A Tale of Two Halves
Williams dominated the first two quarters and the Ephs led 14-0 at half time. But Colby took the second half kickoff and drove 85 yards in 6:30 for a touchdown. The crafty Mules then resorted to an onside kick, which worked. Two-and-a-half minutes later, they had their second touchdown.
Ephs Resurgent
But the score remained 14-12, because Colby missed their first point-after then failed on a 2-point conversion. The Ephs then responded with a 75-yard drive of their own, and another 66-yard drive ending in a field goal by Ivan Shuran, putting the Ephs up 24-12 with 6 minutes to go.
Talent and Treachery
But Colby fought back, driving an impressive 95 yards in 12 plays to pull within 5 at 24-19 with 2 minutes to play. The Mules then tried their second onside kick, which Williams recovered but was flagged for offside. Colby’s repeat attempt sailed out of bounds, giving Williams the ball.
Final Victory
The Ephs gained 9 yards on 3 plays and punted the ball to Colby with 54 second to play. The Mules drove frantically to the Ephs 20, but on 3rd and 10 and under pressure an errant Colby pass fell into the hands of Eph sophomore Brady Carroll with 14 seconds left, sealing the Williams victory. In the end, the Ephs created just enough breaks to win—and did.
Talent and Resolve
Williams prevailed despite yielding more yards passing (243 vs. 192) and rushing (118-94). While time of possession was nearly identical for both teams, Colby garnered 27 first downs to the Ephs 19. Eph QB Owen McHugh was a stellar 16 of 18 passing to 9 different receivers, and led the Ephs with 70 yards gained on the ground. Mario Fischetti netted 49 rushing. Punter Leonardo Maiuolo impressed again, averaging 41 yards per boot on four punts with two inside the 20. The Ephs defensive depth shone, with 21 different Ephs recording tackles on the day.
Trial at Trinity
Saturday’s game in Hartford now looms large with both teams at 2-0. Trinity notched victories over Colby (17-7) and Bates (28-7) and is led by a stingy defense yielding only 225 total yards per game, second in NESCAC. The Bantam offense will again test the Eph defense: Trinity is currently second in NESCAC in passing yards and sixth in rushing.
