MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – The Wesleyan football defense held Colby to just nine first downs and 155 yards of total offense, but needed a late 69-yard
Blake Newcomb '27 touchdown catch to finish off the Mules for a 21-7 win. The Cardinals (4-0) controlled play throughout, gaining nearly 400 yards of offense to remain unbeaten on the year, while the Mules (0-4) remain winless this season.
Donte Kelly '29 was a constant threat throughout, catching nine balls for 114 yards, while classmate
Tommy Kilroy '29 recorded two interceptions to headline a tremendous defensive effort that held the Mules to just five first downs through the first three quarters.
Playing on Andrus Field for the first time this season, the Cardinals couldn't have started much better as Wesleyan's offense engineered a 13-play, 75-yard drive that lasted nearly nine minutes and finished with a 1-yard QB sneak from Fitzsimons for the score. Wesleyan faced a 3
rd-and-5 from their own 45-yard line and managed a first down on a
Sean Cannon '27 13-yard reception. Later faced with a 4
th-and-goal from the 1-yard line, the Cardinals kept their offense on the field and the decision paid off with a Fitzsimons plung up the middle on the QB sneak.
Wesleyan's defense forced Colby into a three-and-out on what was the Mules' only possession of the entire first quarter. The Cardinals held the ball for the remainder of the first quarter, ultimately coming up empty in terms of points as
Gage Hammond '27 saw his 31-yard field goal attempt hit the left post.
Colby's offense continued to struggle throughout the second quarter, with the Mules picking up just two first downs in the period, while Wesleyan added to their lead with a 9-play, 64-yard drive to make it 14-0 at the half. Fitzsimons found Kelly for a 16-yard pickup on 3
rd-and-7 early in the drive to keep the sticks moving, then a 16-yard rush from
Angelo LaRose '27 was followed by a 20-yard catch from
Keith Capuano '28 to set up a 1
st-and-goal. Just one play later, Fitzsimons called his own number again, scoring from the 1-yard line on a QB sneak.
After forcing another three-and-out on the first possession of the second half, Kilroy came up with his first of two interceptions in the contest midway through the frame on a 3
rd-and-13 play.
It was still 14-0 Wesleyan with under 10 minutes remaining in the fourth when Fitzsimons was intercepted for the third time in the game, as Nicholas Cox carried 36 yards across midfield to give Colby a chance to make up the deficit. Now on what was their third quarterback seeing snaps, Jagger Matera found some openings and marched his team down the field, ultimately finding Sean Trinder in the end zone to make it a one-score game with just over five minutes left.
Two plays into the ensuing Wesleyan drive, facing a 3
rd-and-3 from their own 31-yard line, Fitzsimons looked to his right and found Newcomb for the play of the game as the senior wideout slipped past his corner, sprinting 69 yards down the field for a touchdown that pushed the deficit back up to 14 points with 3:26 remaining.
A last-gasp chance to stay in the game saw Colby try to push the ball down the field, but Matera was intercepted by Kilroy on a deep ball at the Wesleyan 12-yard line, sealing the win for the Cardinals on a picture-perfect fall afternoon.
Fitzsimons finished 22-for-28, throwing for 323 yards and 1 TD, but the senior quarterback threw three interceptions and was sacked three times as Colby's defense held their own against a QB that came in with 0 turnovers on the year through the first three games.
Wesleyan's ground game which came in with at least 128 rushing yards in each of the first three weeks of the year, was held to just 74 yards on 37 carries.
Matt Diaz '28 led the Cardinals with 54 yards rushing while LaRose added 42.
Kelly and Newcomb both went over 100 yards in the contest, as Kelly recorded season-highs in both catches (nine) and receiving yards (114). This is Kelly's fourth career 100+ yard game while Newcomb finished with 100 yards on the day, good enough for his third 100-yard game of the year and the seventh in his career.
Kilroy led the Cardinal defense with his two interceptions while
Austin Baker '27 recorded the lone sack for Wesleyan and
Eamonn Welch '28 finished with three QB hurries to lead the defensive line.
As a unit, Wesleyan's defense held Colby to just nine first downs with 42 rushing yards and 113 passing yards, totaling 155 for the game (3.4 yards per play). Time of possession heavily favored Wesleyan (37:04 to 22:56) while the Cardinals went 6-for-10 on third downs and Colby finished 2-for-10 and 0-for-1 on fourth down.
Next up for Wesleyan is another home game next Saturday as the Cardinals play host to Bates for a 1 PM kickoff on what is Homecoming for the University.
