchdown on a rush from 1-yard out.
 
Candido finished 10-for-19 for 268 yards with 2 TD and 0 INT, while the senior was only sacked once against a vaunted Panther defensive front. All but six of his passing yards went to two receivers as Wilson totaled five catches for 168 yards while Eng had a career day with four receptions for 94 yards.
 
The ground game generated 186 rushing yards as Flynn carried 14 times for 80 yards and two scores. Candido rushed 12 times for 48 yards, McHugh went for 29 yards on nine carries, and Angelo LaRose '27 also finished with 29 yards on nine carries. As a team, Wesleyan averaged 4.0 yards per rush.
 
Defensively, LB Ben Carbeau '25 led the way with eight tackles (five solo), one sack, and one pass breakup. In his first career game as a Cardinal, grad transfer DB Nick Donatio recorded six tackles (four solo) with three pass breakups. Connors had six tackles and two tackles for loss.
 
The Cardinals look to carry the momentum and exact some revenge in Week 2 as Wesleyan hosts Tufts under the lights at Andrus Field next Saturday for a 7 PM start. Last season, the Jumbos defeated Wesleyan 49-14 in a night game at Medford.