WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – The William & Mary football team began its conference slate with a thrilling 28-27 victory against Maine in its home opener at Zable Stadium on Saturday evening.

Running back Rashad Raymond scored the game-winning touchdown from a yard out with 3:11 remaining, which punctuated a seven-play 65-yard drive that was highlighted with a pair of long runs (25, 20) by quarterback Tyler Hughes.

W&M's (1-1, 1-0) defense thwarted Maine's (0-2, 0-1) comeback bid on the ensuing drive when cornerback Jalen Jones intercepted Carter Peevy near midfield on a pass tipped by linebacker Luke Banbury.

Much of the game was played in a steady rain, as lightning delayed kickoff for an hour and then interrupted the contest for another 45 minutes early in the first quarter.

Although W&M trailed at halftime, 17-7, it charged back with touchdowns on its first two drives in the third quarter. The first score came on a 6-yard pass from Hughes to tight end Sean McElwain, while running back Josh Miller finished off the following drive with a 2-yard touchdown run.

McElwain's touchdown was set up when linebacker Stephon Hicks blocked a punt and safety David Roulley returned the loose ball to Maine's 17-yard line.

The Tribe's lone score during the first half came on a 23-yard strike from Hughes to wideout Deven Thompson midway through the second quarter.

In addition to throwing a pair of touchdown passes – and completing 13-of 19 passes for 129 yards – Hughes rushed for a team-high 73 yards on 10 carries.

Raymond also came up big on the ground with 69 yards on 18 carries with a score.

Banbury led the Tribe in tackles for the second consecutive week and recorded a career-high 16 stops (9 solo) with three pass breakups. Linebacker Harrison Johnson also recorded a double-digit tackle total for the second straight week with 11 tackles to go with 1.5 TFL. Linebacker Jorden McDonald posted a sack.

Although Maine outgained W&M, 323-253, the Tribe limited the Black Bears to just 97 passing yards. Additionally, W&M held UM to just 5-of-15 on third downs.

W&M also maximized its scoring opportunities and found the end zone with all four of its trips into the red zone.

The Tribe will return to its non-conference slate when it plays at Virginia next Saturday at noon. The game will be televised on ACC Network.
 
Season tickets, mini plans and single-game tickets for all W&M's home games are available at TribeAthletics.com. Learn more about the enhanced fan experience at Zable Stadium for the 2025 season, including security improvements, pre-game areas, shuttle service, the new Kids Zone, fan experience upgrades, and more at TribeAthletics.com.