William and Mary Defeats VMI in Home Opener

WILLIAM AND MARY 41, VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE 7

In their Thursday season opener, The William and Mary offense was potent and versatile, and the defense tightened up in the second half to key a decisive 41-7 victory over the visiting Keydets of Virginia Military Institute in a non-league contest at Zable Stadium.

The Tribe was nearly flawless on their first pair of drives, covering 69, and then 66 yards. Both drives finished with a one-yard touchdown run – the first from preseason All-American rusher Brandon Yoder, and the second from last year’s leading ground gainer Malachi Imoh.

For Yoder, the game marked his first action since suffering a season-ending injury in the fourth game of last season against Maine. The Tribe won that game 28-3 to start the season 4-0 but stumbled to a 6-5 mark after losing their star tailback. Imoh performed admirably as the featured back, gaining 855 rushing yards on a 6.8 average, but having the pair back together could be the key to William and Mary’s success in 2024.

“Any time you lose something that you love and then get back that joy you feel, it makes you feel like ‘We’re back,” said Yoder, who gained 54 yards on ten carries. “My nerves were sky high, but once that ball was kicked, I was ready to go.”

The special teams delivered for the Tribe in the second quarter with John Kearney blocking a Keydet punt at midfield, and Clayton Dobler picking up the bouncing ball 18 yards from the end zone and rumbling the rest of the way for a score. Eric Bernstein’s extra point extended the lead to 21-0 with seven minutes remaining in the first half.

Dobler, who overcame a horrific ankle injury at the end of last season, was not expected to recover enough to play football this year. But he was trailing a teammate as Kearney’s blocked ball began heading backwards.

“I was just running behind. Then Matt got tackled and I just picked (the football) up,” said Dobler, a redshirt freshman linebacker from James River HS in Midlothian.

For the hosts, it was their first blocked punt for a touchdown in eight years.

Hunter Rice got VMI on the board for its sole touchdown with 2:16 remaining. In spite of the 21-point deficit, the Keydets were almost even in total yardage as halftime approached, and Rice’s 12-yard jaunt for a touchdown gave the visitors a 173-169 advantage, as well as narrowing the lead to 21-7 after Caden Beck’s conversion.

Hollis Mathis’ 45-yard reception from Darius Wilson set up the final score of the half, also from Mathis, a four-yard sweep around the right side, giving the Tribe a 28-7 lead at the break.

After a fourth-and-one stop by the W&M defense to start the second half, Mathis scored again as Darius Wilson rolled left and pitched a forward pass to the designated athlete, and the senior scooted 26 yards for his second TD. Mathis rushed for 19 yards on Thursday to pass 1,000 for his career and continues his quest to become the second player in the history of college football to tally 1,000 yards in rushing, receiving, and passing. He has now eclipsed the mark in two categories and with his 71 receiving yards on Thursday night needs 526 more this season to topple the plateau.

Said Tribe head coach Mike London, “these guys don’t care who gets the credit as long as we are selfless and trying to win.”

Added Mathis, “I don’t try to do anything that’s not expected. I just do my one-eleventh.”

Wilson struck for another touchdown pass late in the third quarter, lofting a 1-yard score to tight end Sean McElwain.

William and Mary averaged 16.1 yards per completion, as Wilson completed 11 of 15 passes for 190 yards and two TD’s. The offense as a whole totaled 448 yards, with 207 coming on the ground.

VMI (0-1) -   0 , 7 , 0, 0 -- 7

W&M (1-0) – 14, 14, 13, 0 - 41

W&M – Brandon Yoder 1 run (Eric Bernstein kick)

W&M – Malachi Imoh 1 run (Bernstein kick)

W&M – Clayton Dobler 18 blocked punt return (Bernstein kick)

VMI – Hunter Rice 12 run (Caden Beck kick)

W&M – Hollis Mathis 4 run (Bernstein kick)

W&M – Mathis 26 run (Bernstein kick)

W&M – Sean McElwain 1 pass from Wilson (kick failed)

                         VMI     W&M

First Downs       14, 21

Rush-Yards     35-145, 36-205

Passing yards     96, 241

C-A-I             12-25-2, 15-20-0

Pen.-Yards       4-37, 7-63

Punt-Avg         5-36.4, 2-42.5

Fumble-Lost    2-0, 3-1

Possession Time    32:04, 27:56