Wesleyan football evened its record to 1-1 this past weekend with another record setting rushing game in a win against Hamilton. Shea Dwyer ’10, who earned NESCAC co-offensive player of the week, set another school record, this time for most yards rushing in a game with 213 yards on 27 attempts. Last week against Middlebury, Dwyer and fellow running back Vince Miller ’12 were the first pair of Cardinals to rush for over 100 yards each. This week, Dwyer scored all five of Wesleyan’s touchdowns, as the Cardinals coasted to a 35-21 win over the Continentals.
The Cardinal defense was steadfast from the beginning of the game, as Hamilton received the ball first, and was forced to punt after an unsuccessful drive. The Wesleyan offense capitalized on Hamilton’s ineptitude with a touchdown on its first possession. The two-yard plunge by Dwyer finished a 10-play, 90-yard drive, in less than five minutes of playing time. The next kickoff would see another unsuccessful possession by the Hamilton offense, as they turned the ball over yet again with no scoring opportunities. Dwyer scored his second touchdown of the day on the next Wesleyan possession, this time off a 29-yard screen pass from quarterback Matt Coyne ’12. Dwyer found the pass early, and danced around a Hamilton defender before coasting into the end zone. Dwyer’s catch concluded the 10-play, 88-yard drive by the Cards. Up 14-0 with 10:08 remaining in the second quarter, Hamilton continued to struggle on offense. On the Wesleyan 44, the Cardinal defense thwarted a 4th and one pass attempt by the Continentals, leaving the Wesleyan offense just 56 yards from another touchdown. After a 49-yard run by Dwyer, and a seven-yard pass interference penalty, Wesleyan would score on the ground again with another touchdown run from Dwyer. The Cardinals finished the half up 21-7, after Hamilton scored its first touchdown with just 40 seconds remaining in the half off of a quarterback sneak.
Wesleyan scored first in the second half on another two-yard burst from Dwyer. Kyle Weiss ’12 took down a 29-yard reception from Coyne to set up the Wesleyan offense near the goal line. Coyne completed 14 of 19 passes against the Continentals for a total of 175 yards. With a commanding 28-7 lead in the second half, Hamilton gained a little momentum on offense, but the Continental effort was too little, too late. Hamilton closed the gap slightly with another touchdown, marking the score at 28-14, but this was as close as the Continentals would get to the Cardinals. With 5:04 left in the game, Dwyer scored his fifth and final touchdown of the day after the Hamilton offense turned the ball over deep in their own zone. Hamilton scored immediately off of the Cardinal’s kick-off, making the score 35-21. Hamilton, in hopes of still winning the match, recovered their onside kick late in the fourth quarter. However, a rushed pass however by the Hamilton quarterback landed in the hands of Wesleyan’s Brett Bandazian ’12, which would give the Cardinals the ball with 1:38 left in the game, and the Cardinals kneeled the clock to expiration.
Wesleyan will face Colby in Maine this Saturday, Oct. 9. Both teams are 1-1, with Colby’s win coming from a close game with Middlebury last weekend. The Cardinals, having lost a tight game against Middlebury, look to advance their record to 2-1 against the Mules.
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