08/28/26 09:15:00
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08/28 21:10 CDT William & Mary scores 13 points in final minute to beat
Villanova 35-32 in season opener
William & Mary scores 13 points in final minute to beat Villanova 35-32 in
season opener
VILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) --- Max Lipinski kicked a 45-yard field goal as time
expired to cap a run of 13 William & Mary points in the final minute and the
Tribe beat Villanova 35-32 on Friday night in a season and Patriot League
opener.
Lipinski's winner was his fifth field goal of the game and came after Cade
Ellis returned an interception 24 yards to the Wildcats' 28.
Winston Watkins passed for a 37-yard touchdown to Kai Austin and the PAT tied
the game with 22 seconds remaining. That TD came after a Lipinski field goal
with 53 seconds left followed by a recovery of an onside kick at the Villanova
39.
Villanova, an FCS semifinalist last year that came in ranked No. 8 in the Stats
Perform poll, was making its Patriot debut as was William & Mary, both coming
over from the Coastal Athletic Association.
Villanova trailed 22-17 in the second half before Jamie Tyson set the Wildcats
up at the Tribe 32 with a 36-yard interception return. Pat McQuaide threw an
8-yard TD pass to Brandon Binkowski then a two-point conversion to Jake Hilton
for the three-point lead with 3:47 remaining. After the Tribe turned the ball
over on downs, Isaiah Ragland went 37 yards to extend the lead to 32-22 with
2:43 left.
Watkins threw for 254 yards with two touchdowns and an interception and ran for
72 yards on 21 carries with another score.
Villanova had won nine straight season openers, all since Mark Ferrante became
head coach.
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