Wesleyan University's Jesse Warren '15 threw three touchdown passes and LaDarius Drew '15 ran for two scores as the Cardinals rolled to a 35-6 NESCAC win against the Hamilton College Continentals at Hamilton's Steuben Field on Sept. 28.
Box Score
Wesleyan (2-0 overall, 2-0 NESCAC) won at Hamilton for the first time since 2007. The Cardinals have outscored their two opponents this year, 87-15.
Warren was 14 of 19 for 203 yards before he was pulled after three quarters. Drew ran for 96 yards on just 11 carries. Lou Stevens '17 added 85 yards on 12 rushes. The Cardinals finishes with 211 yards on the ground and outgained Hamilton 414 to 255.
Nik Powers '15 led Wesleyan's defense with eight tackles, recovered a fumble and recorded a half-sack. Vincent Davis '15 and Kris Luster '17 forced one fumble apiece and Myers Beaird '14 returned an interception 21 yards. The Cardinals limited the Continentals to just 2 of 13 on third-down conversions.
Joe Jensen '15 posted the second 100-yard receiving game of his Hamilton career with four catches for 103 yards and the Continentals' touchdown. Chase Rosenberg '17 was 6 of 12 passing for 25 yards in his first collegiate start. Colin Pastorella '16 played the entire second half and was 8 of 13 for 138 yards and one score. Rico Gonzalez '16 led Hamilton's rushing attack with 47 yards on 14 carries. James Stanell '14 finished with 33 yards on eight rushing attempts. Stanell left the game in the second quarter and didn't return.
John Phelan '16 was credited with a career-high 11 tackles, including two for losses for the Continentals. Alex Mitko '16 had 2.5 tackles for losses and ended up with a career-best 10 stops. Andrew Madigan '14 forced a fumble and Daniel Finger '16 recovered a pair of fumbles.
Wesleyan grabbed a 7-0 lead on the first play of its second offensive series in the first quarter. From the Cardinals' own 34-yard line, Warren threw a screen pass to tight end Kevin Hughes '14 on the right side. The 6-foot, 4-inch, 230-pound Hughes broke some tackles and sprinted 66 yards down the right sideline. Sebastian Aguirre '14 added the extra point with 6:48 left in the first. Aguirre was a perfect 5-for-5 on PATs.
Wesleyan added to its lead early in the second quarter. A 19-yard punt return by Donnie Cimino '15 gave the Cardinals great field position at the Hamilton 41. Warren found Jonathan Day for a 16-yard gain on first down, and then Drew carried the ball four straight times for 25 yards. The last run was 8 yards around left end for a touchdown with 10:37 to go.
Wesleyan took a 21-0 lead late in the quarter after Beaird's interception of a Rosenberg pass at the Cardinals' 31. Kyle Gibson '15 gained 20 yards on four carries and Warren completed a 26-yard toss to Jay Fabien '15. On third-and-7 from the Continentals' 12, Warren found Josh Hurwitz '15 for 7 yards and a first down at the Hamilton 5-yard line. Two plays later, Warren rolled to his right and completed a 3-yard toss to a wide-open Stevens in the end zone with 1:18 remaining.
Wesleyan went up 28-0 on its first drive in the third quarter. Drew was stuffed for eight yards in losses on his first two carries. On third-and-18 from his own 24, he took the handoff and went up the middle on a draw play. Drew busted through the line of scrimmage, sprinted through the secondary and ran 76 yards into the end zone with 13:20 left in the third.
The Cardinals scored their last touchdown seven minutes later. Wesleyan's drive started at the Continentals' 38 after a 29-yard punt from deep in Hamilton's own end. After two short completions and an incomplete pass, The Cardinals faced fourth down from the 34. Warren dropped back and lofted a pass that the 6-2 Fabien wrestled away from 5-9 Glen Donovan '16 at the goal line for the touchdown.
The Continentals (0-2, 0-2) avoided the shutout on Pastorella's 24-yard TD strike to Jensen in the left side of the end zone with 4:54 remaining in the fourth quarter. Pastorella was 4 of 4 for 79 yards on the scoring drive. Jensen has seven touchdown catches in his Hamilton career.
The Continentals travel to Trinity College on Saturday, Oct. 5, for their first road game of 2013. Wesleyan hosts Colby College in NESCAC action on Saturday.
