No. 3/4 W&M falls at Virginia in season opener, 40 - 3
Toss up William & Mary captains take the coin toss at the season opener against UVa in Charlottesville. Photo courtesy of W&M Athletics
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Although the Tribe (0-1) kept the score close early and trailed just 13-0 at halftime, Virginia (1-0) pulled away in the second half. The Cavaliers finished the contest with a 496-169 advantage in total yards and controlled the time of possession, 37:24-22:36.
UVA redshirt freshman tailback Kevin Parks recorded three rushing touchdowns, while placekicker Robert Randolph converted all four of his field goal attempts to provide much of the Cavaliers’ scoring production.
W&M sophomore quarterback Michael Graham engineered the Tribe’s lone scoring drive in the fourth quarter, as he completed 3-of-5 passes for 62 yards before sophomore placekicker Drake Kuhn connected on a 34-yard field goal. Making his collegiate debut as a punter, Kuhn averaged 45.2 yards per punt on his eight kicks.
Defensively, junior linebacker Jabrel Mines equaled a career high with 16 tackles, while sophomore defensive tackle George Beerhalter totaled a game-high 3.0 tackles for a loss with a sack and a forced fumble.
The Cavaliers took an early 3-0 lead when Randolph’s 32-yard field goal capped off a 13-play, 70-yard drive to open the contest.
Virginia extended its lead to 10-0 on a 19-yard touchdown run by Parks with 7:57 remaining in the second quarter. The play punctuated a 7-play, 60-yard drive that lasted 3:29.
After taking over on W&M’s 49-yard line following a fumble with 2:19 remaining the half, UVA capitalized off the turnover with a 48-yard field goal from the right hash by Randolph as the clock expired to give the Cavaliers a 13-0 advantage at halftime.
Virginia outgained the College, 212-52, in the opening half and controlled the time of possession, 21:18-8:42.
Although UVA began its opening drive of the second half at its own 3-yard line following a 51-yard punt by Kuhn, the Cavaliers marched 97 yards in just 3:43 and pushed the margin to 20-0 with a 1-yard touchdown run by Parks. The score was set up on the previous play when quarterback Michael Rocco connected on a 40-yard pass to wideout Tim Smith along the W&M sideline.
A 26-yard touchdown run by Parks, his third score of the night, increased Virginia’s lead to 27-0 with 4:25 showing in the third quarter.
After an interception by Demetrious Nicholson gave UVA starting field position at W&M’s 13-yard line, Randolph converted a 26-yard field goal to give the Cavaliers a 30-0 lead with 2:17 left in the third quarter.
Randolph’s fourth field goal of the evening, a 42-yard kick with 12:33 remaining, increased UVA’s lead to 33-0.
After a 5-yard touchdown run by Clifton Richardson with 9:35 remaining pushed the margin to 40-0, Graham led the Tribe on an 11-play, 63-yard scoring drive that culminated with a 34-yard field goal by Kuhn.
The Tribe will return to action when it plays at VMI next Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
