Just two weeks ago, William and Mary football (2-2, 1-2 Patriot) was flying high following a season-opening upset on the road against Villanova (2-2, 1-1 Patriot) and a home-opener win against Delaware State (2-2, 0-0 MEAC), reaching No. 16 in the Football Championship Subdivision poll.
Following a 52-27 blowout loss Saturday, Sept. 19 against previously winless Fordham (1-3, 1-1 Patriot), however, the Tribe is now searching for answers.
“The goal for us is to look at ourselves, at what we are doing, how we are doing it,” head coach Mike London said following the game.
Despite a Family Weekend crowd of 11,743 at Zable Stadium in Williamsburg, Va., the Tribe was outmatched from the opening kick and never threatened a comeback against an explosive Rams offense.
“We got out-coached and outplayed,” said London, who thanked Tribe fans for their support.
The Rams opened the year against a gauntlet, dropping road contests to Football Bowl Subdivision opponents North Dakota State (4-0, 1-0 Mountain West) and Coastal Carolina (1-2, 0-0 SBC).
“There were things they were highly competitive in and successful with even though the scores were not as they favored them to be,” London said.
The Rams racked up 569 yards of total offense, including 428 on the ground, more than tripling their average output from the first three games.
Saturday’s loss marked the second consecutive week the Tribe’s run defense allowed significant yardage. In a 44-20 loss to Lehigh (4-0, 3-0 Patriot) the week prior, William and Mary sacrificed 366 rushing yards and five scores on the ground.
“You have to coach and teach those things [stopping the run] to where whoever is playing, they have an opportunity to be successful,” London said, taking full blame for his defense’s collapse. “We did not do a good enough job of doing the things we needed to take care of from the previous week.”
London was quick, however, to concede that his team’s run-defense woes would define the entire campaign.
“It is early to say, ‘wash away the season,’” London said, acknowledging that the defensive game plan will require a complete overhaul.
Early on, the Tribe showed promise. After forcing a three-and-out on Fordham’s opening series behind a pass breakup from junior defensive back Brendan Robinson, junior quarterback Winston Watkins orchestrated a sustained drive deep into the Rams’ territory.
Twenty-yard gains from junior running back Andrew King and freshman wide receiver Khylil Johnson set up the Tribe at the Fordham 17-yard line, but William and Mary turned the ball over on downs after Watkins was stuffed on fourth-and-two.
From there, Fordham’s ground game took complete control, anchored early by sophomore running back Yohan-Li Louis.
Louis took the ball down to the William and Mary 20-yard line after a 50-yard rush, before senior quarterback Gunnar Smith connected with senior wide receiver KJ Reed for an 18-yard touchdown catch.
Facing an early deficit, the Tribe compounded its mistakes with a botched punt, giving the Rams prime field position at the William and Mary 29-yard line.
Fordham senior running back Jamell James, who entered the game with just 61 rushing yards on the season, punished the error with a 5-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 14-0.
Tackling issues plagued the Tribe all night, as defenders repeatedly failed to bring down Fordham runners on initial contact, needing three or four players to wrap up.
“Injuries happen, but when you are playing, it is all about how you can out-execute the team you are playing against,” London said.
The bleeding continued when sophomore wide receiver Nate Williams fumbled the ensuing kickoff, setting up Fordham at the Tribe 20-yard line.
The Rams, who finished 7 of 8 in the red zone, capitalized immediately. Smith hit sophomore tight end John Morris for a 10-yard touchdown pass to put Fordham ahead at 21-0.
After racing out to a 16-0 lead in its last home game against Delaware State, William and Mary found itself on the wrong end of an early blowout.
King, one of the bright spots for the Tribe in its loss to Lehigh, took matters into his own hands. Following a 7-yard gain on first down, he exploded through a seam for a 67-yard touchdown run in the opening minute of the second quarter, cutting the deficit to 21-7 with his third score of the year.
King’s explosive run, however, failed to spring the Tribe’s offense into action on following drives. Fordham’s defense put consistent pressure on Watkins in the pocket. The Rams recorded seven sacks on the night, a significant improvement on the meager 2.3 they averaged across the first three games of the campaign.
After the game, London again stressed that Watkins must exercise better judgment under pressure.
“The quarterback has to get rid of the ball [on] third down situations instead of taking a sack,” he said.
The Tribe’s execution errors resurfaced on a 53-yard field goal attempt from junior kicker Max Lipinski in the second quarter. A high snap disrupted the timing, and Lipinski’s kick fell short of the crossbar.
Fordham padded its lead seconds before halftime on a 14-yard touchdown connection from Smith to senior wide receiver Nodin Tracy.
Despite an early red zone stand by the Tribe’s defense that held Fordham to a field goal and a 31-7 advantage, the second half unfolded much like the first.
Louis and James consistently found gaping holes in the Tribe’s defense, with the former averaging a staggering 13.5 yards per carry. James posted 9.6 yards per rush.
Still, a few young receivers offered glimpses of upside during the second-half stretch.
“There were a couple freshmen that made some catches that were pretty good,” London said.
Freshman wide receiver Luke Vanantwerp recorded 77 of his 81 receiving yards after the break, building on a five-catch, 55-yard performance the previous week.
The Rams’ fifth touchdown of the night, which extended their lead to 45-20, epitomized the Tribe’s performance across the entire 60 minutes.
After Watkins hit sophomore wide receiver Kai Austin for a 27-yard touchdown, Louis shredded the front seven, broke three tackles, and sprinted 57 yards to the end zone.
With Zable clearing out, the Rams continued to run all over the Tribe’s defense, with James recording his third rushing touchdown of the night.
London and his coaching staff must make immediate adjustments ahead of a road matchup against defending Atlantic Coast Conference champion Duke (3-0, 1-0 ACC) Saturday, Sept. 27. The Blue Devils’ ground game, averaging 229 rushing yards per game, presents another steep test for the Tribe.
“The pendulum of life goes back and forth,” London said. “You embrace the fact that another challenge is coming up.”
Despite losing early-season momentum, London remains optimistic that his team will turn things around and get back on the right track.
“I like this team,” he said. “I like who we are.”
