Comeback Bid Falls Short at William & Mary

Saturday, October 8

Williamsburg, Va.

3:30 PM

University of Delaware

5-1 , 3-1

William & Mary

5-1 , 2-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Delaware

William & Mary

Photo by: Mark Campbell

10/8/2022 7:00:00 PM | Football

Box Score Photo Gallery

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – The No. 6/6 University of Delaware football team saw its second-half comeback fall short as the Blue Hens fell 27-21 to No. 16/17 William & Mary in a CAA matchup at the Tribe's Walter J. Zable Stadium. With the loss, UD slips to 5-1 on the season and 3-1 in conference play.

Nolan Henderson finished 21-of-35 passing for 203 yards, his fifth-straight game eclipsing 200 passing yards, and two touchdowns. Jourdan Townsend caught eight passes for 91 yards and a score, while Kyron Cumby led the ground game with 53 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Johnny Buchanan finished with a game-high 19 tackles and also added a TFL. Noah Plack was also in double figures for the second time this season with 10 tackles.

The Delaware defense bent but did not break on William & Mary's second drive. The Tribe lined up for a 39-yard field goal, but Justis Henley raced off the edge and got his hands on the ball to block the attempt and keep the game scoreless.

It was William & Mary that broke the scoreless tie just two plays into the second quarter, as a four-yard rush gave the Tribe a 7-0 lead.

Drew Nickles intercepted a pass in William & Mary territory to help shift the momentum UD's way. On the very next play, Cumby took a misdirection handoff and broke free for a 38-yard touchdown run to knot the score at 7-7 with 10:14 on the clock.

The Tribe managed to squeeze in one more touchdown before the half with 22 seconds on the clock to go up 17-7 at the break.

The defense opened the second half with a three-and-out, but a muffed punt gave the ball back to William & Mary deep in Delaware territory. Five plays later, a one-yard rush found the end zone and made it a 24-7 game.

The Blue Hen offense came to life as Henderson completed deep passes to Chandler Harvin and Thyrick Pitts to move the ball downfield. Henderson eventually found Townsend for a four-yard score. The PAT failed as UD cut the deficit to 24-13.

After another quick three-and-out from the defense, Henderson again drove Delaware down the field with completions to Townsend and Pitts. From the 3-yard line, he lofted a jump ball that Harvin snatched for the touchdown. Henderson then found Townsend for the 2-point conversion to make it a three-point game, 24-21.

Henderson drove the Blue Hens down the field again, this time using his legs as he registered runs of 20 and 23 yards to help bring the ball down inside the 10-yard line. However, William & Mary fell on an errant snap to end the promising drive.

After a field goal made it a 27-21 game, Delaware drove down into William & Mary territory once again, getting the ball inside the 25-yard line with less than a minute left. The Blue Hens attempted several laterals on the game's final play, but could not score as time expired.

Up Next
Delaware will have its bye week next Saturday and will return to action on Saturday, October 22 when the Blue Hens step out of conference play to host Morgan State. Kickoff on Homecoming Weekend is set for 3 p.m. at Delaware Stadium.

For the latest on the Delaware football program, follow the Blue Hens on Twitter @DelawareFB and Instagram @DelawareFootball, and like "Delaware Football" on Facebook. Follow Ryan Carty on Twitter @RyanCarty10.