WATERVILLE, Maine — The Middlebury College football team moved to 2-0 on Saturday, when the Panthers defeated host Colby, 35-14, as quarterback Jared Lebowitz threw five touchdown passes for the second consecutive week. Colby dropped to 1-1. The Panthers return to action on Saturday when they host Amherst at 1:30 p.m. Amherst, like Middlebury, has racked up big wins in its first two games.
On this past Saturday, Middlebury got on the board when Ryan Rizzo caught an eight-yard touchdown pass from Lebowitz early in the second quarter.
On their next possession, the Panthers needed just three plays to score: Lebowitz hit Conrado Banky for a 64-yard strike and a 14-0 lead at 10:21 of the second quarter.
Middlebury scored on its third straight possession when Lebowitz found James Burke from 47 yards out to make it 21-0 at the half.
Middlebury opened the second half with another scoring drive, moving 77 yards on 11 plays to make it 28-0. Diego Meritus gained 36 yards on the ground on the march, and tight end Frank Cosolito’s first career catch was 20-yard touchdown.  
One possession later, Middlebury scored on an 80-yard, nine-play march that ended when Lebowitz hit Banky from 36 yards out.
Colby got on the board on its ensuing possession when quarterback Christian Sparacio scored on a two-yard rush. He completed three passes for 44 yards on the drive. The Mules scored again in the fourth quarter. The drive featured two fourth-down conversions and ended with a 29-yard touchdown pass from Sparacio to Sebastian Ferrell with 2:28 remaining.
Middlebury outgained Colby, 429 yards to 245, as Lebowitz competed 17 of 25 attempts for 320 yards in three quarters of action. Jack Meservy completed four of six passes for 16 yards in the fourth.
Meritus finished with 62 yards on 11 carries, while Banky caught seven passes for 198 yards. Burke pulled down three catches for 66 yards, while Rizzo caught five passes for 40 yards.
Wesley Becton and Justin Fahey paced the Panther defense with eight tackles apiece. Addison Pierce earned seven stops with a sack, while Clay Hunt made seven tackles with an interception. Kevin Hopsicker also picked off a pass. The Panther defense finished with 11 tackles for lost yardage.
Sparacio went 10-for-23 through the air for 109 yards and a touchdown. Jabari Hurdle-Price led the Mule ground game with 43 yards on 15 carries.