c/o Steve McLaughlin Photography

The Cardinals are just over halfway through their season, and it doesn’t seem like competitions could be going any better. After securing two blowout wins in the first two weeks of the season, the Red and Black have now strung together three consecutive clutch victories, earning them a 5–0 record to start the season. This puts the team in a three-way tie with Trinity College and Williams College for first place in the NESCAC.

Wesleyan started this three-game stretch of close victories with an away game at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. Against the Bobcats, the Cardinals were down 20 to 24 with 12 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Ashton Scott ’23 led the team with 148 passing yards alongside a stellar effort by kicker Daniel Yoon ’24 who kicked two field goals. Trailing by four, quarterback David Estevez ’23 went down the field on a 13-play, 75-yard, and 7-minute long drive that ended in a five-yard touchdown pass to Luis Sanchez ’24.

Wesleyan also stepped up on the defensive end. With a little over four minutes left in the game, Bates had an opportunity to drive down the field and potentially win the game, but they lost their chance when defensive lineman Cole Hoffman ’22 forced a fumble on Bates’ quarterback Brendan Costa, which was recovered by linebacker Isaiah Miller ’22. After the Cardinals punted, defensive back Darreyl Williams ’24 iced the game with an interception.

According to the Cardinals’ coaching staff, the inspired performance was nothing out of the ordinary for the team.

“The culture that we as coaches and players try to create is one where we have the ability to focus and finish under extreme pressure,” Offensive Coordinator Eric Ludwig wrote in an email to The Argus. “The last two games were great examples of our guys being able to execute at a high level when the game is on the line. The players have done an unbelievable job of not panicking and playing for 60 full minutes.”

Coach Ludwig was right about this trend of delivering under difficult conditions; the very next week, the Red Birds found themselves in an all-too-familiar situation. Down 35–31 to visiting Bowdoin College with seven minutes left in the 4th quarter, this time the Cards relied on their ground game with running back Charlie McPhee ’22 and Estevez accounting for 56 of the drives’ 77 yards, including the 2-yard touchdown that put the Cardinals up 38–35 with only 1:06 left on the clock. Bowdoin attempted to recover the lead by driving down the field, but their 37-yard field goal attempt hooked wide right and the Cards finished with another three-point victory. 

Ludwig spoke to the contributions that Estevez has made during his senior year on the team.

“David [Estevez] has really elevated his game from 2019,” Coach Ludwig said. “He is truly a dual threat with his ability to run and throw the football. He is playing his best in clutch moments.”

While the ground game might have been what helped Wesleyan secure a touchdown on the final drive, the passing game is what kept them close the entire game. Bowdoin quarterback Andrew Boel threw for 410 yards and five touchdowns. However, the Wesleyan quarterback tandem of Estevez and Scott combined for 300 yards on 26 of 36 passing, and unlike Boel, they did so without an interception.

Strong ball security is a point of pride for the Cardinals.

“We have two QBs in David and Ashton who have been doing an outstanding job getting the ball to our playmakers,” Coach Ludwig wrote.

The third act of the Cards’ victories came just this past Saturday with a road game against Tufts University. Wesleyan again entered the fourth quarter trailing, this time down 35–29, but after a 13-play 93-yard drive, Estevez ran in for a four-yard touchdown to put the Cardinals up 36–35. This score held until the end of the game, putting an exciting conclusion on the Cards’ five-game winning streak. The game against Tufts was a high watermark for Estevez, who finished with 270 yards passing and one touchdown as well as 204 rushing yards and two touchdowns, including a long run for 88 yards in the third quarter. For his efforts, Estevez was voted the NESCAC Offensive Player of the Week. The offense was firing on all cylinders against Tufts, totaling 618 yards of total offense with a career-high 186 receiving yards by wideout Logan Tomlinson ’23. 

The Cardinals look to keep the perfect season alive as they face off against Middlebury College this Saturday, Oct. 23, at Corwin Stadium. 

Rocky D’Antonio can be reached at rdantonio@wesleyan.edu