WILLIAMSTOWN, MA – In a cold and rainy game on Farley-Lamb Field, the Wesleyan University Cardinals (6-1) blanked the Williams College Ephs (2-5) by a score of 22-0.

The Cardinals outclassed the Ephs in every aspect of the game, totaling an astonishing 312 yards rushing and 23 first downs while holding the Ephs to 120 yards of pass offense and only 3 yards of total rush offense, in addition to forcing two interceptions.

Williams would not gain a first down or net any positive yardage in the first quarter. The Ephs took possession first, but on only their third play, QB Austin Lommen tried to connect with Darrias Sime in one-on-one coverage but was picked off by Jake Bussani, who returned the ball across midfield to the Williams 46-yard line.

The Cardinals rushed up to the 14-yard line, but the Williams defense clamped down and forced Wesleyan to settle for a 31-yard field goal by Ike Fuchs, giving Wesleyan an early 3-0 lead.

Much of the first half followed this pattern, with the Cardinals forcing Eph three-and-outs and Williams allowing Wesleyan to march down the field but holding them to field goals. Wesleyan led 9-0 with 10:04 left in the 2^nd quarter when Eph Connor Harris returned Fuchs's kickoff across midfield to the Wesleyan 41-yard line. First-year Greg Plumb gained the Ephs' first 1^st down of the game with a 6-yard rush, but the Cardinals were able to force a turnover-on-downs soon after to end the threat.

Then Wesleyan continued their highly effective offensive attack with a 9-play, 79-yard drive culminating in a 3-yard touchdown run by Lou Stevens, putting the score at 16-0 with  with 3:43 left on the half. On the ensuing drive, Williams benefitted from a facemask penalty on Wesleyan and two first-down receptions by Darrias Sime, but Austin Lommen, under intense pressure, was picked off again, this time in the end zone by Vincent Davis, effectively ending the first half.

Wesleyan's rushing attack was consistent and impressive throughout the entire game; RB Lou Stevens had already recorded 98 yards rushing in the first half alone. The Cardinals' defense was equally strong; Williams netted -6 yards on the ground and 64 yards total in the first half, 56 of which came on the final drive.

The second half was more of the same. Williams punted after three plays on their first two drives, while continuing to prevent Wesleyan from reaching the end zone. The Cardinals' only punt of the game came in the third quarter, and Ike Fuchs made two more field goals from 23 and 25 yards respectively.

Williams head coach Aaron Kelton recognized the play of his defense, especially in the red zone, saying, "When you're holding teams to field goals, you're playing pretty good defense." However, he also stated the obvious when asked what went wrong with the game: "We needed to generate offense. We needed to score."

The Ephs appeared to come alive in the middle of the 4^th quarter when they were able to penetrate Wesleyan territory relying on rushes by Jean-Luc Etienne and two clutch receptions by TE Alex Way. However, good pass defense by the Cardinals forced a 4^th and 5 situation on the 31-yard line, and Gregg Kelley and Alex Sakhno came up big for Wesleyan with a sack to force the turnover-on-downs.

Williams was again able to prevent a score, this time on a 4^th down within the 5-yard line, but there was no time left for last-minute heroics. The final whistle sounded with the score 22-0.

Wesleyan was dominant on offense and defense. They gained 23 first downs to Williams' 8. They gained over triple the amount of total offensive yards and only allowed the Ephs to total 3 yards of rush offense. Additionally, the Cardinals held the ball for over two-thirds of the game,  winning the time-of-possession battle by a huge margin: 41:40 to 18:20.

Lou Stevens was the focus of the Cardinals' offense; he ran for a bewildering 191 yards on 32 carries and also scored the Cardinals' only touchdown. The Cardinals' offensive line, composed of four seniors and a junior, did a fantastic job opening holes for Stevens that allowed him to average 6 yards per carry, as well as providing excellent pass protection for QB Jesse Warren, who was not sacked once. Warren managed the game at the quarterback position, completing 14 of his 23 passes (61%) for 83 yards, while Jay Fabien led the Wesleyan receiving corps with 24 yards receiving on 3 catches.

Williams QB Austin Lommen went 12-24 for 101 yards and 2 interceptions, and the Ephs' leading rusher, Jean-Luc Etienne, gained only 13 yards on 4 carries. Darrias Sime, Etienne, and Alex Way led the Eph receivers with 28, 24, and 20 yards respectively.

This is the first time that Wesleyan has defeated Williams in Williamstown since 1984. In addition, their 22-point margin of victory is the largest over Williams in 99 years, and the shutout marks the first time Wesleyan has held the Ephs scoreless since 1956. However, Williams still holds a commanding lead in the overall series, 76-39-5.

Coach Kelton acknowledged the disappointment of losing the Homecoming game, saying, "I know this is a tough weekend to lose because you really want to win homecoming," but he went on to emphasize that "we've got to keep playing. We've got another chance, another chance to go out and play, in a rivalry game no less, so we've got to be ready to show up."

Next week, in the final week of NESCAC football, Wesleyan will host the Bantams of Trinity College, while Williams will travel to Amherst for the much anticipated rivalry game between the Ephs and Lord Jeffs.