Read the Tribe side (the whole game, score included)
William & Mary at Colgate
This is Missed It. William and Mary at Colgate, Saturday, October thirty-first, with the Tribe. 49 and clear at Andy Kerr Stadium, wind 11 miles an hour. You missed it? Here's the whole game, as it happened.
Pregame
It's a tough one tonight, Tribe fans. We're on the road against Colgate, coming in at three and five against their four and four. We've had our struggles this season, and this is a game we need to find something in. We've got the ball first, and that's exactly where we want to start. Let's see if we can set a tone early, get some momentum going, and remind everyone what this Tribe team is capable of. The air is thick with anticipation, and we're ready to see what we're made of.
Q1
We start with the ball, and we're not wasting any time. King takes the handoff, hits the middle, and bursts through for a 22-yard gain, all the way to the Colgate 48. First down, and the sideline is fired up. That's the kind of spark we needed. The drive stalls from there, and we have to punt, but we showed some life. Colgate takes over, and our defense stands tall. They push forward, but we hold the line and force them to turn it over on downs. That's a statement. We're not backing down. Our offense gets the ball back, but we can't sustain it, and we punt again after four plays. Colgate gets another chance, and this time they move it a bit, but our defense holds again, forcing a punt of their own. We get the ball back, and we're trying to find a rhythm. Six plays, but we can't get anything going, and we punt once more. Colgate takes over with just over two minutes left in the quarter, and this is where things start to shift. They're methodical, chewing up the clock. Then, with the quarter winding down, Stearney drops back and finds Fulton on a short pass that turns into a 33-yard gain, down to our 32. First down, and you can feel the momentum slipping. They keep grinding. The clock ticks into the second quarter, and they're knocking on the door. Faison takes the handoff, hits the middle, and powers his way in from 4 yards out for the touchdown. There's a flag, offsetting penalties, but the score stands. Colgate 7, Tribe 0. We gave them a fight, but they found a way to break through.
The Sequence
This is where the game gets away from us. We get the ball back after that score, and we need an answer. Five plays, and we're punting again. We can't find any traction, and Colgate is smelling blood. They take over, and Stearney drops back. He looks deep, and he lets it fly. Way is streaking down the sideline, and he hauls it in at the goal line for a 27-yard touchdown. Just like that, it's 14 to 0. The air goes out of the building, and we're reeling. We get the ball back, and we have to respond. Five plays, and we're facing a fourth down. We go for it, but we can't convert. Turnover on downs. Colgate takes over, and they're in control. They methodically march down the field, eating up the clock, and they settle for a 23-yard field goal. It's 17 to 0 now, and the hole is getting deeper. We get the ball back with under two minutes left in the half. We need something, anything. Eight plays, and we're driving, but we stall. We go for it on fourth down, and we can't get it. Turnover on downs again. Colgate takes over with 31 seconds left, and they're not done. Stearney hits Holmes for 17 yards, then finds Way for 11 more. They're in field goal range, and as time expires, Vogeler drills a 34-yard kick. It's 20 to 0 at the half, and this one feels like it's slipping away.
Halftime
We're down 20 to 0, and it's hard to find the words. The turning point was that second touchdown, the deep ball to Way right after we couldn't answer. We had a chance to stop the bleeding, and we couldn't. Now we're staring at a mountain. We need to come out in the second half with fire, with desperation. We need to find a way to get something going on offense, and we need our defense to make a stand. It's not over, but it feels like we're running out of time.
Q3
We get the ball to start the second half, and we need a spark. But Colgate's defense is swarming. We can't get anything going, and we're forced to punt. Colgate takes over, and they're in full control. They're grinding it out, chewing up the clock, and moving the chains. Seventeen plays. They're just wearing us down. Then, Stearney finds Way again, this time from 8 yards out, and it's 27 to 0. The game is effectively over, but we keep fighting. We get the ball back, and we try to put together a drive. Eight plays, and we're moving a little, but we stall. We go for it on fourth down, and we can't convert. Turnover on downs. Colgate takes over, and they're not letting up. Fulton rips off a 20-yard run, and then Stearney hits Way deep for 24 more. They're deep in our territory. Stearney tucks it and runs for 21 yards, down to our 9. Then, he finds Holmes in the end zone for a 9-yard touchdown. It's 34 to 0, and this one is well out of reach.
Q4
We're down 34 to 0, and we're just trying to find some pride. We get the ball, and we put together a drive. Eight plays, but we can't get into the end zone, and we punt. Colgate takes over, and they're still pushing. Kilburg, the backup, is in now, and he hits Holmes for 22 yards. They're moving again, and they settle for a 27-yard field goal. It's 37 to 0 now. We get the ball back, and we're just trying to get something on the board. Seven plays, and we're driving, but we stall. We go for it on fourth down, and we can't convert. Turnover on downs. Colgate takes over, and they're just running out the clock. Kilburg scrambles for 8 yards and a first down, but they can't do anything else. They turn it over on downs, and we get the ball back with 27 seconds left. One play, and the game is over.
Wrap-up
It's a tough one to swallow, Tribe fans. We fall to Colgate, 37 to 0. We're now three and six on the season, and Colgate improves to five and four. It was a rough day all around. We couldn't get anything going on offense, and we couldn't stop them on defense. We've got to regroup, we've got to find some answers, and we've got to get back to work. This one hurts, but we've got to keep fighting.
By the Numbers
The Tribe by the numbers. Final score, William and Mary 0, Colgate 37. 142 yards of offense to their 519, 70 through the air and 72 on the ground. 7 first downs. 2 of 11 on third down. 0 turnovers for us, 0 for them. We held the ball for just over 21 minutes.
Outro
That was William and Mary at Colgate, from the Tribe side. This has been Missed It. Every game, both sides, at missed it dot net. Produced by James Barrett.