No chance of a fourth-quarter comeback for the Bates College football team this time.
The Bobcats ran into a buzz saw Saturday at undefeated Wesleyan. The Cardinals scored three touchdowns in the second quarter, then marched for a score after the second-half kickoff to put away a 35-7 victory at Corwin Stadium in Middletown, Conn.
Wesleyan is 4-0 for the second straight year. Bates, which rallied past Tufts and Williams the past two weeks, dropped to 2-2.
Quarterback Matt Cannone’s 3-yard run capped a 14-play, 80-yard drive to give the Bobcats a 7-0 lead with 3:45 remaining in the first quarter. Cannone’s long completion to Mark Riley was the key play.
It was all Wesleyan after that, with the Cardinals’ defense keeping the Bobcats’ league-leading rushing attack in check while running its own balanced attack with dizzying efficiency.
Jesse Warren was 17-for-20 for 190 yards and three touchdowns for Wesleyan. Kyle Gibson carried 16 times for 132 yards.
Bates was held to 48 carries for 125 yards, an average of only 2.6 yards per carry. The Bobcats also lost two fumbles, both recovered by Justin Sanchez.
LaDarius Drew pulled Wesleyan even with a 2-yard run at the 10:57 mark of the second quarter.
Sanchez’s first recovery set up the Cardinals’ go-ahead score. Warren capped the drive with a 9-yard strike to Rob Manning.
Gibson galloped 39 yards with 2:29 to go for a 21-7 halftime lead.
Wesleyan poured it on with Warren’s 32-yard TD pass to Josh Hurwitz in the third quarter. Kevin Hughes caught a 4-yarder in the fourth.
Gilbert Brown had a sack and Steven Hild added a fumble recovery to lead Bates’ defense.
Ryan Curit topped Bates with 16 carries for 59 yards. Wesleyan held explosive slotback Shawn Doherty in check (9 carries for 22 yards; 4 catches for 24 yards).
Bates hosts Middlebury next Saturday at Garcelon Field.
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