WATERVILLE, Maine — The Middlebury College football team on Saturday scored 21 fourth-quarter points and forced five turnovers to defeated host Colby, 31-14. The win moved the Panthers to 2-1 heading into a 1:30 p.m. home game vs. Amherst on this coming Saturday.
The Panthers scored the only points of the first half early on. Will Jernigan recovered a fumbled Colby punt reception after the Panthers failed to move on their first possession. One play later, Panther quarterback Jack Meservy connected with tight end Frank Cosolito on a 20-yard scoring strike. The touchdown was Cosolito’s third in three games and the fifth-straight game he has scored dating back to last season.
The Mules drove to the Middlebury 12-yard line on their next possession, but Panther Colin Paskewitz forced a fumble that was picked up by teammate Zander Bailey. The Mules returned the favor by stopping Middlebury on fourth-and-goal from the Colby one, and the half ended with Middlebury up, 7-0.
Colby quarterback Matt Hersch threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Ethan Smith at 7:12 of the third quarter as the Mules knotted the score at 7-7. 
Middlebury fumbled the ensuing kickoff, but the Middlebury defense held, and Michael Carr blocked a 19-yard field goal attempt.
Late in the quarter Panther kicker Carter Massengill converted a 25-yard field goal to put his team up 10-7, points that came after a Charles Roselle interception at the Mule eight-yard line.
After holding Colby on fourth-and-two from the Panther 11-yard line, Middlebury marched 90 yards on eight plays in 3:31, taking a 17-7 lead on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Jernigan, now in at QB, to Cosolito with 6:22 remaining.
Just over a minute later, Panther Matthew Daniel picked off a pass and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown to make it 24-7.
Roselle picked up a Colby fumble on its next possession, and Roselle returned it 14 yards to the Mule six-yard line. Jernigan scored on a six-yard run on the next play to make it 31-7. Hersch hit Andrew DeFranco for a late Colby touchdown to create the final score.
Jernigan rushed for 79 yards on 11 carries and also completed seven of 12 passes for 95 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Meservy finished four for nine for 36 yards, also tossing a TD and an interception. Peter Scibilia rushed for 72 yards on 13 carries. 
Panther Jonathan Hobart led all tacklers with 10, while Bobby Ritter and Kevin Maxwell each had seven stops.
Colby QB Hersch completed 20 for 36 passes for 182 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. The Panthers limited Colby back Jake Schwern to 82 yards on 29 carries.