It was a back-and-forth battle for the ages out on Youngman Field on Saturday afternoon, with the Middlebury football team edging Williams 32-29 in overtime. 
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• The Panthers came out strong, taking an early 7-0 edge on their first drive of the contest. On third-and-seven at the Middlebury 28, Brian Moran found Ethan Vashel for a 53-yard reception, before later connecting with Patrick Jamin for a 16-yard scoring strike. Zach Levy split the uprights for the lead with 2:52 expired.
• The Ephs responded on their first possession, marching down the field 90 yards on 15 plays. Owen McHugh hooked up with Jimmy Montesano for a four-yard touchdown, and Ivan Shuran converted the PAT to knot the contest at 7-7.
• Middlebury brought the defense in the second quarter, pressuring McHugh and forcing Williams to settle for a pair of field goals. Shuran tallied two boots from 32-yards to put the Ephs in front 13-7 with just under 10 minutes remaining in the half.
• On the ensuing drive, Connor McClellan rushed for a combined 63 yards, including a seven-yard touchdown to tie the game at 13 apiece. Levy's extra point was good, giving the Panthers a 14-13 edge which held until the intermission.
• The third quarter was a wild affair riddled with unique plays and penalties. The Ephs started the frenzy with a 43-yard field goal from Shuran to take a 16-14 lead with 7:29 remaining.
• On the following drive, Teddy Daniel downed a punt by Ty Brinkmann at the one-yard line, putting Williams up against the wall. The Panther defense stood tall and forced the Ephs into punting formation. A bad snap sailed over the punter's head, resulting in a safety for Middlebury to deadlock the game, 16-16.
• Kicking off from his own 20-yard line, Shuran's long onside kick was recovered by the Ephs at the Panther 14-yard line. Williams took advantage of its position, as McHugh found Luke Bobo for a 13-yard connection just inches shy of the endzone. Mario Fischetti completed the drive with a one-yard rushing touchdown and Shuran's extra point was good, pushing the Ephs to a 23-16 edge.
• Middlebury would not back down, as Moran completed a 35-yard toss to Vashel, before McClellan found the endzone from 37-yards out. Levy's kick sailed through the uprights, as the Panthers locked the game at 23 points apiece.
• Early in the fourth, Middlebury looked to take the lead, but Levy's 38-yard attempt sailed wide left.
• With 3:26 remaining, Shuran converted a 28-yard field goal to give Williams a 26-23 edge.
• Taking over at their own 30, the Panthers were determined to steal the contest from the Ephs. With just 13 ticks left on the clock, Levy booted a 37-yard field goal to knot the game at 26-26 and send the contest into overtime.
• Williams started with the ball in the extra session and Fischetti had five jaunts to get the ball to the five-yard line. Middlebury's defense held strong, forcing the Ephs' to settle for a 22-yard Shuran field goal to regain the advantage (29-26).
• The Panthers would not be denied the win on home turf. Cody Weitzman had back-to-back rushes before the team called a timeout. A Williams holding penalty on third-and-three gave Middlebury a fresh set of downs, and it took advantage. Weitzman powered the ball to the one-yard line before McClellan blasted into the endzone a play later to secure the 32-29 triumph for the Panthers.

NOTES

• McClellan had a career-high 95 yards rushing with a trio of touchdowns, including the game-winner. 
• With one field goal today, Levy moves into a tie for third place with 18 in his career. 
• Daniel had a trio of pass breakups during the game, while Matt Shaw led the squad with a career-high 10 tackles (five solo).
• Charlie Ozolin had a pair of interceptions for 23 yards during the contest.
• Middlebury and Williams met for the 96th time with the Panthers claiming its third-straight victory over the Ephs. Of the last 11 matchups, six of them have come down to one possession. 

The Panthers remain at home for the sixth week, attempting to hand Trinity's its first loss of the season with a 1:00 p.m. kickoff on Saturday.