Wesleyan Football Headed Into Big Weekend Matchup Against Trinity 

The Wesleyan Cardinals have had themselves another strong campaign and head into their final game of the regular season with a lot to play for. The Cardinals can win their third NESCAC championship in a row and their first automatic bid into the NCAA D-III tournament with a win. 

The Red and Black started their season with a strong 3–0 record, defeating Middlebury, Tufts and Hamilton in the first three games of the Fall season. 

The Cards were set to face Colby at home fresh off their hot start, playing their first game of the season at Corwin Stadium. Wide receiver Jake Smith ’30 discussed his excitement and expectations prior to the game. 

“Every single week, we want to prove that we’re the best, so we don’t want to just go in and win, we want to win by a lot,” Smith said. “We know Colby’s a great team, especially defensively. We know that it’s going to be a dogfight, but we still want to just be Wesleyan football, and win the game.”

The Red and Black offense did exactly that. Early in the game they faced a 3rd & 5 but converted as QB Matt Fitzsimons ’27 found wide receiver Sean Cannon ’27 for a 13-yard catch. The offense kept marching down the field with Fitzsimons throwing two 11-yard passes to Donte Kelly ’29 and Diego Velez ’28. The Cards made it all the way down to Colby’s two-yard line but were only able to gain one yard on 3rd & Goal. However, Fitzsimons was able to run into the endzone on fourth down to cap off the Cards 13-play, nine-minute opening drive. 

The Red and Black’s defense shut down Colby’s offense on their first drive. Then the offense made it back into the red zone but failed to convert on 3rd down and missed the 31-yard field goal to extend their lead. 

The defense continued to shut down the Mules even though Fitzsimons threw an interception on the Cards following drive. Fitzsimons was able to regain form on the following drive as he linked with tight end Keith Capuano ’28 for a 20-yard catch. That helped set up another 1-yard touchdown run for Fitzsimons and a 14–0 lead for the Cardinals headed into halftime.

Both offenses were quiet in the third quarter, but the Mules made things interesting in the fourth quarter as they were able to capitalize on a Fitzsimons interception, scoring their first touchdown of the game. However the Cards regained their two-score lead quickly with Fitzsimons finding Blake Newcomb ’27 for a 69-yard touchdown pass. 

That proved to be the nail in the coffin for the Mules as the Cards picked up a 21–7 victory headed into their big homecoming game against Bates. 

Against the Bobcats, the offense started hot marching down to Bates’ redzone. However, they quickly stalled, failing to convert on both 3rd & 3 and 4th & 1. Despite the drive ending in a disappointing manner, the Cards would quickly get another scoring opportunity as their defense forced a quick three-and-out. Fitzsimons threw a 41-yard touchdown dart to Velez, giving the Dirty Birds a 7–0 lead.

The defense showed up again as Owen McDevitt forced and recovered a fumble on the Bobcats’ first offensive play of the game, giving the Cards prime position on Bates’ 24 yard line. The Red and Black took advantage of the field position, with a 6-yard touchdown run from RB Matt Diaz ’28 adding to their lead. 

The Cards would continue to impress the alumni in attendance. On their following drive, the Cards gained all their yards from their running backs including key 25-yard run from Captain and running back Angelo LaRose ’27 and a 17-yard run from Diaz. Those set up LaRose for a 4-yard touchdown run and a 21–0 lead headed into halftime.

In the second half, the game was never in doubt as the defense held the Bobcats to just 8 points. Meanwhile, the offense added two more scores with a 12-yard touchdown run from Diaz and 15-yard touchdown run by Fitzsimons. The Cardinals dominated their homecoming matchup 34–8 and boosted a 5–0 record. 

While the Cardinals had a strong season thus far, they faced a tough test against their Little Three foe and fellow 5–0 team in Amherst. 

Similarly to their prior game, the Cardinals’ offense managed to get down the field but failed to convert on a 4th & 2 on the Mammoths’ 35-yard line. Both defenses were on point to start as the only score in the first quarter came via a Mammoths safety. Following the safety, the Red and Black got it going with Fitzsimons authoring a 20-yard pass to Kelly and a 14-yard pass to Jared Lindstrom ’27. The Cards capped off with a touchdown via a 3-yard run from Diaz. 

The Cardinals’ 9-0 lead would hold all the way into the fourth quarter as neither team was willing to let up any points. However, the Mammoths would eventually get on the board with a 97-yard touchdown pass, putting the pressure back on Wes. The Cards’ offense couldn’t answer, giving the Mammoths the chance to take the lead with 6:22 left in the game. That the Mammoths did, as they traveled 85-yards to take a 15–9 lead. 

The Cards had 22 seconds to march down the field and score a touchdown. The offense failed to do that, and the Cardinals were handed their first loss of the season. 

The following week, the Cardinals headed to Brunswick, Maine, looking to bounce back with a win against the last-place Bowdoin Polar Bears. On their first possession of the game, Wesleyan marched from their own 10-yard line to the Bowdoin end zone, with a Newcomb touchdown sealing the drive. 

The Red Birds quickly forced a 3-and-out for Bowdoin’s offense, but couldn’t capitalize on their next opportunity. Neither team managed to score in the rest of the first half, though the Red and Black would get the ball to start the second half. They wasted no time, needing just four plays to cash in; Diaz took off from Wesleyan’s 39-yard line on 1st & 10, moving quickly down field for a 61 yard rushing touchdown. By the end of quarter three, Wes held on to a 14–0 lead. 

The Cardinals’ defense once again forced a 3-and-out at the onset of the fourth quarter before recording another scoring drive, this time on five plays. Fitzsimons successfully reached the first down marker after rushing on 4th & 2, before delivering a 30-yard touchdown pass to Cannon on the following play. Wesleyan continued their dominance as the game went on, resulting in an eventual 28–0 victory.

The next week’s matchup was played at home at Corwin Stadium, with the Cardinals taking on their other Little Three foe, Williams. The Ephs entered the week with a 5–2 record, with hopes to overtake the Cardinals and force a tie in the standings.

The majority of the first two quarters featured an intense defensive battle, with the score remaining tied at zero apiece with four minutes left in the half. 

The Cards’ drive began with a 10-yard sack, and Fitzsimons losing the ball. Fortunately, OL Gerard Garofolo ’27 recovered the fumble, and the Cardinals continued to play from their own 10. Fitzsimons completed a 40-yard pass through the middle to Kelly two plays later, bringing the Red Birds to midfield. They continued moving the chains downfield before eventually scoring on the 11th play of the drive. Running back Cooper Tyszko ’28 rushed to the right, bringing in the three yards needed to cross the endzone and giving the Cards a 7–0 lead headed into half.

Things continued smoothly for the Cardinals through the third quarter, with Diaz rushing for a touchdown following a defensive interception by DB Aiden Nelson ’27. That sequence proved to be the nail in the coffin, as the Ephs were unable to catch up on the scoreboard. The game concluded with a 20–7 final score, with Wesleyan improving their record to 7–1.

On Saturday, Nov. 14, the crisp November air will give way to one of Wesleyan’s most important athletic events of the fall: the final game of the football regular season. The 8–0 Trinity Bantams will host the Cardinals at 12 p.m. as both teams vie for both the NESCAC Championship and an automatic bid into the NCAA D-III tournament. 

Earlier in the season, LaRose emphasized the importance of the NESCAC football teams being able to compete in the NCAA tournament for the first time. 

“We know how good the NESCAC league is, and we know that whatever team wins this league is going to do very well in the tournament,” LaRose said. “I think the NESCAC is going to become a lot more popular with football, and I think the league is only going to get better from it.”

With a victory, the Red and Black could clinch their third straight NESCAC championship title. The Amherst Mammoths (7–1) will also be vying for the top spot in the conference, matching up against the Williams Ephs (5–3) on Saturday.

If the Red and Black take the victory over Trinity and the Mammoths lose, the Cardinals will receive the automatic bid into the tournament. If both Wesleyan and Amherst win their respective games, a lottery system will determine whether Trinity, Wesleyan or Amherst will get the automatic bid. Furthermore, it is highly unlikely that the other two teams will get an at-large bid. This weekend’s matchup is shaking up to be one of the most consequential in Wesleyan Football history.

Benjamin Mayer can be reached at bmayer@wesleyan.edu.

Mason Linken can be reached at mlinken@wesleyan.edu.

Alessandra Woo can be reached at aawoo@wesleyan.edu.