LEWISTON, Maine -- David Estevez connected with Luis Sanchez with 4:29 remaining in regulation for the go-ahead score and the Wesleyan University Cardinals hung on from there to edge the Bates football team 27-24 Saturday at Garcelon Field. 

The Bobcats (0-3) had two potential game-winning drives snuffed out by turnovers. After Wesleyan's go-ahead touchdown, senior quarterback Brendan Costa (Westport, Mass.) found senior Sean Bryant (Falmouth, Maine) for a 26-yard gain to the Wesleyan 44. But Cole Hoffman forced a Costa fumble on the next play and Wesleyan's Isaiah Miller recovered, setting the Cardinals up with a first and 10 at their own 34. 

Bates stepped up on defense, forcing a three-and-out. The Cardinals punted to the Bobcat 31. Costa and the offense took over with 2:07 remaining in regulation. Costa connected with senior Caleb Bolden (Dover, N.H.) for a gain of eight. Then he found Bryant for 16 yards and senior Derek Marino (Marblehead, Mass.) for 17 yards to the Wesleyan 28. 

On the very next play, Costa's quick swing pass went off the hands of the intended receiver and Wesleyan's Darreyl Williams made a diving interception at the 27-yard line. Bates forced another punt with less than a minute remaining but a running into the kicker penalty gave the Cardinals (3-0) a first down and secured the win for Wesleyan. 

Costa completed 26-32 passes for 303 yards and a touchdown, setting career-highs in completions and passing yards. He also rushed for 25 yards and two touchdowns. The Cardinals used two quarterbacks on offense, with Ashton Scott completing 8-19 passes for 144 yards and a touchdown. David Estevez did a little bit of everything for the Cardinals, completing all 12 of his pass attempts for 123 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran the ball 16 times for a game-high 40 yards and caught two passes for 61 yards and a touchdown. 

Marino and Bryant had huge games for Bates, with Marino catching seven passes for a game-high 100 yards and Bryant catching a game-high nine passes for 100 yards and a touchdown. Bolden finished with four catches for 44 yards. Marino and Bryant are the first Bobcats to record 100 receiving yards in a game since Frank Williams '18 went off for nine catches for 223 yards and three touchdowns against Williams in a 29-17 win for Bates in 2016. 

Logan Tomlinson led the Cardinals in receiving, catching six balls for 78 yards. Thomas Elkhoury added five catches for 71 yards and a touchdown. 

In a very even contest, the Cardinals gained 319 yards of total offense and the Bobcats tallied 314 yards. Penalties killed Bates, as the Bobcats committed nine penalties for 164 yards on the day, one of which took a kickoff return for a touchdown away from junior Mohamed Diawara (Philadelphia, Pa.). 

Junior Tony Hooks (New Rochelle, N.Y.) had 10 tackles, including 1.5 sacks, and senior Spencer Adams (Bedford, N.H.) also finished with 10 tackles, two for a loss. Sophomore Matt Connelly (Wellesley, Mass.) also finished with 1.5 sacks. 

Williams paced Wesleyan with six tackles (four solo) and the game-clinching interception. The Cardinals also forced a pair of Costa fumbles, with Miller forcing one and recovering another.

The Bobcats struck first on the opening drive of the game, with Costa finding Bryant for a seven-yard touchdown reception. Bates marched down the field, going 53 yards in four plays after Diawara returned the opening kickoff 43 yards to the Bates 47. 

Wesleyan got on the board thanks to a Daniel Yoon 28-yard field goal. Then the Cardinals struck again, with Scott finding Estevez for a 31-yard score. 

Down 10-7, the Bobcats grabbed the lead back thanks to a Wesleyan turnover. Scott dropped a snap and Adams jumped on the ball, giving Bates a first down at the Wesleyan nine-yard line. Costa ran the ball three straight times, punching it in on third and goal to put Bates up 14-10 with 3:20 left in the first quarter after senior Simon Redfern (Providence, R.I.) split the uprights on the extra point.

After a high-scoring first quarter, the Cardinals got the second quarter off to an explosive start when Elkhoury made a spectacular leaping grab of an Estevez pass in the back corner of the end zone for a 21-yard touchdown, putting the Cardinals up 17-14 after the extra point.

Trailing 17-14 at the half, the Bobcats tied the game on a Redfern 27-yard field goal with 8:42 left in the third quarter. The Cardinals answered with a Yoon 26-yard field goal later in the quarter, grabbing a 20-17 lead at the end of three.

Bates took the lead back early in the fourth quarter, going on a 10-play 79-yard drive, culminating with Costa's second TD run of the game. Senior Garrett Evans (Sauquoit, N.Y.) threw a great block on the play, allowing Costa to get to the edge for the one-yard score. 

Wesleyan had the answer though, going on a long scoring drive of its own, a 13-play, 75 yard drive that took 7:33 off the clock. Estevez did it with his arm and his legs on the drive, connecting with Tomlinson for a 13-yard gain on a 2nd and 13 and later scampering for 18 yards on a second and five from the Bates 35.

The Bobcats forced a third and three from their 10-yard line, only to see Estevez convert the first down with a four yard rush. Then on second and goal from the five, he found Sanchez with a quick hitter to the near side for the eventual game-winning touchdown.

Bates is back in action next Saturday when the Bobcats travel to Tufts. Kickoff is set for 1pm.