The Bates football team hopes to spoil defending conference champion Wesleyan's Homecoming on Saturday, as the Bobcats square off with the Cardinals at 1 p.m. in Middletown, Conn.

The Cardinals (4-0) are receiving votes in the latest D3football.com top 25 poll and sport an explosive offense. They average 35 points per game, which ranks second in the NESCAC. Their 431 total yards per game also ranks second in the conference. Quarterback Matt Fitzsimons is completing a NESCAC-best 77.6 percent of his passes so far this season. His 296.8 passing yards per game tops the conference charts as well. Blake Newcomb and Donte Kelly are Fitzsimon's favorite targets through the air, as Newcomb ranks second in the NESCAC with 364 receiving yards on 19 catches. He has caught four touchdowns this year. Kelly has grabbed 20 passes for 269 yards and a touchdown. When the Cardinals run the ball, Matt Diaz has carried the rock 59 times for 234 yards and four touchdowns this season. Meanwhile, Angelo LaRose has 50 carries for 199 yards and three touchdowns.

Wesleyan is unsurprisingly also stout on defense, giving up just 16.3 points per game, which ranks fourth in the conference. They give up 272.3 yards per contest, also fourth-best in the NESCAC. 

The Bobcats (0-4) have a slightly better pass defense than the Cardinals, giving up just 191.5 yards per game to 195.3 for Wesleyan. Bates has the fourth-best pass defense in the NESCAC. However, the Bobcats have struggled against the run, giving up 185.8 rushing yards per game, most in the conference. Wesleyan ranks fourth, giving up 77 rushing yards per game.

Individually, the Bobcats boast one of the best pass rushers in the country, as sophomore Liam Keaney (Swampscott, Mass.) is tops in the NESCAC and sixth in all of NCAA Division III with 1.38 sacks per game. His 2.13 tackles for loss per game is tied for first in the conference and eighth in the country.

The Bobcats hope history repeats itself on Saturday, as two years ago they picked up their first win of the season by stunning Wesleyan in Middletown by a score of 24-13.

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THE PARTICULARS:

What: Bates (0-4) @ Wesleyan (4-0)

When: Saturday, Oct. 17, 1 p.m.

Where: Corwin Stadium (Middletown, Conn.)

Live Coverage: Video | Stats

All-Time Series: Wesleyan leads 38-5

Previous Meeting: Wesleyan 23, Bates 7 (Sept. 27, 2025 in Lewiston, Maine)

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WESLEYAN LAST WEEK:

The Wesleyan football defense held Colby to just nine first downs and 155 yards of total offense, but needed a late 69-yard Blake Newcomb touchdown catch to finish off the Mules for a 21-7 win. The Cardinals (4-0) controlled play throughout, gaining nearly 400 yards of offense to remain unbeaten on the year, while the Mules (0-4) remain winless this season.

Donte Kelly was a constant threat throughout, catching nine balls for 114 yards, while classmate Tommy Kilroy recorded two interceptions to headline a tremendous defensive effort that held the Mules to just five first downs through the first three quarters.

The Cardinals couldn't have started much better as Wesleyan's offense engineered a 13-play, 75-yard drive that lasted nearly nine minutes and finished with a 1-yard QB sneak from Fitzsimons for the score. Wesleyan faced a 3^rd-and-5 from their own 45-yard line and managed a first down on a Sean Cannon 13-yard reception. Later faced with a 4^th-and-goal from the 1-yard line, the Cardinals kept their offense on the field and the decision paid off with a Fitzsimons plunge up the middle on the QB sneak.
 
Wesleyan's defense forced Colby into a three-and-out on what was the Mules' only possession of the entire first quarter. The Cardinals held the ball for the remainder of the first quarter, ultimately coming up empty in terms of points as Gage Hammond saw his 31-yard field goal attempt hit the left post. 
 
Colby's offense continued to struggle throughout the second quarter, with the Mules picking up just two first downs in the period, while Wesleyan added to their lead with a 9-play, 64-yard drive to make it 14-0 at the half. Fitzsimons found Kelly for a 16-yard pickup on 3^rd-and-7 early in the drive to keep the sticks moving, then a 16-yard rush from Angelo LaRose was followed by a 20-yard catch from Keith Capuano to set up a 1^st-and-goal. Just one play later, Fitzsimons called his own number again, scoring from the 1-yard line on a QB sneak.
 
After forcing another three-and-out on the first possession of the second half, Kilroy came up with his first of two interceptions in the contest midway through the frame on a 3^rd-and-13 play.
 
It was still 14-0 Wesleyan with under 10 minutes remaining in the fourth when Fitzsimons was intercepted for the third time in the game, as Nicholas Cox carried 36 yards across midfield to give Colby a chance to make up the deficit. Now on what was their third quarterback seeing snaps, Jagger Matera found some openings and marched his team down the field, ultimately finding Sean Trinder in the end zone to make it a one-score game with just over five minutes left.
 
Two plays into the ensuing Wesleyan drive, facing a 3^rd-and-3 from their own 31-yard line, Fitzsimons looked to his right and found Newcomb for the play of the game as the senior wideout slipped past his corner, sprinting 69 yards down the field for a touchdown that pushed the deficit back up to 14 points with 3:26 remaining.
 
A last-gasp chance to stay in the game saw Colby try to push the ball down the field, but Matera was intercepted by Kilroy on a deep ball at the Wesleyan 12-yard line, sealing the win for the Cardinals on a picture-perfect fall afternoon.
 
Fitzsimons finished 22-for-28, throwing for 323 yards and 1 TD, but the senior quarterback threw three interceptions and was sacked three times as Colby's defense held their own against a QB that came in with 0 turnovers on the year through the first three games.

BATES LAST WEEK:

The host Williams College Ephs used a big second quarter to propel themselves to a 34-0 win over the Bates football team Saturday afternoon. 

The Bobcats (0-4 NESCAC) held the Ephs (3-1 NESCAC) at bay in the first quarter, keeping the game scoreless for the first 15 minutes of action. 

But Williams impressed with a 13-play, 95-yard scoring drive that took 7:18 off the clock. Rookie quarterback Drew Weiler used his legs to great effect, converting a third-and-six from the Williams nine with a 15-yard run. A steady mix of run and pass matriculated the ball down the field and Weiler capped off the drive with a 13-yard touchdown run, putting Williams up 7-0 after the extra point with 12:19 left in the second quarter.

That began a string of three straight touchdown drives for the Ephs in the quarter, with Brady Stahelski running the ball in from 19 yards out with 4:09 remaining until halftime and Aiden Clark adding a two-yard score on the ground with 1:54 on the clock.

The Bobcats punted on their first four drives of the game. On their fifth drive, sophomore quarterback Jack Gilmore (North Arlington, N.J.) ripped off a rush of 13 yards to get the ball near midfield. Another Gilmore run pushed the ball into Williams territory. The Bobcats went for it on fourth and four from the Williams 45 but a deep ball by Gilmore fell incomplete and the Bobcats turned it over on downs with 22 seconds remaining until halftime.

Down 21-0 to start the second half, the Bobcats appeared to get on the board when junior Jeff Vidou (Cornish, N.H.) returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. But the outstanding return got called back due to a holding penalty on the Bobcats. 

Bates went three-and-out and punted the ball back to the Ephs. The defense gave the team a spark when senior Jack Morrison (Manchester, Vt.) picked off a Weiler pass at the Bobcat 19. But on third and seven, the Ephs got the ball right back thanks to an interception by Brady Carroll.

The Bobcat defense held, forcing the Ephs to kick a 34-yard field goal. Leonardo Maiuolo made the kick to put Williams up 24-0 with 7:09 left in the third.

Unfortunately, Bates had no answer on offense. No Bobcat drive went for more than 30 yards on the afternoon. Maiuolo added a 21-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter and Quinn Rucker punched the ball across the goal line with 1:55 left in regulation to provide the final margin of victory for the hosts.

The Ephs out-gained the Bobcats in total offense by a count of 404-111 on the day. Williams racked up 24 first downs to just eight for Bates. 

Despite the loss, Bates did have some standout performers on defense. Sophomore Liam Keaney (Swampscott, Mass.) led all players with 12 total tackles, including nine solo stops. He sacked Weiler once and notched a pair of tackles for loss. Junior cornerback Samuel Christopher (Los Angeles, Calif.) impressed with four pass breakups. First-year Shawn Baumann (Oak Ridge, N.J.) added a QB sack for the second straight week.

BATES AND WESLEYAN'S LAST MEETING:

Matt Fitzsimons passed for 254 yards and a touchdown as the defending NESCAC champion Wesleyan University Cardinals pulled away in the fourth quarter to defeat the Bates football team 23-7 at Garcelon Field. 

The Bobcats hung with the Cardinals for most of the game despite the early loss of senior captain Sergio Beltran (East Palo Alto, Calif.) due to injury.

Wesleyan struck first, going on a 16-play, 76-yard drive that started late in the first quarter and stretched well into the second, totaling more than 10 minutes. Tyler Flynn punched it in on third-and-goal from four yards out and Gage Hammond made the extra point, putting the Cardinals up 7-0 with 7:05 left in the second. 

But the Bobcats answered with an impressive drive of their own, going 75 yards in 10 plays. A roughing the passer call got the ball into Wesleyan territory and a 27-yard strike from senior quarterback Jack Perry (Newbury, Mass.) to Ryan Lynskey (Cranford, N.J.) got the ball to the Cardinal 17. On third and 13 from the Wesleyan 20, the Bobcats got a big pass interference penalty whistled against the visitors, moving the ball down to the five. Lynskey muscled his way into the end zone on the next play and Marcos Ruiz (Haskell, N.J.) made the extra point, tying the game at seven with 1:49 remaining until halftime.

Unfortunately for Bates, Wesleyan wide receiver Blake Newcomb took over on the ensuing drive. He caught passes of 12, 35, and 12 yards, with the 35-yard catch a leaping grab over two Bates defenders. Then he drew a pass interference penalty to get the ball to the Bates five. Matt Diaz ran it in from there to put the Cardinals up for good at 13-7. A missed PAT made it a six-point game at halftime.

The Bates defense forced a three-and-out to start the third quarter. Then the Bobcat offense went on a 13-play, 40-yard drive that took 7:16 off the clock. The drive stalled at the Wesleyan 33 and senior punter Parker Huynh-Benningfield (Austin, Texas) pinned the Cardinals at their own 10. 

For the second time in the contest, the Cardinals ate up more than 10 minutes of clock on a drive, going 76 yards in 15 plays. Kicker Gage Hammond made a 30-yard field goal to extend the Cardinal lead to 16-7 with 11:17 remaining in regulation.

The Bobcats failed to do much on offense on their next drive, with a personal foul penalty and sack causing the drive to only gain one net yard despite taking almost two and a half minutes. 

Then the Cardinals struck the knockout blow, as Fitzsimons found Donte Kelly for a 50-yard touchdown pass, giving Wesleyan a healthy 23-7 lead with 7:06 left.