Competing against defending Atlantic Coast Conference champions Duke (4-0, 1-0 ACC) was never going to be an easy task for William and Mary football (2-3, 1-2 Patriot) and head coach Mike London.
The timing of the Tribe’s trip to Durham, N.C., could not have been worse. Coming off consecutive defeats to Lehigh (5-0, 3-0 Patriot) and Fordham (1-4, 1-1 Patriot), the last thing Tribe football needed was a matchup against the undefeated Blue Devils.
Unable to stop a red-hot Duke offense, William and Mary fell 62-7 at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, N.C., Saturday, Sep. 26.
“I am ultimately responsible as the head coach,” said London after the blowout. “[I] have got to make sure things are taken care of from coordinators to players.”
London also attributed his team’s performance to injuries.
“The ‘next man up mentality’ is what you are supposed to do, but it does resonate with how you want to be competitive on the field,” London said. “[At] this point in the season, everybody has got issues going on, it just seems as [if] we have got a significant amount.”
On the first drive of the afternoon, the Tribe’s defense had multiple opportunities to capitalize on third-down situations. Both times, however, Duke graduate student quarterback Walker Eget extended the drive for the Blue Devils through the air. After moving the ball into Tribe territory, Eget found redshirt sophomore wide receiver Jayden Moore in the back of the end zone, giving Duke a 7-0 lead less than five minutes into play.
Facing an early deficit, the Tribe found itself a window of opportunity. A failed fake punt attempt from Duke junior punter Kade Reynoldson gave junior quarterback Winston Watkins an edge.
However, this opportunity amounted to nothing for William and Mary. An intentional grounding penalty against Watkins on the corresponding drive set the Tribe back to a daunting third-and-19 situation. A blocked 52-yard field goal attempt from junior kicker Max Lipinski kept the Tribe at 0 on the scoreboard.
Duke’s offense made the Tribe pay immediately. Graduate student wide receiver Jonah Burton brought the ball down to the 38-yard line after a 36-yard reception, and sophomore running back Nate Sheppard ran the ball in from 19 yards out, extending the Blue Devils’ lead to 14-0.
With its back against the wall less than 10 minutes into the game, the William and Mary offense quickly struck back.
Facing a third-and-17 situation, Watkins found freshman wide receiver Khylil Johnson down the middle for a 63-yard completion.
“They [Duke] started double-teaming him to make sure that they addressed his explosive ability,” said London about Johnson. “He is a dynamic player.”
Watkins found junior running back Jack Reuter for a 6-yard pitch-and-catch, finishing off the drive. Reuter’s touchdown catch marked the first reception of his collegiate career.
On Duke’s next drive, the Tribe’s defense stopped the Blue Devils from entering the end zone for the third time. Eget’s third-and-7 pass fell incomplete, forcing Duke to settle for a 32-yard field goal from redshirt sophomore kicker Cosme Salas. The Blue Devils extended their lead to 17-7.
From this moment on, the William and Mary offense struggled to move the ball.
The wave of Duke scoring drives continued throughout the second quarter. After sophomore safety Andrew Pellicciotta returned a William and Mary punt to the opposing 29-yard line, redshirt freshman quarterback Dan Mahan connected with redshirt freshman wide receiver Kavon Simmons for a passing touchdown. Mahan, Duke’s second-string quarterback, then landed another 29-yard passing touchdown, this time to redshirt freshman wide receiver Jaivon Solomon.
Now at a 24-point deficit, it seemed as if the William and Mary offense could put at least three points up on the board after working the ball into the Duke red zone.
A third-down 12-yard pass to sophomore wide receiver Kai Austin left the Tribe needing just one yard to convert on fourth down. However, the Duke defensive line stopped Watkins’ quarterback run, leading to a turnover on downs.
The Tribe’s failed fourth-down attempt left enough time for Eget to work the Duke offense 95 yards down the field. In just 90 seconds, the Blue Devils added another touchdown to their first-half tally: Eget connected with graduate student wide receiver Jared Richardson for a 28-yard passing touchdown.
At the end of the first half, the Tribe faced a whopping 38-7 deficit.
Although Duke largely turned to backup and younger players throughout the second half, the game changed little for the Tribe.
After Eget found Burton from the 12-yard line out in the end zone, a holding penalty on the Blue Devils’ offensive line forced the hosts to settle for three points. Salas recorded his second field goal of the afternoon.
With just under four minutes remaining in the third quarter, Mahan recorded his third passing touchdown of the afternoon, finding freshman wide receiver Brody Keefe from 28 yards out and extending the home team’s lead to 48-7. Mahan’s six completed passes and three passing touchdowns marked his first in both categories this season.
In the closing stages of the game, the Blue Devils tallied two more touchdowns to their already impressive offensive display. Freshman running backs Jayvian Tanelus and CJ Givers ran the ball in from 4 yards and 28 yards out, respectively, pushing Duke over the 60-point mark.
Aside from the five passing touchdowns Duke tallied during Saturday’s game, London also highlighted his team’s continued struggles against the run.
“You might not be in the right gap, but you have got to make the tackle,” London said. “There were some guys that missed tackles that extended their play drives.”
With this three-game setback, London emphasized the importance of mental resilience.
“It’s tough right now, but the pendulum of life flows back and forth all the time, you just got to respond to it,” London said. “We’re down, we’ll get back up, and we’ll be ready when we get back home to Zable.”
The Tribe now shifts its focus toward its return home to Zable Stadium in Williamsburg, Va., where it will face Holy Cross (1-4, 1-2 Patriot) Saturday, Oct. 3.
“We’re excited about playing in front of the students, getting the students out there again,” London said. “I can’t wait to go back over to the student section and count down with them.”
