Offense. Defense. Special teams. Everything was clicking for the Cardinals on Saturday, Sept. 14 as they dismantled Middlebury in 60 minutes of complete football.

Though the past two seasons have opened with matchups against Bates, this year’s schedule featured a major shakeup as the Cardinals would play their first game of the season on the road against the defending NESCAC Champions.

“We wanted to face the challenge right away, because that really lights the season, if you come out strong and play well,” captain and quarterback Niko Candido ’25 said. “We think that going up to Middlebury was a very important game, because we haven’t won up there in a while, and they’re a very good team and very technically sound. So we knew we needed to execute. And we knew we needed to bring the energy.”

The Cardinals received the opening kickoff, and the two teams traded three-and-outs before Candido picked up a first down with his legs on a 16-yard scramble. Three plays later, the Cardinals dialed up a crack toss and running back Tyler Flynn ’26 took it 41 yards for a touchdown to give the Cardinals a 7–0 lead after kicker/punter Gage Hammond ’27 knocked through the extra point. Flynn’s run marked the longest rushing touchdown from a Cardinal running back since 2019. 

Cornerback and captain Wesley Abraham ’25 spoke on how this early touchdown helped set the tone. 

“It was just the perfect first touchdown of the season, just to have the offensive line set the tone early and for us to pound it into the end zone, rather than just going up in the air, which is something that we are traditionally known for,” Abraham said. “I was going crazy, screaming, but then also trying to keep the guys humble, like there’s still four quarters of football ahead of us.”

The defense forced another quick punt and the Cardinals’ offense capitalized, this time only needing two plays when Candido hit captain and wide receiver Chase Wilson ’25 for a 66-yard touchdown. This pass and reception was a career-long for both Candido and Wilson, representing the culmination of years of chemistry the two have built. 

“Me and Chase, having that connection, and just trusting each other, knowing that we were gonna get it to each other, was exactly what happened and what has to happen the whole year,” Candido said. “And that being the first touchdown of the year was just awesome, especially because me and Chase have been going at it for three years now. It just felt like right back where it started.”   

The Panthers, who were an offensive stalwart last season, were unable to mount any early successes against the Cardinals’ robust defense. After jumping out to a 14–0 lead, the Red and Black forced a Panthers punt following a sack by captain and linebacker Ben Carbeau ’25. The Cardinals’ offense went three-and-out, giving the Panthers excellent field position for their next drive. However, two consecutive incompletions by Middlebury quarterback Brian Moran forced another punt. Safety Dylan Connors ’26 broke through the line of scrimmage, blocked the kick, and returned it 40 yards for the third touchdown of over 40 yards in the first quarter. For the play, Connors was awarded NESCAC Special Teams Player of the Week. He made an impact defensively as well, racking up six tackles, two of which were for a loss of yards. 

Abraham highlighted Connors’ role in the game, specifically his pivotal punt block.

“DC is one of the best players in the league, and we’ve known all preseason, and honestly, I’ve known for quite some time,” Abraham said. “He’s a ball player and someone that is going to make plays as long as he’s on the field, so I wasn’t that surprised. I think I was personally surprised how easily he scooped it up without bobbling it or anything. It was the cleanest scoop up ever into a touchdown. He’s one of those guys you expect to show up in big games.”

In desperate need of points, the Middlebury offense began to string together some first downs. The Panthers faced a third and one at the Cardinals’ 10-yard line at the top of the second quarter. The defense buckled down and stuffed the Panthers on two straight run plays, turning them over on downs and keeping a zero on the scoreboard. 

Head Coach Dan DiCenzo praised the performance of the Cardinals’ front four against a formidable Middlebury front.

“They have an offensive lineman who is an NFL prospect, and we thought our DL won the battle on every snap,” Coach DiCenzo said.

The two squads traded punts, but on the Cardinals’ ensuing drive, Candido hit Wilson on a 45-yard moon ball to set the Cardinals up inside the Panthers’ 5-yard line. This completion pushed Wilson’s receiving total to 155 yards, his third 100-yard game in his last four outings and the fifth of his career—all of which resulted in Cardinals victories where they scored 30 or more points. Two plays later, Flynn extended the lead to 27, finding the end zone for his second score of the game. After another defensive stop, the Cardinals were able to tack on three more points to take a 30–0 lead into the break.

“I think we had a lot of experience coming back on the defensive side of the ball and that really helped,” Carbeau said. “And I think the other key to our success last Saturday was we have a lot of comfortability. We feel confident in our assignments, and I think that allows guys to play fast and to really just focus on executing.”

The second half featured much less action, with the result all but finalized. There was no scoring for the first 10 minutes, until an Abraham interception led to a five-minute drive capped off with a 25-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Rickey Eng ’25, who had a career-high 99 receiving yards in the game.

“Rickey has always been such a smart guy on the field and really knows the game of football,” Candido said. “He really showed us why he’s such a dominant player that teams have to worry about because of the playmaker he is when the game time hits.”

The Panthers scored their first and only touchdown three minutes later, but the Cardinals’ defense punched back, with defensive lineman Mike Rowan ’25 forcing a fumble on the next drive, giving the offense the ball inside the Panthers’ 10-yard line. 

“We were able to recover a fumble, which was big,” Carbeau said. “I thought that the D-line did a great job getting pressure on the quarterback. And I think across all three levels, we just executed the game plan. Wesley had that big pick. All those plays are big swings in momentum, and we did a good job of staying on them and not letting the foot off the gas.”

The offense capitalized, and running back James McHugh ’26 scored on a run up the middle to extend the lead to 43–7, which would ultimately be the final score. The 37-point victory was the second-largest margin of victory in the 54 total meetings between Wesleyan and Middlebury.

Edwards put the victory into context.

“That’s one of the most complete games I’ve seen from Wesleyan in my career,” Edwards said. “We were dominant in all three phases of the game for the full 60 minutes.”

This coming weekend, the Cardinals will look to knock off another top contender when they host Tufts this Saturday at 7 p.m. for the first home night game in two years. Last season, the Jumbos beat the Cardinals 49–14, and the Red and Black will not only be looking to avenge their defeat, but send a message to the rest of the NESCAC.

Wilson noted how critical this game will be in setting the tone for the rest of the Cards’ season, coming off of such a massive win and now facing a highly competitive opponent.

“In this league with no playoffs, every game is a championship game,” Wilson said. “And you either got to play with the chip on your shoulder or you got to play with the target on your back. I think we have an opportunity to go out and really shock the league. And I think if we get that win this week, that chip on our shoulder is going to move to a target on our back real quick, because we’re going to be the team to beat.” 

Erin Byerly can be reached at ebyerly@wesleyan.edu. 

Sam Weitzman-Kurker can be reached at sweitzmankur@wesleyan.edu.