Wesleyan University

HARTFORD, Conn. – Trailing 10-3 in the second quarter, the Wesleyan football team scored 10 points in the final 2:04 of the first half, kick starting a run of 24 unanswered points which loomed large in the end as the Cardinals held off a late Bantam comeback bid for a 27-20 victory over Trinity on Saturday afternoon from Tansill Muldoon Stadium.
 
With Wesleyan, Trinity, and Amherst all finishing the regular season with identical 8-1 records, and with each finishing 1-1 in the head-to-head against one another, all three finish as 2026 NESCAC Co-Champions. This marks the third straight NESCAC title for the Cardinals as Wesleyan becomes the third school in NESCAC history to win three straight league crowns and the first to do so since Trinity in 2016-18. With all tie-breaking procedures exhausted, the NESCAC used a random action to determine the league's automatic qualifier and as a result of that random action, Trinity is the automatic qualifying team in the NESCAC. Both Wesleyan and Amherst are eligible to receive at-large berths to the NCAA Tournament and will learn of their fate on Sunday at 5 PM during the NCAA Selection Show.

The win also marks Wesleyan's third straight win over Trinity and second straight triumph over the Bantams in Hartford. The last time the Cardinals defeated Trinity in three straight seasons was 1976-78 while the 1976 and 1978 Wesleyan teams were the last to defeat the Bantams two straight times in Hartford. 
 
Wesleyan leaned on an opportunistic defense yet again, as the Cardinal defense recorded three interceptions, making it six straight games where Wesleyan has totaled at least two interceptions on defense. Jack Bronikowski '28, Vincent Lytle '28, and Christian DaCosta '29 each finished with one interception, all coming in the second half of play. The Cardinals also forced a fumble late in the first half, setting the Wesleyan offense up at midfield for a TD drive late in the first half.

That forced fumble late in the second quarter was the big play the Cardinals needed after Trinty had controlled most of the first half. Wesleyan was forced into a three-and-out on their first two drives while Trinity started their second drive on the Wesleyan 39-yard line and took full advantage on a five-play TD-scoring drive.
 
Angelo LaRose '27 broke a big play, springing free from the Trinity front and busting up the field for a 66-yard rush on 2^nd-and-16 from the Wesleyan 10-yard line. Later forced into a 4^th-and-4 from the Trinty 6-yard line, the Cardinals chose to kick a field goal and Gage Hammond '27 came through with a 24-yard make, representing the first made field goal for Wesleyan this season.
 
The Bantams answered back with a 23-yard field goal on their next drive to restore the seven-point lead. Later in the second quarter, Trinity made a bold call on 4^th-and-5 from the Wesleyan 44-yard line, choosing to run a fake punt play on a direct snap to the upback that was quickly sniffed out by the Cardinal special teams unit for a loss of six yards on the play.
 
Taking over at midfield, Wesleyan finally had a drive start in good field position and Matt Fitzsimons '27 made a crucial 4^th-and-3 conversion with a 27-yard pass to Keith Capuano '28 along the far sideline. Again in the Trinity red zone, the Bantam defense held Wesleyan to a field goal try and Hammond connected from 32 yards out to make it a 10-6 game.
 
On the first play of the ensuing drive, Josh Woodford showed some burst and picked up 25 yards all the way out to midfield, only to see the ball stripped out by Tommy Kilroy '29 and recovered by Austin Baker '27. On the very next play, Fitzsimons hit Jake Saalfrank '29 down the field for a 40-yard gain, setting up 1^st-and-goal. Two plays later, Fitzsimons took an under center snap and took it in himself for the go-ahead touchdown right before halftime.
 
Wesleyan relied on the ground game on an eight-play, 59-yard TD drive midway through the third quarter to make it a two-score game. The Cardinals ran the ball on six of the eight plays in the drive, picking up 44 of those 59 yards on the ground. Matt Diaz '28 was the steady force in the drive, gaining 40 of those yards on five carries, before Fitzsimons lofted a pass to the far corner of the end zone to a wide open Donte Kelly '29 to put Wesleyan ahead 20-10.
 
Trinity picked up a couple third down conversions on an extended drive following the Kelly TD, reaching the Wesleyan red zone only to get backed up on a 3^rd-and-12 play where Trinity quarterback Jaxon Carroll was picked off in the end zone by Vincent Lytle '28.
 
Taking over at their own 20-yard line with 14:54 remaining, Wesleyan marched all the way down the field in 10 plays, using up over six minutes of game clock. Fitzsimons hit Diego Velez '28 on a crosser for a 32-yard gain in the drive while the Cardinals picked up a huge 3^rd-and-11 play as Fitzsimons found Kelly for an 18-yard pickup. Then on 3^rd-and-1 from the Trinity 8-yard line, Fitzsimons thread the needle with a seeing-eye pass through traffic, finding Kelly in the end zone on a slant route as the Cardinals led 27-10 with 8:40 to play.
 
The Bantams made a change at quarterback, inserting backup Cam Holland into the game and the junior brough some life back into the game as he found Darison Hooper on a post route for a 61-yard TD just one play into the next Trinity drive.
 
Trinity's defense forced a three-and-out from the Cardinal offense and the Bantams then it a one-score game as an 18-yard field goal from Luke Harvey made it 27-20 with 1:38 remaining.
 
Justin Meyreles '27 made a crucial recovery on the ensuing onside kick, taking heavy contact at midfield but securing the ball for the Cardinals. Wesleyan couldn't pick up a first down on offense, but forced Trinity into taking two of their three timeouts, and then a Fitzsimons interception down the field forced Trinity to start at their own 17-yard line in need of a touchdown.
 
Trinity picked up positive yardage, but not enough and a couple of penalties set the Bantams back, ultimately forced into a hail mary attempt on a 4^th-and-1 from the Wesleyan 47-yard line. Holland rolled to his right before lofting a well thrown deep ball to the goal line that was deflected into the air and into the arms of Christian DaCosta '29 for the game-ending interception.
 
It was pandemonium on the Wesleyan sideline as the Cardinals and the Cardinal faithful, who came out in droves to the home of their in-state rivals, as those on-hand celebrated a third straight NESCAC Championship with the coaching staff and players that made it happen.
 
Wesleyan came out on top despite being outgained 407-362 including a 325-189 difference in passing yards, but finishing in +3 turnover margin and winning time of possession 36:55-23:03 loomed large in the outcome.
 
Fitzsimons threw for 189 yards, going 15-for-20 with 2 TD and 1 INT while also rushing for a score. Diaz (99 yards) and LaRose (87 yards) combined for 186 rushing yards in the win. Nine different Cardinals caught at least one pass while Kelly scored twice.
 
Kilroy finished with six solo tackles and one forced fumble to lead the defense. Tommy Dayton '29 posted one sack while Lytle had three pass breakups to go along with his interception.
 
Wesleyan awaits news from the NCAA Selection Show which is scheduled to air on NCAA.com on Sunday, November 15 at 5:00 PM.