October 21, 2000
MIDDLETOWN, Conn. - On an afternoon highlighted by offensive inefficiency and defensive stalemate, it should come as little surprise that the difference in Saturday's Little III opener between visiting Amherst College and the host Wesleyan University Cardinals came down to special teams. True enough, the punting game turned out to be the key, as Amherst junior Derrell Wright (Hudson, OH) returned a punt 68 yards late in the second quarter for a touchdown, and Jeff senior Dave Frankel (New York, NY) blocked a punt through the back of the endzone just before the half, giving Amherst's defense all the points it would need, as the Jeffs hung on for the 9-7 win.
The Jeffs went three-and-out on their first possession of the day, and Wesleyan kicker Vin Balsamo (Wallingford, CT) pushed a 30-yard field goal attempt wide left, as the game quickly turned into a struggle between two of the NESCACÕs best defenses. The Jeffs went three-and-out on their next three possessions, managing only 18 yards of total offense in the first quarter. The second quarter did not start out much better for the visitors, as Wesleyan drove to the Amherst 12, only to have Balsamo's second 30-yard field goal attempt done in by a botched snap. The Jeffs finally earned a first down on their next series, but still had to punt from midfield midway through the second quarter.
The Cardinals went three-and-out on their next possession, and Wesleyan punter Mark Olschefskie (Glastonbury, CT) boomed a 47-yard punt to the Amherst 32, where Wright turned in what would prove to be the play of the game. Wright fielded the punt on one hop, evaded the first Wesleyan downfield man before hurdling the second Cardinal tackler to break free down the left sideline, running the punt back from 68 yards out to put the Jeffs on the board. After Wright's first career punt return for a touchdown, the two teams traded turnovers on their next two possessions, before Wesleyan went three-and-out from their own 15, sending Olschefskie out to punt again. This time, Wright would never be a factor, as Frankel came untouched through the middle, getting a hand on the Wesleyan punt and knocking it backwards, where it rolled through the back of the Wesleyan endzone for a safety. Amherst's first safety since 1998 gave the Jeffs a 9-0 lead heading into the locker room, despite managing only 97 yards of total offense in the first half.
In the second half, the Amherst offense continued to struggle, managing only 37 yards of total offense in the third quarter. The Cardinals, on the other hand, began to show signs of life, culminating with a 60-yard touchdown pass from rookie Wesleyan signal-caller Brennan Carney (South Burlington, VT) to junior wideout George Thompson (Jacksonville, FL) with 5:18 remaining in the third.
From there, the game turned into a defensive stalemate, with neither offense able to move the ball efficiently during the last 20 minutes of the game. After the touchdown, Carney was picked off on two of the Cardinals' next three possessions, including a pick by Frankel with 12:09 remaining in the fourth, and one by Amherst Tri-captain Brian Daoust (Dover, MA) with 1:39 remaining that effectively sealed the Amherst win. Wesleyan got the ball back one last time with 26 seconds remaining, but four straight desperation passes from Carney fell incomplete, and the Jeffs had their fourth win.
On the afternoon, Amherst finished with a season-low 184 yards of total offense - their lowest output in five years - as they posted a win without any offensive scoring for the first time in over a decade. Junior Okey Ugwonali (Dallas, TX) carried the ball 22 times for 57 yards, and classmate Jerimy Hiltner (Limon, CO) caught three passes for 47 yards. Wright, who entered the game averaging over 90 yards receiving per contest, had only one reception - for three yards - but had five punt returns for 111 yards, including the touchdown.
Honig finished six of 17 for 65 yards for the Jeffs (4-1), while Carney, his counterpart, turned in another solid performance for Wesleyan (3-2), completing 23 of 45 passes for 206 yards, 112 of which were earned by Thompson, who pulled in a game-high six passes.
With the win, their seventh straight over Wesleyan, the Jeffs spoiled Wesleyan's homecoming for the third straight time, improving to 57-40-9 all-time against their Little III foes. The win also guarantees the Jeffs a shot at their first outright Little III title since 1986 when they face arch-rival Williams on November 11, though Amherst's attention will first be turned to the Tufts University Jumbos, who come to the Pioneer Valley next Saturday for a 1:30 p.m. Family Weekend battle with the Jeffs. Wesleyan hosts Bowdoin College next weekend, before they head to Williams on November 4 for the second leg of the Little III mini-season. Saturday, October 21, 2000 at Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut.
