Tribe Shows Fight, But Early Deficit Proves Costly in 52-27 Loss to Fordham (9-19-26)
By: Darrell Owens
Headline Photo Credit: William and Mary Athletics
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — September 19, 2026 — William & Mary showed plenty of fight Saturday night at Zable Stadium, but an explosive Fordham rushing attack and a difficult start proved too much for the Tribe to overcome.
No. 21 William & Mary fell to Fordham 52-27 in Patriot League action, dropping the Tribe to 2-2 overall and 1-2 in conference play.
Despite trailing by three touchdowns early, William & Mary continued battling throughout the night. Quarterback Winston Watkins threw for a career-high 286 yards and two touchdowns, while running back Andrew King rushed for a career-best 122 yards and a score.
The Tribe finished with a season-high 423 yards of total offense, but Fordham’s 428 rushing yards ultimately became the defining statistic of the night.
A Difficult Start for the Tribe
William & Mary spent much of the opening quarter trying to find an offensive rhythm while Fordham quickly established control.
Rams quarterback Gunnar Smith opened the scoring with an 18-yard touchdown pass to KJ Reed. Running back Jamell James added a five-yard touchdown run later in the first quarter.
Just six seconds into the second quarter, Smith connected with John Morris for a 10-yard touchdown.
Suddenly, the Tribe was staring at a 21-0 deficit.
William & Mary needed a spark.
King provided one immediately.
Andrew King Breaks Loose
On William & Mary’s next possession, King exploded through the Fordham defense for a 67-yard touchdown run, putting the Tribe on the scoreboard and breathing life back into Zable Stadium.
The touchdown highlighted a career night for King.
He finished with 122 yards on 16 carries, averaging 7.6 yards per attempt and recording his first 100-yard rushing performance of the season.
Fordham, however, answered before halftime.
Smith found Nodin Tracy for a 14-yard touchdown with 32 seconds remaining, sending William & Mary into the locker room trailing 28-7.
The Tribe had work to do.
Watkins Leads the Second-Half Fight
Fordham extended its advantage to 31-7 with a field goal early in the third quarter, but William & Mary refused to go quietly.
Watkins engineered an impressive 14-play, 84-yard scoring drive that consumed six minutes.
The quarterback finished the possession by connecting with freshman tight end Jacob Mullins for a 16-yard touchdown.
It was Mullins’ first career reception — and his first career touchdown.
William & Mary had trimmed the deficit to 31-14.
The Rams answered with another touchdown, but Watkins and the Tribe offense kept pushing.
Early in the fourth quarter, Watkins found Kai Austin for a 27-yard touchdown, completing a 75-yard scoring drive and bringing William & Mary within 38-20.
Watkins finished 19-of-26 for 286 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.
It was another encouraging performance from the Tribe quarterback, who continued to demonstrate his ability to generate explosive plays through the passing game.
Austin Continues Producing
Austin remained one of William & Mary’s most reliable offensive weapons.
The wide receiver caught six passes for 81 yards and a touchdown, while freshman Luke VanAntwerp added five receptions for 80 yards.
William & Mary’s passing attack generated 286 yards, and the Tribe averaged 11 yards per pass attempt.
The offense also avoided throwing an interception.
But every time William & Mary threatened to build momentum, Fordham found an answer.
Fordham’s Ground Game Takes Control
Stopping the run proved to be William & Mary’s biggest problem.
Fordham accumulated 428 rushing yards on 46 attempts, an average of more than nine yards per carry.
Yohan-Li Louis led the Rams with more than 200 rushing yards, including a 57-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter that answered William & Mary’s score and pushed Fordham’s lead to 45-20.
James provided the other half of Fordham’s devastating backfield combination, rushing for 163 yards and three touchdowns.
Together, Louis and James accounted for more than 360 yards on the ground.
Fordham finished the night with 569 yards of total offense.
For William & Mary, finding answers against the run will be one of the biggest priorities moving forward.
Tribe Defense Keeps Battling
Although the scoreboard wasn’t kind to William & Mary, several Tribe defenders turned in productive individual performances.
Linebacker Harrison Johnson recorded a career-high 15 tackles, along with 1.5 tackles for loss and half a sack.
Fellow linebacker Christopher Higgins added a career-best 10 tackles.
The Tribe recorded three sacks, but Fordham’s ability to create explosive rushing plays repeatedly prevented William & Mary from completely swinging momentum.
William & Mary Finishes Strong
Even with the outcome decided late, William & Mary continued competing.
The Tribe put together another 75-yard scoring drive in the closing minutes, with Patrick Blee scoring on a one-yard touchdown run to produce the final 52-27 margin.
That final drive didn’t change the result, but it reflected the fight William & Mary displayed after falling behind 21-0.
The Tribe finished with 423 total yards and 20 first downs and converted seven of its 15 third-down opportunities.
William & Mary also reached the 20-point mark for the 13th consecutive game, its longest such streak since 2007-09.
A Setback, But Plenty to Build On
There were positives for William & Mary.
Watkins delivered a career-best passing performance.
King surpassed 100 rushing yards.
Austin remained productive.
Mullins recorded his first collegiate catch and touchdown.
And the Tribe offense generated a season-high 423 yards.
But the biggest lesson from Saturday night was equally clear: William & Mary can’t afford to consistently play from behind, especially when facing an opponent capable of controlling the game on the ground.
After consecutive losses to Lehigh and Fordham, the Tribe will need to regroup quickly.
What’s Next: A Major Challenge at Duke
William & Mary’s next challenge will be considerably different.
The Tribe travels to Durham, North Carolina, to face Duke on September 26.
It will give William & Mary an opportunity to measure itself against an FBS opponent and respond after two difficult Patriot League defeats.
The road doesn’t get easier.
But Saturday night showed that even when facing a significant deficit, the Tribe will keep fighting.
Final
Fordham 52, No. 21 William & Mary 27
William & Mary: 2-2 (1-2 Patriot League)
Fordham: 1-3 (1-1 Patriot League)
William & Mary didn’t get the result it wanted in Williamsburg, but Watkins, King and the Tribe offense provided encouraging signs.
Now the focus shifts to correcting the defensive issues, putting the loss behind them and preparing for a major opportunity against Duke.
