WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (Oct. 6, 2018)—The William & Mary football team rallied back from a 12-point deficit with a pair of touchdowns late in the fourth quarter to earn a thrilling 25-22 victory against Albany at Zable Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
 
W&M (2-3, 1-1) quarterback Shon Mitchell scored the game-winning touchdown on a 6-yard run with just 50 seconds remaining. Wide receiver Isaiah Kinder put a punctuation on the exciting comeback when he connected on a short pass to Mitchell for the 2-point conversion that gave the Tribe a 25-22 lead with just 0:50 remaining.
 
Albany (2-3, 0-2) advanced near midfield on its ensuing possession, but safety Corey Parker intercepted quarterback Vincent Testaverde at the W&M 22 and W&M ran out the final 10 seconds to preserve the conference victory.
 
W&M's fourth quarter comeback began when wide receiver DeVonte Dedmon hauled in a 17-yard touchdown pass from Mitchell with 5:17 remaining that narrowed the margin to 22-17.
 
W&M's defense held UA to a three-and-out on the following series to set up the game-winning touchdown drive.
 
In addition to throwing and rushing for touchdowns on W&M's final two possessions, Mitchell completed 8 of 8 passes for 110 yards during the pair of series.  
 
Tribe Standouts
Mitchell accounted for all three of W&M's touchdowns – two passing, one rushing – and finished the contest 24 of 32 for 263 yards with an interception.
 
Dedmon recorded seven catches for 138 yards with two touchdowns, which included a 50-yard score on the opening drive of the game.
 
Defensively, Parker and linebacker Nate Atkins both tallied interceptions, while defensive tackle Bill Murray added five tackles, 1.5 sacks and a blocked PAT during the fourth quarter. Defensive end Carl Fowler continued his impressive play and posted 2.0 TFL.
 
Inside the Numbers
Albany outgained W&M, 395-301, and held a 264-38 advantage in rushing yards.
 
However, the Tribe was efficient through the air and owned a 263-131 margin in passing yards. UA's passing yardage was 164.5 yards less than its average entering the contest.
 
The Great Danes committed nine penalties for 66 yards, while W&M was flagged just four times for 35 yards. 
 
The Opposition
Albany running back Elijah Ibitokun-Hanks rushed for 221 yards on 25 carries, which included a 36-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter.
 
Wideout Jerah Reeves totaled a team-high six catches for 111 yards.
 
Linebacker Levi Metheny posted a team-high 10 tackles.
 
Notes
The contest was the first meeting between W&M and Albany … The win marked the 18th time during head coach Jimmye Laycock's career that W&M has rallied back from a double-digit deficit in the second half … Dedmon posted his third 100-yard receiving game this season and recorded his third touchdown catch of the season that covered at least 50 yards … Dedmon moved into a tie for ninth all-time at W&M in career touchdown catches (18) … He is now tied for 10th at W&M in career receptions (141) and moved up to sixth in all-purpose yards (3,666) … Murray's blocked PAT early in the fourth quarter was the fourth of his career … True freshman linebacker Jack Erwin made his season debut on special teams and became the fourth true freshman to play for W&M this season … Placekicker Jake Johnston converted his first career PAT following Dedmon's touchdown catch late in the fourth quarter … W&M improves to 21-10 when it scores first dating back to 2013 … W&M held UA wide receiver Dev Holmes without a catch after the talented wideout entered the contest averaging 146.8 yards per game.
 
Up Next
The Tribe will return to action when it plays at No. 23/24 Towson next Saturday at 4 p.m.