WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – After helping lead the William & Mary football team to a thrilling comeback victory at then-No. 8/7 Villanova in the Tribe's season opener and Patriot League debut, freshman safety Cade Ellis and junior kicker Max Lipinski earned Patriot League Player of the Week honors.
 
Ellis was selected as the defensive player of the week and rookie of the week, while Lipinski garnered special teams player of the week accolades.
 
Additionally, junior quarterback Winston Watkins earned honorable mention offensive player of the week distinction.   
 
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Ellis, who also garnered Stats Perform FCS Freshman Player of the Week honorable mention distinction, recorded a pair of interceptions in his collegiate debut at Villanova.
 
His second pick came in the final minute of the contest when he intercepted a third-down pass by Villanova quarterback Pat McQuaide and returned it 24 yards to the Wildcats' 28-yard line with just 5 seconds remaining, setting up Lipinski's game-winner.
 
Lipinski, who was also selected as the Stats Perform FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week, totaled a school-record five made field goals – highlighted by a game-winning, career-long 45-yard kick as time expired. In addition to connecting on all five of his field goal attempts (22, 39, 41, 40, 45), he also set a single-game school record for points by a kicker (17). 
 
His five made field goals also marked the highest single-game total by an FCS player dating back to 2021.
 
In addition to connecting on the game-winner, the King George, Va., native also made a 40-yard field goal with just 0:53 remaining as the Tribe scored 13 points in the final minute to rally back from a 10-point deficit.
 
Watkins earned honorable mention offensive player of the week honors after a tremendous debut performance with the Tribe. Making his first career start, Watkins completed 19-of-33 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns, while he also rushed for a team-high 72 yards with a touchdown.
 
Highlighting his big effort was a 37-yard game-tying touchdown pass to Kai Austin with 0:22 remaining in the fourth quarter and a 68-yard scoring strike to Carson Jenkins in the opening quarter.
 
W&M will return to action when it hosts Delaware State at Zable Stadium for its home opener this 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.