For the third straight week, the Wesleyan University football team held its opponent to single digits as the Cardinals held back Bates in 28-7 win at Garcelon Field on Saturday afternoon.
The win is Wesleyan’s 11th in a row over Bates, and the Cardinals (3-1) are now 31-4 all time against the Bobcats (1-3).
Neither team could get much going offensively in the opening quarter, with both teams accounting for seven total punts.
On Wesleyan’s first possession of the second quarter, the Cardinals gained four first downs and 63 yards on 10 plays, but Bates forced and recovered a fumble on its own 18-yard line.
Wesleyan forced a three-and-out, and Eli Blair-May broke through the line to block the punt. Starting the drive on the Bobcats’ 36, the Cardinals’ Dario Highsmith eventually rushed 26 yards for the first touchdown of the game to put the visitors ahead, 7-0.
The Cardinals went ahead 14-0 with 3:58 to play before the break to put the game out of reach.
The Bobcats received the ball to start the second half but were once again held to a three-and-out. Foley fumbled on the punt attempt, and the Cardinals recovered on the Bates-1 yard line. Two plays later, Carrillo scored to increase the Wesleyan lead to three touchdowns.
Bates quarterback Sandy Plashkes threw a 30-yard touchdown to Sean Peterson later in the third to cut Wesleyan’s lead to two scores, but Wesleyan responded on its following drive and gained 75 yards on 11 plays, running 4:18 off the clock. The big play of the drive featured a 35-yard pass-and-catch on first down from quarterback Mark Piccirillo to receiver Andrew Mehr. The drive was capped off by another Carrillo 1-yard rush as the Cardinals pulled ahead, 28-7.
The Cardinals held Bates to five first downs. Wesleyan also held an edge in time of possession, 38:06-to-21:54.
Plashkes finished 8-of-15 for 71 yards and a touchdown. He also gained 22 yards rushing on 13 carries, while Frank Williams led the team with 34 yards on four carries. Peterson and Noah Stebbins were the lone receivers in double-digit yards for the Bobcats with 35 and 22, respectively. Mark Upton led all players with 12 tackles and Trevor Lyons added 11 to lead Bates’ defense. Upton also recorded a sack.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
