The football team dropped its Homecoming game for the third straight year on Saturday, falling 33-13 against visiting Williams College. Torrential rainfall, gusting winds, and atrocious field conditions forced the usually high-octane Cards offense to change its game plan.

“Going into the game, the whole team felt real confident that we could win,” said safety Anthony Marsella ’09. “Williams just made a few more big plays than we did. It’s never a lack of effort with us, just a lack of execution. On any given day, we can beat any team as long as we make the big plays. We just didn’t do that on Saturday.”

The red-hot Wesleyan offense that had been averaging 236.5 yards passing and 110.5 yards rushing per game cooled off drastically against Williams, as punter AJ Taucher ’08 was called onto the field eight times in the contest. While many of Wesleyan’s offensive drives stalled, Taucher provided a bright spot from special teams as he averaged 35.5 yards per punt, with one sailing 70 yards and two pinning the Williams offense inside its twenty-yard line.

The Ephs’ offense started the game strong and maintained its firepower throughout the day. A 12-yard touchdown run by running back Kevin Flynn capped a nine-play 83-yard drive that gave Williams the lead for good at the 9:48 mark in the first quarter.

Running and passing seemed to come easier for Williams despite the rain. A one-yard touchdown run from running back Brian Morrissey gave the Ephs a 13-0 lead early in the second quarter. Just before halftime, a blown coverage in the Wesleyan secondary allowed Williams quarterback Pat Lucey to find receiver Ryan Powell at the Wesleyan 40-yard line. Powell took it the rest of the way for a 58-yard touchdown that gave Williams the momentum heading into the second half with a 19-0 lead.

The Cards’ offense started having trouble early. Zachary Librizzi ’08 and the squad started the game with three straight punts and gained a meager 21 yards on their first three drives. Two straight interceptions by Librizzi on the following two drives continued to cripple the Cardinal offense. The most telling statistic of the first half was third-down conversions, with Williams going 5 of 9 on third down and Wesleyan going 0 of 6.

“The field conditions made everything from running, blocking, passing the ball, and play-calling difficult,” said running back Lane Kirsche ’10. “We are a passing offense, so with the field the way it was, it made it very difficult for our offense to be effective.”

The rain and wind did not let up at the half, and many fans deserted the stands for the warmer confines of the Usdan University Center or Olin Library. However, the Cards had to keep playing.

The Williams offense picked up where it left off in the third quarter, marching 80 yards in ten plays, the tenth being a five-yard touchdown pass from Lucey to receiver Jon Carroll. The score extended Williams’ lead to 26-0 with 11 minutes left in the third quarter.

After the Wesleyan offense punted yet again, Williams began its second drive of the third quarter on its own 28-yard line. After two runs and one incomplete pass, Lucey dropped back on second and ten, looking for receivers deep. Drew Dominguez ’09 stepped in front of Lucey’s eventual throw at the Wesleyan 44 yard-line for his second interception and returned it 56 yards for Wesleyan’s first score. Kicker Chris Helsel ’09 added the extra point, and the Beckham Hall scoreboard read Williams 26, Wesleyan 7.

After linebacker Vinny Colangelo ’09 and defensive back Rob Cook ’10 stopped Williams shy of a first down on fourth and one, the Wesleyan offense took over, hoping to chip away at the Williams lead. However, an eight-play drive that featured a clutch 10-yard first down run by Kirshe ended when Librizzi fumbled and gave Williams the ball on its own 28-yard line. The Ephs took advantage of the turnover, as a left-side rush from Flynn turned into a 65-yard touchdown burst that took the wind out of any Cardinal attempt at a comeback.

“Williams has a strong offense,” Kirshe said. “ I think we could have run more, but the coaches had a good game plan, and they stuck with it.”

In the fourth quarter, despite a passing game plan, Wesleyan coaches relied heavily on the run to factor out unfavorable weather and try to get more points on the board. Flynn fumbled into the mud on the first play of the fourth quarter, and linebacker Peter Overman ’09 recovered the ball on the Williams 37-yard line, giving the Cardinal offense great field position. A steady dose of Kirshe, both on screen passes and runs, and a few solid runs from Librizzi brought the Cards to the goal line, where Kirshe punched it in for the one-yard touchdown. Kirshe amassed 19 of his team-high 62 offensive yards on the drive, and Williams’ lead was cut to 20 points.

The Cardinal defense continued its strong play in the fourth quarter with Tom Addonizio ’08, Dominguez, and Overman all making big tackles late in the game. However, with the rain still falling and the Williams lead insurmountable, Wesleyan eventually had to accept the inevitable with the scoreboard reading 33-13 in favor of Williams as both teams scattered off the field.

The Cards will play Trinity away next weekend for its final game of the season.