After leading for all of the first three quarters, the Cardinals gave up their lead in the fourth quarter, falling 30-29 to Bates in overtime. The stunned Cardinals recovered enough to send the game into overtime, but ultimately fell a point short, losing their fourth consecutive game on the year.

Bates opened the overtime period with a score and added a PAT to take a seven-point lead. The Cardinals responded with a score of their own but chose to risk it and go for a two-point conversion and the win. That gamble failed, the Cardinals left Trinity, where the game had been moved following the torrential rains in Middletown the past week, still without a win on the season.

The Cardinals struck first in front of the “home” crowd at Trinity on a 5-yard touchdown run by Phil Banks ’07. The run capped an impressive 13-play, 80-yard drive that featured several productive runs by both Banks and quarterback Zach Librizzi ’08. After a fumble botched the extra point attempt, Wesleyan jumped out to an early 6-0 lead over Bates. That was all the offense for the first quarter as both teams’ defenses kept their opponents’ offense inert for the remainder of the quarter.

Productive passes by Librizzi and runs by Banks fueled a second-quarter drive, helped by a 15-yard roughing the passer penalty on Bates. Librizzi finished off the drive with a 12-yard touchdown run. The extra point by Chris Helsel ’09 made the score 13-0 in favor of the Cardinals. Their scoring drive spanned 73 yards in just over three minutes.

Like past weeks, Wesleyan turnovers allowed their opponent to get back into the game. An interception of a Librizzi pass by Todd Wilcox ’08 deep in Bobcat territory ended a potential Wesleyan score. On the Cardinals’ next offensive series, Librizzi fumbled the ball on the Wesleyan 11-yard line. Bates’ Dave Bodger ’06 scooped up the ball and took it to house, putting the Bobcats on the board. After a failed extra point, Wesleyan’s lead stood at 13-6.

The Cards made up for the turnover and drove 65 yards in only 1:05 as Helsel connected on a 29-yard field goal to close the half, 16-6.

Neither team was able to get much going on offense in the third quarter until Bates put together a 67-yard touchdown drive, fueled by a defensive pass interference call on Jeff McLaren ’06 on a play where it appeared he had intercepted the ball. Instead of Wesleyan having possession, Bates received 15 yards on the defensive penalty and all the momentum. Bates quarterback Brandon Colon ’08 soon found Dylan MacNamara ’07 open in the end zone for a 28-yard touchdown pass. After a successful kick, Bates trailed Wesleyan by only three, 16-13.

The Cardinals held onto this lead into the fourth quarter until Bates’ John MacKenzie ’09 stepped up and blocked recovered an A.J. Taucher ’08 punt at the Wesleyan 5-yard line. Cory Pattison ’09 scooped up the ball, putting the Bobcats on the doorstep, down only three points.

The Wesleyan defense stuffed the Bobcat attack on three plays before Bates’ Tyler Shmelz connected on a 23-yard field goal and tied the game at 16-16.

After a Librizzi fumble late in the fourth quarter, Bates drove 53 yards and took the lead for the first time on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Colon to MacNamara. After a successful extra point, Bates led 23-16 with 1:36 remaining in the game.

Librizzi methodically led his team down the field after a 34-yeard return by McLaren, finishing with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Blake Curry ’07. A successful kick by Helsel tied the game with nine seconds remaining.

The game went into overtime, and on their first series, Jamie Walker ’07 ran 25-yards for a Bobcat touchdown. Schmelz’s kick was good and Bates took a 30-23 lead.

Wesleyan responded and after six plays moved the ball to the Bobcat 2-yard line, leading to a touchdown by Banks.

A successful extra point would have tied the game at 30, but the Wesleyan coaches took a gamble and called for a fake field goal pass. Unfortunately, holder Doug Collins’ pass fell incomplete to kicker Helsel in the end zone and Wesleyan lost a heartbreaker to the previously winless Bates by a final score of 30-29.

Still searching for their first victory, the Cardinals will travel to Amherst (3-1) to try to upset their Little Three rival on Saturday October 22.

“We have a great group of guys who work hard and we have to put it all together this week to beat Amherst,” said Assistant Coach John Raba in preparation for the next game. “A win against them would get the bad taste out of our mouth.”