A lot of people looked sideways at the Wesleyan coaching staff when Coach Frank Hauser implemented an entirely new defensive system this summer. However, two games into the 2006 season, it is the defense that has made a name for Wesleyan in the NESCAC.
Allowing only an average of three points per game, and having not given up a touchdown this season, the Cardinal defense has given up the second fewest number of points in the NESCAC. The Cardinals are also ranked fourth nationally in points allowed. In addition, two Cardinal linebackers, Timothy O’Callaghan ’08 and Quincy Francis ’06, are ranked 13th and 10th, respectively in Division III tackles recorded this season. Clearly, Coach Hauser made the right choices this summer when he hired three new coaches and changed his defensive coordinator.
Last Saturday the Cardinals broke an 11-game losing streak by running all over the Hamilton defense. Putting the ball in Philexyn Banks’s ’07 hands seemed to be the smartest decision of the second half, as he ran the ball in for a touchdown and rushed for 92 yards on 19 attempts, aided by an offensive line that made a few key adjustments at halftime.
“It was clearly the blocking that changed the course of the game,” said lineman Alex Zedlovich ’09. “Our offensive line is so young, they have only started getting used to playing together as a unit. In the first half, some guys missed assignments, but we got that straightened up and really fired out in the second half. Corey’s leadership is great, and is really helping us gel as a unit.”
The development of such a reliable running game allowed quarterback Zach Librizzi ’08 to open up on Hamilton’s secondary, which directly contributed to both Mark Noonan ’08 and Ryan Walsh ’09 having over 100 receiving yards on the day.
“The first half was shaky, but we made adjustments and got the job done,” said senior captain Corey Baker ’07, who anchors the offensive line. “That’s all there is to it.”
The fantasy picks for this upcoming week are tough, as so many Cardinals stepped it up in last week’s game. It is difficult to pass on Noonan as a first pick. Ryan Walsh ’09 appears to be on the brink of an absolute breakout game, and Banks has shown how dominant of a back he can be. On defense, it is a matter of choice, whether you want to choose the 10th or 13th-best defensive player statistically in Division III football. Last week, O’Callaghan had more tackles. Two sleeper picks, Brian Smithson ’07 and John Harding ’09 could prove to be disastrous for the Colby offensive line if they are allowed into the backfield untouched, as they were last week against Hamilton. Both defensive lineman now have two sacks each and have combined for 22 tackles, five for a loss.
The Cardinals will be marching into Colby on Saturday as a 1-1 team with the desire to prove that last week’s victory was no fluke. They will be facing a Colby team that is far different from the Colby of previous years, as this Mules were recently shut out against Middlebury, 21-0. The NESCAC is more wide open than it has been for many years.
Prediction: I’ll take Wesleyan beating Colby 14-3, with Banks scoring one on the ground and Walsh one through the air.
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