Wesleyan University

CLINTON, N.Y. – Taking possession on their own 15-yard line trailing by three with just 1:39 remaining, the Wesleyan football team marched down to the Hamilton 34-yard line before Matt Fitzsimons '27 unleashed a perfect ball downfield to Jake Smith '30 for the go-ahead touchdown that proved the difference in a 42-38 Cardinal win. Wesleyan (3-0) keeps their unbeaten record intact and sits tied with Amherst and Trinity atop the league standings.
 
In that decisive drive to win the game, Wesleyan was dealt some early adversity as a holding call nullified a first down and made it a 3^rd-and-14 on their own 11-yard line. Fitzsimons dropped back and hit Donte Kelly '29 on the near sideline for a toe-tapping 16-yard completion to keep the drive alive. Three more completions followed for gains of 14, 9, and 16 yards to push the Cardinals into Hamilton territory.
 
With less than 20 seconds and only one timeout left, Fitzimsons looked to his left on 3^rd-and-10 and it was the first-year Jake Smith who beat his defender on a straight go-route up the seam. Fitzsimons hit Smith in perfect stride right at the goalline and with no Hamilton deep safety in coverage, Smith hauled in the 34-yard game-winning TD catch with just 13.6 seconds left.
 
That 9-play, 85-yard game-winning TD drive was the culmination of a wild one out on Steuben Field in a straight shootout that featured 55 first downs and over 1,000 yards of total offense between the two sides. Wesleyan picked up 32 first downs (11 rushing, 19 passing) while gaining 128 yards rushing and 411 through the air for 539 total yards of offense. Hamilton's offense, facing one of the league's top defenses through two weeks this season, played their part with 467 total yards including 353 passing and 114 rushing. The Continentals achieved those totals on just 51 plays, averaging 9.2 yards per play in defeat.
 
Wesleyan trailed for large stretches of this contest, including a pair of 13-point deficits in the second quarter. It took Hamilton just three plays to score their first touchdown of the game, with Luke Kurzum hitting Matthew Kearns for 46 yards and then for a 20-yard TD on the next play. The Cardinals answered right back on their first possession, converting a pair of third downs before Fitzsimons connected with Blake Newcomb '27 for 18 yards then with Donte Kelly '29 for the touchdown to make it 7-6 Wesleyan.
 
Hamilton continued to pile on the points with two more TD-scoring drives of 75 and 80 yards to build a 20-7 lead early in the second quarter. Now trailing by 13 and in need of a response, the Cardinals needed just five plays to score as Kelly picked up 25 yards on the ground on the first play of the drive then Fitzsimons found Keith Capuano '28 for a 22-yard pickup through the air. On the next play it was Angelo LaRose '27 converting from six yards out to make it a 20-14 game.
 
The two sides traded two more TD drives as Hamilton scored for their fourth straight possession to make it 27-14, only to see the Cardinals answer right back with a methodical 12-yard, 83-yard drive that took up more than six minutes of game clock. Choosing to keep their offense on the field for a 4^th-and-1 from the Hamilton 3-yard line, Fitzsimons not only picked up the first down but he scored on the play to make it 27-21 Hamilton.
 
Wesleyan forced the first Hamilton punt late in the first half, breaking the streak of TD-scoring drives, and that momentum carried over into the second half where the Cardinals received the kickoff and went on a bruising 17-play, 75-yard drive that ended on a Matt Diaz '28 2-yard TD. The Cardinals had a 3^rd-and-20 conversion on their own 29-yard line to keep the drive alive and later converted a 4^th-and-5 on a drive that used up more than 10 minutes off the clock.
 
Armed with a lead for the first time since the first quarter, Wesleyan saw Hamilton answer back with another score followed by a two-point conversion to make it 35-28 late in the third quarter.
 
Points and yards continued to pile up as Wesleyan made the most of a crucial Hamilton roughing the passer call on a 3^rd-and-11 incompletion to keep the ball in the Cardinals' hands. Wesleyan went on the ground for six of the next eight plays of the drive which ultimately saw LaRose punch the ball in from four yards out to tie the score at 35-35.
 
As the clock wound under six minutes to play, Hamilton was driving until a 4^th-and-6 from the Wesleyan 25-yard line saw Kurzum find Mitchell Ivatts for a 12-yard pickup. Now with 1^st-and-10 from the Wesleyan 13-yard line, the Cardinal defense came up with a stand that helped pave the way to the win in the end. Faced with a 3^rd-and-7, Kurzum was sacked by Owen McDevitt and Joey Weidl and forced to kick a 29-yard go-ahead field goal with under four minutes left.
 
Another dramatic turn saw Kelly fumble on the next Wesleyan possession, setting up the Continentals at their own 31-yard line with 2:41 remaining. Hamilton was flagged for holding on the first play of the ensuing drive, followed by a false start on 3^rd down, which set the Continentals back enough where a 14-yard completion was two yards short. Facing a 4^th-and-2 from their own 39-yard line, Hamilton decided to punt away to the Cardinals who won the game on the thrilling Fitzsimons-to-Smith 34-yard game-winner.
 
Fitzsimons finished the game going 31-for-41 for 411 yards, 2 TD, and 0 INT. This is his second career 400+ yard game while the reigning NESCAC Offensive Player of the Year has thrown for 864 yards while completing 75.6 percent of his passes with 0 INT through three games in 2026.
 
Fitzsimons spread the ball around to nine different receiver who caught at least one pass on Saturday. Newcomb led the way with seven receptions for 119 yards while Kelly added six catches for 92 yards. Capuano went for six catches for 64 yards and Sean Cannon '27 had six catches for 44 yards.
 
LaRose led the rushing attack with 56 yards on 13 carries with 2 TD while Diaz added 47 yards on nine carries and 1 TD.
 
Wesleyan is back at home for their next two contests, starting with a showdown against Colby on Oct. 10.