MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – For the second straight week, the Wesleyan football team leaned on its defense, as the Cardinals intercepted Williams four times in a 20-7 win on Saturday afternoon from Corwin Stadium on Andrus Field. A fifth straight win victory over the Ephs keeps the Cardinals' bid of a third straight NESCAC title and the league's first-ever NCAA Tournament bid alive heading into the 2026 regular season finale at Trinity next Saturday.
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Coming off a 28-0 road win over Bowdoin last week in a game that saw Wesleyan record three interceptions, the Cardinals repeated that script and held the Ephs scoreless for the opening 51+ minutes of play. Wesleyan held the top rushing offense in the NESCAC, a unit that had gained 434 yards on the ground over the past two games combined, to just 72 yards on 20 carries (3.6 yards per carry). The Cardinals held Williams' quarterback Drew Renzella to an 18-for-42 showing through the air while interceptions for
Austin Baker '27,
Aiden Nelson '27, and two for
Jack Bronikowski '28 proved a difference maker in the end.
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The Wesleyan offense had its own struggles in an all-out defensive slugfest, but a late TD drive to end the first half, followed by a TD drive following an interception early in the third quarter spotted the Cardinals a 14-0 lead. Williams broke a shutout streak for the Wesleyan defense that lasted over seven combined quarters with a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, only to see
Matt Fitzsimons '27 toss a pinpoint deep ball to
Sean Cannon '27 on the first play of the next Wesleyan drive. The deep ball along the right sideline was caught at midfield and Cannon did the rest, going untouched for a 75-yard score to restore the two-score lead with 7:59 remaining.
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Full recap to follow
