Lafayette College Athletics

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Lafayette football returned to the win column Saturday at Walter J. Zable Stadium at Cary Field following a 19-14 road win against William & Mary. The Leopards' defensive unit kept the Tribe off the scoreboard in the second half, marking the fourth time Lafayette has done so in 2026.

A quick three-play 80-yard drive from the Tribe on their second possession saw the game's first touchdown of the day.  On 1st-and-10, Winston Watkins dropped back to pass and found Khylil Johnson for nine yards before Ian Langan made the stop. Tailback Andrew King then moved the chains with a three-yard rush off the right side. On the very next play, Watkins launched a deep ball down field and connected with Carson Jenkins for a 68-yard touchdown.

It wasn't till the second quarter that the visitors worked the ball into Tribe territory with back-to-back rushes by junior quarterback Jason Penza. However, on 2nd-and-10 at the hosts' 33-yard line, a Leopard coughed up the football and Ryan Matheny scooped up the ball for William & Mary.

Following the turnover, the hosts used four plays to drive 71 yards down the field for their second TD of the afternoon. The Tribe faced 3rd-and-10 on their own 29-yard line before Watkins broke off a 32-yard gain with his legs to move into Leopard territory. The big play opened up more room up front as King took it to the house on 1st-and-10 (11:14) for a 39-yard score, his fifth of the season.

The Leopards' longest drive of the outing (6:53) began with 8:56 left in the first half and resulted in a 28-yard field goal from senior Jack Simonetta. The 16-play 71-yard possession featured 10 rushes, including a 12-yard bust for freshman tailback Malachi Gamble.

At the break, William & Mary maintained its two-score lead (14-3).

Both teams struggled on offense in the beginning of third period, combining for just 64 yards of offense with 5:13 to go. However, the Maroon and White's third possession of the quarter ended with a trip to the end zone. Freshman quarterback Eddie Jordan moved the chains with a seven-yard scamper on 3rd-and-6 prior to slinging a pass to Kuehner for a 13-yard pickup. On 3rd-and-1, Penza entered the ballgame and found an ocean of running room that allowed him to dash into the end zone for a 50-yard score (2:33), the longest of his Leopard career.

Lafayette's defensive unit allowed just one third-down conversion in third quarter and its three-and-out stand with 2:24 remaining in the quarter set up its third scoring drive of the contest.

The drive began at midfield following a 21-yard punt return by sophomore Nick Bierman. Back-to-back rushes from Penza advanced the Leopards to the hosts' 36-yard line and a 16-yard grab by Kuehner from Jordan secured a first down. The Tribe managed to get to the quarterback on 3rd-and-9, which forced Lafayette to settle for a field goal. Simonetta's 44-yard attempt (12:52) was straight down the middle to bring the visitors within a field goal of snatching the lead (14-13). The Gotha, Fla. native's second conversion of the day is his longest so far in 2026.

William & Mary moved the chains twice on its next possession, but a huge nine-yard sack by Callahan Blair on first down silenced the hosts' momentum. Watkins followed up with two completions, but not enough to move the chains.

Following a 40-yard punt from Carter Boyd, the Maroon and White took over on their 20-yard line with 8:15 to go in the matchup.

A combination of carries by Penza (1) and junior running back Jakyre Henley (2) advanced the ball to the Leopards' 40-yard line. Henley then broke off his longest run of the day (23 yards) to move into Tribe territory. On 1st-and-10 at the hosts' 12-yard line, Penza remained in the game which forced William & Mary to be cautious of his legs. Instead, the Crystal Lake, Ill. native dropped back and threw his first touchdown of the season—a 12-yard dart to Mason Kuehner—to hand Lafayette a 19-14 lead with 4:41 to go at Walter J. Zable Stadium at Cary Field.

The Leopards' stout defensive unit stood strong during the hosts' final two drives of game, allowing just one yard in six plays.

In victory formation, Lafayette rushed twice with Henley and once with Penza to run out the clock and secure the Maroon and White's third conference triumph in the last four weeks.

Saturday's victory over the Tribe marked the Leopards' fourth win of the season that the defense held their opponent to zero second-half points (Marist, Bucknell, Fordham). The visitors surrendered just five first downs in the final two quarters and held William & Mary to 61 total yards over that stretch.

Beckham Dee (8), Blair (7) and Dhonte Jackson (5) led the defense by combining for 18 tackles. Blair was the primary standout on that side of the ball, finishing his day with season highs of three TFLs for 17 yards and two sacks for eight yards. Darien Riley (1), Daniel Adefolarin (0.5) and Sean Kabengele (0.5) all got to the quarterback on Saturday as well. 

Lafayette embarks on its final road trip of the regular season for next week's matchup. Head coach John Troxell and his group are set to battle Colgate at 1 p.m. in Hamilton, N.Y. Fans can catch all the action on ESPN+.

 
For the latest on the Lafayette College football program, follow the Leopards on X @LafColFootball and Instagram @lafcolfootball.