By: Luca Gomez
The last time the Tribe beat the Cavaliers was in 2009, when R.J. Archer and company scored 19 unanswered points to come back and beat UVA 26-14, on the back of 7 turnovers caused by the Tribe defense that day. The art of the Guarantee Game upset is something that William & Mary (1-1) will be trying to perform again in Charlottesville on Saturday against UVA (1-1).
So how exactly will the Tribe program attempt to leave with $450,000 and the win? Here are three matchups to watch in Saturday’s game against the University of Virginia.
Matchup One: Most Favorable for the Tribe
W&M Offensive Line vs. UVA Defensive Line
The Tribe’s offensive line, made up of Kadin Lynch, Hayden Raley, Greg Klingensmith, Kamron Frye, and anchored by Preseason All-American Center Ryan McKenna, has been the core of this offense. They will block the Cavaliers after allowing only one sack against a good Maine D-Line last week.
The UVA defensive line recorded zero sacks last week; however, it is no D-Line to slouch at, as they are an ACC-equipped, talented defense. All five starters have started multiple times before and over the course of at least 2 years. We may not get to hear their names enough, but when Tyler Hughes has time to pass on Saturday, just know who’s blocking up front.
Matchup Two: Area Primed to Improve for the Tribe
UVA RB J’Mari Taylor vs. W&M Run Defense
The William & Mary run defense had a less-than-stellar performance last week, allowing 242 yards on 42 attempts for an average of 5.4 yards per rush allowed. This performance was highlighted, however, by the stellar play of W&M LB Luke Banbury, who was in on 16 tackles and broke up 3 passes.
The bellcow for UVA, J’Mari Taylor, is a beast out of the backfield, having 150 rushing yards last week against NC State, and he already has 5 touchdowns on the season. If the Tribe wants to pull the upset in Charlottesville, W&M must stop the run.
Matchup Three: Dawg v. Dawg Matchup
UVA WR Cam Ross vs. W&M CB Jalen Jones
I recognize that I highlighted Jalen Jones last week, but in light of his game-sealing interception against UMaine QB Carter Peevy, and considering who he’s going up against, this WR/CB matchup is the top one this Saturday. WR Cam Ross had a “down” game last week but still picked up 5 catches for 40 yards. His standout performance was 2 weeks ago against Coastal Carolina (also the last FCS team that UVA faced), where he racked up a whopping 124 yards and 2 TDs.
This is all just to set up who he is slated to run routes against: CB Jalen Jones. Jones was a 2024 consensus All-American and is certainly on that path again, having put to rest any hope of a UMaine comeback with an outstanding pick to seal it. Ross wears #6 and Jones wears #2, so when they are lined up against each other, watch closely—it’s bound to be an amazing rep.
Let’s Go Tribe!
Photos Courtesy of Tribe Athletics
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