Thursday, Aug. 29, No. 15/16 William and Mary football (1-1, 0-0 CAA) prevailed over Virginia Military Institute (0-2, 0-1 SOCON) 41-7 in its home season opener at Zable Stadium in Williamsburg, Va.
This contest marked the Tribe’s first Thursday night season opener since 2007. Historically, the Green and Gold has won 15 of its last 17 home openers.
Head coach Mike London expressed his excitement getting to open the season at home in front of the William and Mary fanbase.
“Anytime you can play at home, particularly your opener, is great,” London said. “I expect the campus and game to be with a lot of people cheering us on.”
As the sun began to set on Zable Stadium, the coin toss resulted in VMI electing to defer the ball. A new season of Tribe football was underway as senior wide receiver Damian Harris returned the ball 21 yards to the William and Mary 31.
The Tribe began its drive with a handoff to the left side for senior running back Bronson Yoder. Suffering a season-ending injury last year, Yoder’s first touch of the 2024 season was good enough for a 2-yard gain.
The next play on second and 8 was a wide receiver screen to senior wide receiver DreSean Kendrick, who turned up the field for a substantial 20-yard reception.
On first and 10 at the VMI 47, the Tribe ran an option play for senior athlete Hollis Mathis, which resulted in a 1-yard gain. Mathis — who was once solely a quarterback — is now used in many different capacities ranging from a receiver to a back. This adds depth and versatility to the Tribe offense.
After an incompletion on second and 9, senior quarterback Darius Wilson scrambled up the middle to convert the first down at the VMI 35-yard line.
Nearing the redzone, William and Mary looked to feed Yoder, utilizing him both with handoffs and direct snaps. Six consecutive rushes by Yoder proved too much for VMI to stop. On the final run, Yoder was able to punch the ball into the end zone from the one-yard line. With William and Mary drawing first blood and going up 7-0, attention now turned to stopping the VMI offense.
After a 13-yard return to the VMI 13, the Keydets offense began to work through senior running back Hunter Rice, who began the drive with a three-yard gain. Following the rush, VMI went to the air with redshirt sophomore quarterback Collin Shannon throwing to redshirt senior wide receiver Julio DaSilva on a wide receiver screen, good enough for the first down. VMI followed that play with another first down gain from a jet sweep by redshirt sophomore Ivan Thorpe.
After another short run by Rice, a couple of incomplete passes by Shannon resulted in a fourth and 4 situation at the William and Mary 37-yard line. Choosing to gamble and go for it, the Keydets ultimately came up short of the line of gain after good containment by the Tribe defense.
After the turnover on downs, the Tribe began its drive with a touch pass to senior running back Malachi Imoh going to the right side for a 3-yard gain. William and Mary went back to the touch pass, this time for Mathis which yielded a 39-yard touchdown. Unfortunately due to an offensive holding call on senior wide receiver JT Mayo, the ball was called back.
Following the penalty, William and Mary went to Imoh for back-to-back rushes up the middle for 12-yard and 7-yard gains, respectively. The Tribe then went to the air through Wilson rolling out to his right and finding Mayo for a 15-yard completion. On first and goal, Imoh got the call to punch the ball in down the middle to score the Green and Gold’s second touchdown of the day. With three minutes left in the first quarter, William and Mary led 14-0.
VMI looked to respond offensively, utilizing Rice in the ground game on three rush attempts, which resulted in minimal gains. VMI was unsuccessful passing the ball, going zero for three on passing attempts this drive. With the string of incompletions, the VMI punt team was sent on.
Kendrick received the ball for the Tribe, returning the punt for 10 yards to the William and Mary 36 and marking the end of the first period.
Starting the second quarter, Wilson began the drive with a quarterback scramble for an eight-yard gain. On second and 2, Wilson found Kendrick on an out route for a 10-yard completion, which was good enough for a first down. Wilson then went back to the quarterback run again, scrambling for six yards.
After back-to-back incomplete passes, the Tribe faced a fourth and 4 situation. Deciding to go for it, Wilson worked his magic in the pocket and evaded the VMI pass rush. He found sophomore tight end Sean McElwain rolling out to his right, which he completed for 13 yards. Unfortunately, this play was called back due to an offensive holding call on senior offensive lineman Charles Grant, sending the William and Mary punt team on.
Senior kicker Ruben Anderson punted the ball deep into VMI territory at the 11-yard line.
The Keydets looked to get on the board and started their drive with a rush by Rice down the middle, good for 5 yards. On second and 5, VMI sent sophomore wide receiver Destin Moore to the left for a substantial 13-yard rush.
VMI looked to pass on the next play but was broken up in the air by redshirt freshman linebacker Elijah Rainer. The Tribe doubled up on defensive excellence with sophomore linebacker Desmond Cook coming downhill to make a great open field tackle on a VMI rush attempt, forcing third and 1.
On a critical third-down play, the Keydets put Rice in a direct snap and rushed up the middle to convert the first down. With a new set of downs, Shannon went back to the air again and connected with redshirt senior wide receiver VJ Johnson for a five-yard completion.
Facing second and 5, Shannon went to the air again but was unable to connect with his receiver. After the play, a flag was thrown for pass interference against the Tribe’s senior cornerback Jaedon Joyner. The penalty moved the line of scrimmage to the William and Mary 39, as well as an automatic first down.
On first and 10, Shannon looked to pass but was unable to connect with his receivers due to good coverage by the Tribe safety. Looking to pass again, the Tribe pass rush got to Shannon for a sack, resulting in a loss of four yards on the play. With third and 14 coming up, the Tribe pass rush once again got to Shannon, with redshirt freshman defensive lineman Ty Gordon recording the sack for a loss of two yards.
Facing fourth and 16, VMI sent its punt team on. On the punt, senior linebacker John Kearney got to the kicker and blocked the punt, sending the ball backwards. With the live ball on the ground, there was a scramble by Tribe players to scoop it up. Redshirt freshman linebacker Clayton Dobler came up with the football, running toward the VMI end zone for a Tribe special teams touchdown. With the extra point converted, William and Mary went up 21-0 with seven minutes, 25 seconds remaining in the second quarter.
On the ensuing kickoff, VMI looked to get on the scoreboard with its following drive. After a touchback, the Keydets looked to get started with first and 10 on the VMI 25.
VMI began its drive with back-to-back rushes by redshirt sophomore running back Luke Schalow before going to the air. Shannon strung together two consecutive completions to Thorpe and Rice, driving the Keydets down at the William and Mary 35. VMI then went back to the ground game through Rice and Schalow. After back-to-back rushes by Rice, VMI went back to him for a final time on second and 3 at the William and Mary 12-yard line. Evading multiple Tribe defenders, Rice strolled into the end zone, finally putting the Keydets on the board at 21-7 with two minutes, 16 seconds left in the half.
On the VMI kickoff, Harris returned the ball to the 27-yard line as the Tribe looked to respond with its own drive. William and Mary began the series with a hand-off to Imoh toward the left side but was stifled by the VMI defense for a one-yard gain.
With less than two minutes to go in the period at its own 28-yard line, William and Mary took a timeout to talk things over, looking to score before halftime.
Out of the timeout, the Tribe ran a play action with Wilson, finding Mathis on a deep crossing route. Mathis then cut back inside for substantial yards after catch. Wilson looked to the air again on the next play for a one-on-one matchup but was ultimately unable to complete the pass.
William and Mary then ran a read option for Wilson, who scrambled up the middle of the field for 14 yards. Wilson fumbled the ball at the end of his run but quickly recovered the ball again.
Now at the VMI 13-yard line, the Tribe turned to the ground game through Yoder. After recording a nine-yard and no-yard gain — putting the Tribe at the VMI 4 — William and Mary took a timeout with 20 seconds left in the half.
Out of the huddle, the Tribe put Mathis in motion on a jet sweep, handing him the ball for a four-yard rush to the right pylon, resulting in a touchdown to close the half.
With minimal time on the clock, Shannon kneeled the ball for VMI, sending both teams to the locker room at halftime. The Tribe led VMI 28-7.
Coming out of halftime, VMI received the ball and returned for substantial yards. After a series of rush attempts, the Keydets found themselves at fourth and 1. On this critical down, VMI ran the ball to the left but was stopped before the line to gain by the steadfast Tribe defense.
With the turnover on downs, the Tribe offense came back on the field at its own 39-yard line.
Wilson began the drive hitting Yoder on a checkdown, who turned up field and made VMI defenders miss a substantial 21-yard completion. Yoder was then fed the ball via handoff this time for an eight-yard rush to the right.
On second and 2, the Green and Gold ran a wide receiver screen for Kendrick on a five-yard completion, enough for a first down. With a new set of downs, the Tribe ran another wide receiver screen — this time for Harris — but resulted only in a minimal gain.
At the VMI 26, William and Mary put Mathis in motion on another jet sweep to the right. Mathis turned up the field and sprinted to the end zone for a 26-yard touchdown. With the extra point being converted, the Tribe increased the deficit 35-7 with 9:55 left in the third quarter.
As the VMI offense took the field again following the Tribe kickoff, the Keydets continued to falter with a three-and-out. After a series of downs that resulted in a fourth and 1 situation, VMI once again sent on its punt team to kick the ball away.
With junior cornerback Jalen Jones calling for the fair catch at the William and Mary 39-yard line, the Tribe offense took the field again with 8:19 left in the quarter.
On the first play of the drive, Wilson found Harris on a deep route, losing his defender for a 30-yard completion. The Tribe then went to the ground through Imoh, who went to the outside for a strong two-yard rush. Imoh was given the ball again on a half back toss to the left side, which he turned up the field for 11 yards.
William and Mary then ran an option play for Wilson, whose toss to Imoh was unsuccessful. Imoh needed to recover the ball on a 14-yard loss.
Now facing second and 24, the Tribe ran a running back screen for Imoh, who turned up field for a 16-yard gain with his blockers. Now on third and 8, Wilson scrambled out of the pocket toward the line to gain but was stopped 2 yards short. Sending the field goal team on, Tribe senior kicker Eric Bernstein converted the place kick.
During the kick, a flag was thrown on the play against VMI for offsides, giving the Tribe offense a second chance.
At the VMI 5-yard line, William and Mary fed the ball to Imoh on a counter run down the middle, good enough for a four-yard gain. Handing the ball off to Imoh again, the VMI defense stopped the Tribe for no gain, still at the VMI one-yard line.
On the next play, Wilson ran a play action and rolled out to his left. On the move, Wilson found McElwain open in the end zone for another Tribe touchdown. With Bernstein missing the extra point kick, William and Mary now led 41-7 with 2:59 left in the third period.
The ensuing Tribe kickoff resulted in a touchback, placing the VMI offense at its own 25-yard line to start the drive. After a short run by Schalow, Shannon went to the air but was intercepted by Tribe senior safety Marcus Barnes. Immediately after the interception, Barnes fumbled the ball, which was recovered by VMI sophomore tight end Nathan Lhotsky.
Despite this second chance, a short run and two incompletions resulted in another fourth down for the VMI offense. With the punt team coming on, Kendrick returned the football to William and Mary’s 29-yard line.
It was at this time that many Tribe starters were pulled from the game, with the win all but secure. The score would remain the same for the remainder of the game, as neither team put points on the board.
In what was a convincing victory for the Green and Gold, Wilson was clinical, throwing for 190 yards and two touchdowns. The ground game also thrived with the Tribe amassing 205 yards and three touchdowns, with Yoder and Imoh accounting for a majority.
On the defensive end, senior linebacker Alex Washington recorded a team-leading eight tackles. Barnes and freshman safety Jaden Ratliff each recorded an interception of their own.
London was content with his team’s performance in the season opener.
“Darius did a good job throwing the ball to the different receivers, and defensively, guys got after it, pitching a shutout in the second half,” London said. “Special teams being able to block a punt with the scoop and score was a great opportunity. Obviously, there’s a lot of things we need to continue to work on, but I thought the coaches and players did a good job bringing energy, knowing the situations and just playing really good football.”
Saturday, Sept. 7, No. 13/14 William and Mary football (1-1, 0-0 CAA) fell to Coastal Carolina (2-0, 0-0 SBC) 40-21 in its second game of the season at Brooks Stadium in Conway, S.C.
The Tribe look to right the ship against Wofford (2-0, 0-0 SoCon) Saturday, Sept. 14 at Gibbs Stadium in Spartanburg, S.C.