WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Lafayette saw William and Mary break open a 10-6 ballgame with 24 points in the third quarter as the CAA foe pulled away to a 30-17 final on Saturday night at Zable Stadium. The Leopards were hurt by three turnovers in that decisive stanza, leading to 17 William and Mary points.
 
Junior Cole Northrup made his first career start at quarterback for the Leopards, playing all but a few series. He finished the game 10-of-17 for 171 yards while rushing for 39 yards and a touchdown. Freshman QB Keegan Shoemaker finished 13-of-22 for 127 with one touchdown and one interception. The quarterback duo hooked up with 11 receivers, the most since Sept. 24, 2016 vs. No. 15 Villanova.

Hayes, Va. native sophomore TE Steven Stilianos made six catches for 54 yards, both career highs in front of a hometown crowd. Senior Julian Spigner and junior Quinn Revere combined for eight catches, with Spigner racking up 67 yards.  
 
Defensively, junior LB Major Jordan led the team with 12 tackles while reigning Patriot League Rookie of the Year Malik Hamm finished with nine tackles, including two tackles for loss. The Leopard defense held William and Mary to 418 yards (255 on the ground, including 127 by QB Hollis Mathis, and 163 through the air).
 
The game was close for 30 minutes. The William and Mary offense started with a burst, completing a 49-yard pass on its first offensive play of the game. Lafayette's defense recovered quickly, forcing the Tribe to settle for a 35-yard field goal.
 
On the ensuing drive, the Leopards responded, covering 70 yards on seven plays. Northrup hit Julius Young for a 35-yard pass on a ball that was tipped by another receiver. Junior RB Selwyn Simpson picked up 19 yards on three rushes before Northrup finished off the drive with a 13-yard scramble as Lafayette led 7-3.
 
The Leopards' special teams came up with a big play, with Billy Shaeffer forcing a fumble on the next kickoff and Ty Hranicka covered up at the William and Mary 27-yard line. Lafayette couldn't get the offense going, settling for a 43-yard Jeffrey Kordenbrock attempt that skirted wide right.
 
Near the end of the first quarter, William and Mary cut the Leopard advantage to 7-6, using a 21-yard field goal by Jake Johnston.
 
Lafayette answered with a field goal of its own to begin the second quarter. Kordenbrock ended a nine-play drive with a 31-yard boot as Lafayette led 10-6. Then, the Leopard defense dodged a bullet when Johnston missed a 22-yard field goal.
 
Lafayette had a final scoring chance just before the half, taking over at its own 8-yard line before going 65 yards on 14 plays. Kordenbrock attempted a 44-yard field goal that was blocked by Bill Murray (not that one) to put the halftime score at 10-6.
 
The second half was all William and Mary, as the Tribe score 24 points in the third quarter to pull away. The hosts marched the opening drive down the field 75 yards on 12 plays, finishing with a four-yard run by Owen Wright. The Tribe added a two-point conversion and led 14-10.
 
The William and Mary defense turned up the intensity in the second half, forcing three fumbles on Lafayette next three possessions. The turnovers led to a field goal and a pair of touchdowns as William and Mary led 30-10 lead through three quarters.
 
Lafayette scored its final touchdown of the game with five minutes left in the game. Nick Pearson made a diving catch in the end zone, but it was wiped away by a holding call. On the next play, Shoemaker came right back and hit rookie classmate John Gay for a 26-yard catch and run for the touchdown. 
 
Lafayette (0-1) remains on the road, venturing to Monmouth on Sept. 7 for a 1 p.m. kickoff.