Shannon Welch/Staff Photographer

I’m sorry, Ms. Jackson: the football team is for real. With a 141-point differential accumulated in the team’s favor through the first half of the season, it’s fair to say that the Redbirds comfortably rank amongst the NESCAC elite. Week Four saw the Bates Bobcats enter Andrus Field only to be flattened on both ends of the ball as Wesleyan dominated the contest 35-7. With the victory, the Cardinals remain undefeated and sit atop the conference standings with fellow unbeaten squads Amherst and Trinity.

The Cards had plenty to be wary of in their matchup with the Bobcats. Relying on a puzzling option offense, Bates sported one of the top 10 rushing attacks in all of Division III, averaging almost 300 yards per game entering Saturday’s contest. Although Bates’ unorthodox style initially had the Cards flummoxed, the Bobcats were stifled in their offensive efforts and ultimately only accrued 125 yards rushing on the day.
Entering the contest, Head Coach Mike Whalen expected his defense to be challenged and was particularly pleased by how his team was able to recover from its strategic setbacks.

“You just can’t stop the option,” Whalen said. “They’re going to eat up a lot of the clock because they’re just going to run the ball. This team came into the game ninth in the country in rushing offense, and at that point it looked like we were going to have our hands full. I think after the first quarter we adjusted very well. Sometimes when you don’t see those kinds of offenses, it takes a couple series to get your feet under you.”

For the first time all season, the Cardinals were held scoreless in the first quarter of play as the Bobcats jumped out to an early 7-0 lead. Despite the initial cause for panic, the Redbirds maintained their composure enough to score five unanswered touchdowns. Another balanced combination of aerial assaults and ground gains from the offense propelled the Cardinals as they racked up 440 total yards.

Coming off of a frustrating effort last week against a staunch Colby defense, gunslinger Jesse Warren ’15 completed 17 of 20 pass attempts and tacked on three touchdowns, raising his conference-leading total to 11. Warren effectively overextended the Bates defense with even pass distribution: his three touchdown passes went to three different receivers. Rob Manning ’16, Josh Hurwitz ’15, and Kevin Hughes ’14 were the gracious recipients of Warren’s scoring strikes.

This week’s rushing hero was Kyle Gibson ’15, whose 133 yards on the ground were good enough to place him above teammate LaDarius Drew ’15 as NESCAC leader in yards per game. Gibson pitched in a 39-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter, leaving the game completely out of reach for Bates.
For all his labors, Gibson emphasizes the greater team effort in adjusting to Bates’ testing style of play.

“The biggest take away from this last game was our offense line’s ability to adjust on the fly,” Gibson wrote in an email to the Argus. “Bates’ 3-5 scheme presents its opponents with a lot of unique looks. Our offense line did a great job sorting out several new defense schemes that they used in the game, which allowed our running game to be successful.”

While the offense was steadily increasing Wesleyan’s lead throughout the game, the Cardinal defense worked tirelessly to irritate Bates’ nationally ranked offense, even forcing a couple of turnovers to assure that the Cardinals retained momentum. Freshman defensive back Justin Sanchez bolstered the Birds’ secondary with seven tackles and a forced fumble while linebacker Gregg Kelley ’15 paced the Cardinal defense with eight tackles on the day.

Shannon Welch/Staff Photographer

The Cardinals have plenty to celebrate with the season halfway done, but the greatest challenges still remain. Next week marks the beginning of Little Three play as the Cards travel to Amherst on Saturday, Oct. 19.

“They have a very strong history and tradition of winning,” Whalen said of the upcoming opponent. “You know they’re going to be ready to play. Ultimately, these games come down to who makes the biggest mistakes and who makes the biggest plays. This year, we’re a more mature football team, and we’re going to find out if we’re capable of making big plays in big games.”

With Williams currently floundering at the bottom of the standings with an 0-4 record, it is not out of line to say that the winner of this week’s matchup stands the best chance of becoming Little Three champion. After weeks of handling lesser teams, the Cardinals will find a true test of their abilities and a chance to recapture Little Three glory in their battle with the Lord Jeffs.