MIDDLETOWN, CT – The Amherst football team played spoiler for the Wesleyan University faithful gathered for parents' weekend and homecoming on Saturday at Corwin Stadium as the Mammoths outlasted the Cardinals, 16-14, in four overtimes. Down 14-0 at the halftime break, the Mammoths stormed back and sent the game into overtime on a six-yard pitch-and-catch from Brad Breckenridge '24 to PJ Clementi '22 with 23 seconds remaining. As the rain poured down in Middletown and the muddy conditions intensified, the Mammoths and the Cardinals battled through four overtimes with the decisive blow coming on a Breckenridge pass to Carson Ochsenhirt '23 that was good for two points under the new overtime rules in college football. The ensuing two-point attempt by the Cardinals resulted in an interception by Ricky Goodson '22 and the Mammoths storming the rain-soaked Corwin field after ending the Cardinals undefeated season.

The Mammoths move to 5-2 on the season and mathematically keep their hopes of a NESCAC Championship alive. Wesleyan falls to 6-1. In a battle of two other NESCAC undefeated teams, Williams dominated Trinity, 42-3. In the unlikely case that Williams loses to Wesleyan next weekend, an Amherst win over Trinity would set up an Amherst-Williams season finale with the NESCAC Championship at stake.

The game began with both teams unable to muster any offense. Amherst punted on its first four offensive possessions and only gained 29 yards on their longest drive. Wesleyan too punted on their first four possessions, but were effective on their fifth drive late in the second quarter, moving 43 yards downfield in five plays. They capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown run by Charlie McPhee that made the game 7-0.

Capitalizing on another Amherst punt just before the half, the Cardinals converted on an efficient two-minute drill with a five-yard touchdown pass from Wesleyan QB David Estevez to McPhee. Estevez went 4-5 for 51 yards on the drive before finding McPhee for six points. The game went to the half with Wesleyan up, 14-0.

Amherst came out of the locker room and wasted no time, scoring a touchdown on their opening possession. Breckenridge connected with Clementi twice, including a monster gain for 44 yards, and Amherst went into its bag of tricks the day before Halloween as WR Carson Ochsenhirt found Turner Garland '22 to finish the drive with a nine-yard touchdown pass. Amherst pulled within one score with 13:11 remaining in the third quarter.

Wesleyan struggled offensively in the second half as the rain continue to pour down and ended its drives with three punts and a turnover-on-downs. Amherst marched into the red area once more in the third quarter – set up by an Ochsenhirt grab for 27 yards – but a 38-yard field goal attempt by Conor Kennelly '23 was no good.

Gaining possession with 2:46 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Mammoths put together their best drive of the season to tie the game at 14 with 17 seconds remaining. On the first play of the drive, Breckenridge connected with Joe Masterson '22 for 40 yards down the sideline and worked the clock down from there. Louie Eckelkamp '24 converted a massive fourth-and-one with 29 seconds remaining and on the next play Breckenridge found Clementi for a six-yard touchdown. Kennelly added the extra point and Amherst and Wesleyan were headed to overtime.

Each team received the ball at their opponents' 25-yard line for the first two overtime periods and Wesleyan worked the ball down to the Amherst one-yard line in the first overtime. David Estevez passed incomplete on fourth-and-one at the one, giving Amherst a shot to win the game.

The Mammoths did not have success in the first two overtimes as Breckenridge threw an interception in the first overtime and was sacked for a ten-yard loss in the second. Wesleyan took the ball in the second overtime and needed just a field goal to win, but Ricky Goodson '22 intercepted Estevez on a deep pass and sent the game to another extra period.

Under the new rules in college football as of the 2021 season, after two overtimes the ball moves to a two-point conversion opportunity for both teams. An Estevez run was stuffed by the Mammoths from that two-yard spot in the third overtime, but the Mammoths could not steal a victory on their own possession.

Amherst got the ball first in the fourth overtime and silenced the Wesleyan crowd. Breckenridge struggled to handle the shotgun snap, but gathered himself, rolled right, and gave Ochsenhirt a chance to put Amherst up two. The junior wide receiver dove to pull in Amherst's first points since regulation.

Wesleyan needed to convert in the fourth overtime, but Ricky Goodson – now the back-to-back NESCAC Defensive Player of the Week after his performance at Wesleyan – intercepted Estevez and sent the Mammoths onto the field in a frenzy. Amherst wins, 16-14.

Breckenridge went 13-26 for 170 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in difficult passing conditions. Kellen Field '22 was held in check with seven carries for 19 yards, while Louie Eckelkamp rushed seven times for 19 yards as well.

The Amherst receiving core was the difference offensively. In the rain and mud at Corwin Stadium, the Mammoths made several big plays as Joe Masterson finished with six catches for 97 yards and PJ Clementi grabbed four balls for 69 yards and a touchdown. Ochsenhirt caught two for 35 yards and threw for a touchdown, while Turner Garland caught a critical touchdown in the third quarter. Tim Swope '24 had another huge game for the Mammoths, recording 11 tackles, including one for loss. Flynn McGilvray '23 was massive on the defensive line with eight total tackles and classmate Charles McKissic '23 was critical in the secondary with seven tackles. Nate Tatko '22 added seven tackles at the second level.

Amherst looks to build on its momentum when it travels to Trinity College next Saturday November 6. Kickoff in Hartford, CT will be 1PM.