VILLANOVA, Pa. – The William & Mary football team opened its inaugural season in the Patriot League with one of the most thrilling victories in the program's 133-year history, as it scored 13 points in the final 53 seconds to overcome a 10-point deficit and earn a 35-32 win at No. 8/7 Villanova on Friday evening.
Kicker
Max Lipinski punctuated the season-opening triumph with a 45-yard game-winning field goal as time expired. The successful kick was his school-record-setting fifth made field goal of the contest and propelled W&M to its first road win against a top-10 opponent since 2021 when it also won at Villanova.
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Although W&M trailed by double digits, 32-22, following Isaiah Ragland's 37-yard touchdown run with 2:43 remaining, the Tribe quickly marched down the field and closed within a touchdown on a 40-yard field goal by Lipinski with 53 seconds remaining.
After
Brendan Robinson recovered
Sam Braidwood's ensuing onside kick, quarterback
Winston Watkins connected on a 37-yard touchdown pass to wideout
Kai Austin three plays later with just 0:22 left on the clock.
Freshman
Cade Ellis, who was making his collegiate debut, then recorded his second interception of the night when picked off Villanova quarterback Pat McQuaide and returned it 24 yards to Villanova' 28-yard line with just 5 seconds remaining, setting up Lipinski's game-winner.
Ellis' pair of picks accounted for two of the Tribe's four forced turnovers, as Robinson recorded his first career interception and linebacker
Harrison Johnson recovered a fumble forced by linebacker
Elijah Rainer. Johnson also finished with a team-high eight tackles.
Watkins was outstanding in his W&M debut, as he completed 19-of-33 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns through the air while piling up 72 yards with a touchdown on the ground.
In addition to his fourth quarter touchdown catch, Austin totaled a team-high four receptions for 76 yards. Freshman wide receiver
Khylil Johnson also came up big in his collegiate debut with four receptions for 75 yards, while
Carson Jenkins posted a 68-yard touchdown catch that put W&M on the scoreboard during the first quarter.
W&M's win snapped Villanova's streak of nine consecutive season-opening wins and extended its own conference-opening winning streak to four.
The Tribe also improves to 21-17-1 all-time versus the Wildcats and have won seven of the last 11 matchups in the series.
W&M will return to action when it hosts Delaware State at Zable Stadium for its home opener next Saturday at 6 p.m. In addition to being the Go Green Game, W&M will honor legendary former Tribe head coach Lou Holtz. A member of the College Football Hall of Fame, Holtz's first head coaching job was at W&M from 1969-71 and helped launch an incredible career that included stints at NC State, Arkansas, Minnesota , Notre Dame and South Carolina – as well as a season in the NFL with the New York Jets. Prior to becoming the Tribe's head coach, he served a three-year stint as an assistant with the program from 1961-63.
