William & Mary just pulled off one of the craziest college football comebacks you’ll ever see, stunning No. 7 Villanova on their home turf in a Week 0 thriller. Seriously, if you blinked, you missed one of the wildest finishes in recent memory, with the Tribe scoring 13 points in less than a minute to snatch victory.
Under a Minute Left? No Problem.
Imagine this: your team is down 10 points late in the fourth quarter, with the clock ticking under a minute. Most teams pack it in, right? Not William & Mary. They started their rally with a clutch field goal, getting them a little closer. Then, needing a touchdown in the worst way, they pulled out the onside kick, and it actually worked! The ball bounced off a Wildcat, and W&M recovered it inside the 40. You can’t make this stuff up!
That set the stage for starting quarterback Winston Watkins to connect on an absolute dime. On third-and-eight, Watkins lofted a deep ball to receiver Kai Austin, who cradled it for the touchdown. With the extra point, the game was stunningly tied with a mere 22 seconds left on the clock. Sophomore kicker Sam Braidwood, by the way, was the player who got that successful onside kick. Talk about nerve!
Then Came the Dagger.
But the Tribe wasn’t done messing with Villanova’s head. Wildcat starting QB Pat McQuaide tried to throw long under pressure, and William & Mary’s Cade Ellis snagged his second interception on McQuaide of the night, and McQuaide’s third overall! That pick set up the Tribe for a chance to kick a 45-yard field goal to win it all. In stepped Max Lipinski, a transfer from James Madison with limited in-game experience, and he nailed it! Perfect five-for-five on field goals for the night, including the game-winner, completing one of the most insane comebacks in college football history.
A Season-Defining Kickoff for Both Squads
This was supposed to be an easy opening win for Villanova, who came into the game ranked No. 8 in the NCAA FCS preseason poll and No. 7 in the coaches’ poll, playing at home! Instead, they got absolutely stunned. For William & Mary, in their first year in the Patriot League after nearly a decade in the Coastal Athletic (CAA) conference, this is a massive statement win to kick off their season.
Villanova’s now got a three-game road trip ahead, including an FBS clash with Louisville on Sept. 11. Talk about a tough rebound! As for William & Mary, they’ll ride this wild momentum into an FBS challenge of their own against Duke on Sept. 26. You can bet that locker room is absolutely buzzing right now. What a start to the season!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply