MEDFORD, MA (September 22, 2025) -- The Tufts University football squad heads out on the road for the first time in 2026, traveling to Middletown, Connecticut for a date with the defending New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) champion Wesleyan University Cardinals. Tufts is fresh off a season-opening 42-28 win over Hamilton College Saturday, as senior running back
Christian Shapiro found paydirt four times. Wesleyan went on the road and knocked off Middlebury College 35-13, as Matt Fitzsimons threw for three scores and 269 yards.
Game Details
Opponent: at Wesleyan University (1-0, 1-0 NESCAC)
Date: Saturday, September 26, 2026
Time: 1:30 p.m.
Location: Middletown, Conencticut –
Corwin Stadium
Weather: Cloudy With Rain and High Winds, High Mid 60s, Chance of Rain: 60%, Wind: NNE 20-25 MPH
Live Coverage:
LIVE STATS –
LIVE VIDEO
Jumbos vs. Wesleyan All-Time
In what is one of the most even rivalries in the NESCAC over the years, the Cardinals come into Saturday's match-up with a 27-26-2 all-time mark over the Jumbos dating back to the first meeting in 1892. The Jumbos and Cardinals have defended home field well in this series, as the last four meetings have gone to the hosts, including a 22-20 win for Tufts last season in Somerville. The Jumbos though are looking for their first win in Middletown since 2005, a 16-6 win that featured a rushing and passing touchdown from now Tufts men's lacrosse head coach Casey D'Annolfo. The last four games in Middletown have been close contests, with the largest margin coming two seasons ago in a 20-9 win for Wesleyan.
A Look At The Jumbos (1-0, 1-0 NESCAC)
Tufts comes into Saturday's match-up with Wesleyan looking to build on last week's offensive explosion in a 42-28 win over Hamilton College. Tufts rushed for 176 yards in the game, 110 coming from senior running back
Christian Shapiro, who scored four times on the ground. Shapiro was named as the NESCAC Offensive Player of the Week after his four score afternoon, also earning the coveted New England Football Writer's Association Gold Helmet award.
In addition to Shapiro's rushing exploits, junior quarterback
Hudson Weidman rushed 11 times for 51 yards while going 13-for-19 for 218 yards and two touchdowns. The day started slow for Weidman throwing the ball, overthrowing his first three targets but he settled in to connect with junior
Granville Anderson II for an 11-yard touchdown. He would later hit
Keller Rogers for a big 63-yard touchdown in the third quarter, which was Rogers' fifth touchdown over the last two seasons. During that time, Rogers has posted five touchdowns on just 11 catches, while averaging 33.8 yards per catch for his career. The Jumbos also saw junior
John Getman get involved in the passing game, making four grabs for 39 yards at tight end.
The offensive unit was efficient inside the red zone, scoring six on all five of their trips inside the 20-yard line, while going 7-for-13 on third downs. Tufts also converted both fourth downs, and its lone two-point conversion. In the end, Tufts held the ball for 37 minutes of the game and posted an even nine first downs rushing and passing.
Defensively, the Jumbos weren't on the field for that long but saw senior
Riley Yaker post six tackles to go with a sack. Junior
Dazer van Leeuwen also added five tackles and a sack, and sophomore
Lucas Gonzalez added his first career interception. The team forced Hamilton into just 3-of-7 on third downs, while holding the Continentals to just 28 yards rushing.
First-year
Ted Gialanella was solid with four punts for 132 yards, putting two down inside the 20-yard line. One of his punts actually hit a Hamilton player, and was recovered by senior
Justin Keller to set up Tufts' first score Saturday.
Head coach
Jay Civetti became the program's all-time leader in wins with his 61st Saturday, passing Lewis Manly who coached from 1930-45. A win over Wesleyan on the road though would be his first as head coach in his 16 year tenure.
A Look At The Cardinals (1-0, 1-0 NESCAC)
Wesleyan is coming off a 35-13 win over Middlebury to start its 2026 campaign, as reigning NESCAC Offensive Player of the Year Matt Fitzsimons tossed for three touchdowns in the win.
Neither team scored in the first quarter, but Wesleyan woke up with three touchdown drives in the second quarter, including a pair of touchdown catches by Blake Newcomb. Middlebury and Wesleyan would trade scores the rest of the game, but the cusion was too much for Wesleyan.
Wesleyan outgained Middlebury 413-332 in the contest including a 144-70 edge in rushing yards. The Cardinals averaged four yards per carry with Angelo LaRose gaining 46 yards on the ground, Fitzsimons had 36, and Matt Diaz totaled 35. Newcomb led the receivers with five catches for 101 yards and two touchdowns. Keith Capuano finished with four catches for 63 yards and one score. Donte Kelly added four receptions for 47 yards and Sean Cannon totaled four catches for 46 yards.
Tony Contaldi led the Wesleyan defense with eight tackles while Bronikowski had three pass breakups and Quinn Sebeeran registered the lone sack on the day for either side.
Wesleyan has scored 31 or more points in five of its last six games dating back to a season ago, and has won four straight overall dating back to last season as well.
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NESCAC Week 2 Schedule
Amherst at Hamilton - 1:00 PM
Trinity at Bates - 1:00 PM
Middlebury at Bowdoin - 1:00 PM
Williams at Colby - 1:00 PM
Tufts at Wesleyan - 1:30 PM
--JUMBOS--
