By Nicholas Thomas (‘29)
The score was 14-0 heading into the two-minute timeout in the first half. Hopes were high for William & Mary’s first win at Zable Stadium since the home opener. However, the Lafayette Leopards clawed their way back into the game and scored the game-winning touchdown with 4:41 left on the clock, escaping Williamsburg with a 19-14 victory.
So what happened? What caused the offense to stall in the second half? What gave Lafayette the opportunity to come back and win the game?
Third Downs Prove Crucial Once Again
Head coach Mike London immediately brought attention to the third downs during media availability.
“Not being able to convert on those third-down situations…you just can’t play like that to give yourself a chance…”
The Tribe was 3-for-13 on third down. The Leopards were 5-for-14.
Coach London has made this a point of emphasis throughout the season and I really hope that the team improves on these situations as the season winds down.
Hidden Yardage
Lafayette had more than twice as many penalties as William & Mary did, but the Tribe’s three felt infinitely more costly than Lafayette’s seven.
Coach London noted, “We had a couple costly penalties that continued drives…”
In the first quarter, there was a drive-extending pass interference penalty. In the second quarter, a false start turned third-and-3 into third-and-8, which was not converted. Another pass interference call helped Lafayette on its game-winning drive.
Despite the generally good discipline, the few penalties the Tribe did commit derailed momentum and gave Lafayette an opening to make the game competitive.
Quarterback Platooning
The old adage goes, “If you have two quarterbacks, you have none.”
Whoever coined that phrase clearly hadn’t watched Lafayette football.
The Leopards run a system where they use Eddie Jordan for passing downs or most handoffs while bringing in Jason Penza for option plays and quarterback scrambles.
Even when Lafayette’s offense was slow in the first half, the scheme was working. The W&M defense couldn’t find answers to what the Leopards were throwing (or running) at them.
Of course, as the Tribe finally started to wise up to this system, Penza threw the game-winning touchdown pass on only his fourth attempt of the contest.
Another Failed Game-Winning Drive
If you will recall, William & Mary couldn’t put together a crucial drive that would have won them the homecoming game against Georgetown. This past Saturday, they got another chance.
The defense set them up well, stuffing Lafayette deep in their own territory. Lafayette’s punt put the Tribe offense at the opposing 42-yard line.
42 yards separated a win and a loss for William & Mary. Unfortunately, the offense never got off the ground.
A zero-yard rush and three incomplete passes resulted in a turnover on downs before a single yard was gained.
Failure to score on these crucial drives has contributed to the recent accumulation of losses. The Tribe’s three wins have all come in one-score games. They don’t blow teams out, so they need to remember how to hang on.
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That leaves Senior Day here in Williamsburg vs. Bucknell and the Capital Cup at Richmond as the final two games of the season.
In other news, basketball season is officially underway. The Tribe men are 2-0 with emphatic wins over Bridgewater and Norfolk State, while the women convincingly beat Chowan and Tennessee State before dropping a game to UVA this past Sunday in Charlottesville. With football season coming to a close, expect more coverage of these teams soon.
Go Tribe!
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