The Panthers overcame deficits of 12 and four points in a nail-biting victory in Middletown, CT against Wesleyan on Saturday, Sept. 26. When the outcome seemed in doubt with just minutes to play, Middlebury took a 28-25 lead on a screen pass from 2014 NESCAC Co-Offensive Player of the Year Matt Milano ’16 to Diego Meritus ’19. The first-year back took it 43 yards to the house thanks to a couple of huge blocks from right tackle Andy Klarman ’17 and slot receiver Conrado Banky ’19. Linebacker Wesley Becton ’18 put the final nail in the coffin with an interception with just over 1:00 left to play.
Milano and Co. started off like gangbusters, driving 78 yards on the game’s opening possession for a touchdown on a six-yard scamper by the quarterback. After that, though, neither team could tally another score in the first quarter.
With the second quarter under way Wesleyan began gaining ground at will on the way to three scores by the middle of the third quarter.
The score should have been 21-7 in favor of Wesleyan, but 2014 All-NESCAC Second Team defensive lineman Gil Araujo ’16 just got enough of a hand on the Cardinals’ first PAT to keep it out of the uprights. Later the Cardinals’ kicker was unable to convert after Wesleyan’s third TD, leaving the score at 19-7 in favor of the home team. Those points left on the table would come back to haunt the Cardinals.
The third quarter brought new life to Milano, the team’s top returning pass-catcher Ryan Rizzo ’17, and Milano’s new favorite red zone target, tight end Trevor Miletich ’16. Rizzo racked up 126 yards on five receptions, the second-most yards in the NESCAC on Saturday, and Miletich hauled in two touchdowns, the first of his career.
“What was nice to see [from Miletich] was that the sophistication of his route-running was beyond his experience,” Head Coach Bob Ritter said. “We rely on that position a lot, and Matt [Milano] does have a good rapport with him, so we were pretty excited to see that he came up big for us.”
The Cardinals continued to pound away on the ground en route to compiling 296 yards rushing in the game, but the Panthers defense kept Wesleyan out of end zone until late in the fourth quarter.
Wesleyan was able to break the plane with 5:49 left in the contest to take a four-point lead, 25-21. Because of the two failed extra points earlier in the game, Wesleyan elected to attempt a two-point conversion, but the pass fell incomplete and the score stood pat. Had the Cardinals been able to make a PAT on each occasion, they would have led by seven and the game may have ended differently.
As it were, the Panthers started off its game-winning drive at the 25-yard line. Milano and gang made quick work marching down the field. Banky hauled in a 15-yard catch on the drive’s initial snap. On the next play, Meritus took the handoff and was gobbled up after just a two-yard gain, but a personal foul on the defense advanced the football to the Wesleyan 43. Meritus immediately followed that up with the dagger on his 43-yard trot to the end zone.
Now up 28-25, Middlebury was in a position to seal the deal by playing good defense. The Panthers did just that, forcing a three-and-out on the Cardinals next possession, but the offense was unable to move the ball and kicked it right back to Wesleyan after a three-play, five-yard, 58 second drive. The Cardinals took the ball with 2:06 remaining and 81 yards to go to the end zone, and the opportunity to kick a game-tying field goal.
The Panthers defense stepped up once again, forcing the Cardinals into a 4th and 13 situation with the game on the line. Becton closed the book on the Cards by picking off an errant throw from Hawkins. Even though the defense bent throughout much of the second and third quarter, it did not break when it counted.
“When you’re on defense,” Ritter said, “it’s always hard going into the first game, because there are scheme things you can’t anticipate or you haven’t seen before. And so I think our guys came up big when they had to and learned on the run as the game went on.
Milano finished the game 23-34 with 337 yards and a 3-0 touchdown-inerception record, while Rizzo led the team in receptions and receiving yards. Rookie kicker Charlie Gordon ’19 was a perfect 4-4 on extra points. Tim Patricia ’16 led the team in stops, with 12 stops and one interception, and was followed closely by safety Dan Pierce ’16 (11 tackles, one sack) and linebacker Addison Pierce ’17 (10 tackles).
The football team has now won its last six contests dating back to last season, and will play Colby (0-1) this Saturday, Oct. 3. The Mules were stomped by Trinity, 34-0, in their season opener last Saturday.
