While the 2026 campaign for William and Mary football (2-0, 1-0 Patriot) is only two weeks old, the Tribe defense is quickly making a name for itself as a turnover-forcing powerhouse.
Eight days after forcing four turnovers in an upset win over then-No. 7 Villanova (1-1, 1-1 Patriot), the William and Mary defense forced six turnovers against Delaware State (1-1, 0-0 MEAC) en route to a 22-15 win in the Tribe’s home opener at Zable Stadium in Williamsburg, Va.
Saturday’s victory marked the eighth consecutive home opener won by the Tribe under head coach Mike London, keeping his record in home openers perfect since his return to Williamsburg in November 2018.
Tribe Athletics used Saturday’s game to honor the life and legacy of former head coach and College Football Hall of Fame member Lou Holtz, who passed away in March 2026. President Katherine Rowe and Director of Athletics Brian Mann joined Holtz’s son on the field in the first quarter.
On an evening in which the Tribe offense sputtered, recording just 187 total yards and a disappointing 1-for-12 third-down conversion rate, every turnover and advantageous field position that came with it were critical.
“Whether it [has] caused fumbles, interceptions or strip-sacks, those are things we worked on in the course of the week,” London said.
The Tribe started a remarkable seven of their 15 offensive drives on Saturday night in Delaware State territory.
William and Mary’s offensive showing stood in stark contrast to its performance in Week 0 against Villanova, where it racked up nearly 400 yards of total offense and converted half of its third-down opportunities. The Tribe’s 187 yards against the Hornets averaged a meager 3.46 yards per play.
After bringing Delaware State’s first offensive drive to a quick halt, the Tribe’s offense moved down the field in a hurry.
Spurred on by a 63-yard pass from junior quarterback Winston Watkins to freshman wide receiver Khylil Johnson, the Tribe set up on the Hornets’ 6-yard line. For his efforts, Johnson was honored as the Patriot League Rookie of the Week.
A sack by Hornets junior defensive tackle Quoy Rainey forced the Tribe to settle for a 25-yard field goal, which junior kicker Max Lipinski drilled through the middle.
Following a blocked punt by freshman outer linebacker Declan Ta’amai, the Tribe offense had prime field position at the Delaware State 19-yard line.
Determined to avoid settling for another field goal attempt, junior running back Andrew King took matters into his own hands, rushing into the end zone from 14 yards out. He extended the Tribe’s lead to 10-0 midway through the first quarter.
Facing a 10-point deficit just eight minutes into the game, Delaware State senior quarterback Ui Ale looked to use his legs to drive his team upfield. The Tribe defense, however, was prepared. Sophomore defensive back Jaden Ratliff stripped the ball from Ale, and junior linebacker Elijah Rainer recovered it at the Delaware State 26-yard line.
Once again, King capitalized on the short field, recording his second rushing touchdown of the game and pushing the Tribe lead to 16-0 before the end of the first quarter.
“One of the things we talked about this week in practice was starting off fast,” King said. “I think we did a really good job of doing that.”
Following King’s touchdown, the Hornets’ offense showed its first signs of life in the final stages of the first quarter.
Facing a third-and-20, Ale connected with senior wide receiver Kyree Benton to extend the drive. This was followed by another completion to redshirt senior wide receiver Jaylin Terzado, who moved the ball into Tribe territory for the first time in the game.
Just as it looked as though the Hornets could trim the Tribe’s 16-point lead, the William and Mary defense stepped in to snuff out the threat.
Junior defensive lineman Ty Gordon ripped the ball away from Delaware State sophomore running back Sean Weston, recovering the fumble at the Tribe’s 37-yard line. With a chance to blow the game open for good, the Tribe’s offense came to a grinding halt with four consecutive possessions ending without points.
Key to the Tribe’s offensive struggles late in the first quarter was the Hornets’ defensive line, which recorded seven sacks over the course of the game.
“He [Watkins] has got to get the ball out,” said London, who also praised the Delaware State defensive line’s athleticism and intensity.
In the meantime, however, the Tribe defense continued doing what it does best: forcing turnovers.
After sophomore defensive end Nathaniel McDonald took Ale down in the backfield, fifth-year defensive lineman and team captain Davin Dzidzienyo recovered the Tribe’s third fumble of the game with 10 minutes, 34 seconds remaining in the second quarter.
“Mac [McDonald] probably took more plays than he normally would because we had two other guys go down,” said London, praising his player’s mentality.
A missed 48-yard field goal from Delaware State senior kicker Patrick Fisher-Butler ensured the Tribe entered halftime ahead at 16-0.
The Tribe finally broke out of its in-game offensive slump on the first drive of the second half, working the ball down the field behind Watkins and King, who combined for 42 yards on the ground.
Unable to turn another red zone trip into six points, the Tribe once again turned to Lipinski, who extended the Tribe’s lead to 19-0.
For Delaware State, the third quarter largely mirrored the first half, with drives derailed by turnovers — including an interception by Tribe sophomore linebacker Xavier Dillard.
Dillard returned the interception back 67 yards down to the Hornets’ 4-yard line, giving the Tribe a chance to land a knockout punch.
On third-and-goal from the 1, Watkins coughed the ball up to Delaware State graduate defensive linebacker Jordan Banks, squandering a golden opportunity.
However, in a rapid exchange of possessions, Ale gave the ball straight back to the Tribe with his second interception of the evening, this time picked off by sophomore defensive back Trevon Cannon.
Lipinski’s 51-yard field goal with 12 minutes, 20 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter pushed the Tribe lead to 22-0.
“The level of confidence that they have in me gives me confidence in myself,” Lipinski said.
Lipinski earned the Patriot League Special Teams Player of the Week award following his three-for-four performance on field goals Saturday night.
Just as the Tribe appeared to be cruising toward a shutout, the game was turned on its head.
Following two fumbles and two interceptions, Delaware State head coach DeSean Jackson made a change at the quarterback position, bringing in former Tribe player and senior quarterback Noah Brannock.
Facing a 22-point deficit with only 12:20 remaining in the fourth quarter, Brannock marched his team down the field in six plays before scrambling for the 11-yard line and spoiling the shutout.
Brannock would then get his second touchdown of the fourth quarter with a two-yard rush and a successful two-point conversion.
What was once a comfortable 22-point lead suddenly shrank to seven, with all of the momentum on Delaware State’s side.
Under its first real spell of game pressure, the Tribe came up with the key defensive stop it needed.
On consecutive plays, McDonald made his way into the Hornets’ backfield, taking down Brannock for a sack on second down before breaking up a pass on third down to force a difficult fourth-and-6 scenario for the Delaware State offense.
With the Zable Stadium crowd on its feet, it was fitting that the William and Mary defense — which had ignited the first-quarter blitz — sealed the victory after junior defensive back Brendan Robinson deflected Brannock’s fourth-down pass.
“I thought defensively today it was an outstanding game,” said London, pointing to the number of turnovers his team forced and Delaware State’s two-for-11 third-down conversion rate.
Equally important for London and his squad was the ability to follow up an emotional upset win and the media attention that came with it.
“I think us as a team, we kind of have that 1-0 mindset,” Rainer said. “We never look ahead or look behind; we always just focus on the moment.”
Having started the season playing two teams that finished the 2025 campaign with winning records, the road will not get any easier for London’s squad next week. The Tribe will look to keep rolling against No. 10 Lehigh (2-0, 2-0 Patriot) at Murray H. Goodman Stadium in Bethlehem, Pa.
