Tribe football blanks UNH, 17-0
The William & Mary football team remained unbeaten at home with an impressive 17-0 victory against No. 16/17 New Hampshire at Zable Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
In addition to improving to 5-0 at home this fall, the Tribe (6-3, 3-2) recorded its second shutout of the season and is now allowing just 12.4 points per game. It marked the first time New Hampshire (4-4, 3-2) has been blanked since W&M defeated the Wildcats, 39-0, on Sept. 23, 1995 – a span of 220 games. UNH entered the contest averaging 35.4 points per game this season.
Making his first start of the season, senior quarterback Brent Caprio completed 14-of-24 passes for 241 yards with a touchdown. Junior wideout Tre McBride hauled in a touchdown catch for the fourth consecutive game, while sophomore wide receiver Christian Reeves totaled four receptions for 109 yards. Junior running back Jarrell Cooper posted a game-high 90 rushing yards on 18 carries and scored a touchdown.
Defensively, sophomore linebacker Luke Rhodes matched a career high with 13 tackles, while the defensive line trio of juniors Mike Reilly, Steven Sinnott and Jasper Coleman all recorded a sack apiece. Senior cornerback Ryan Smith and sophomore cornerback DeAndre Houston-Carson also both registered interceptions.
W&M capitalized off a pair of turnovers in the first half to build a 10-0 lead. Junior John Carpenter’s 28-yard field goal early in the second quarter capped off an 11-play, 54-yard drive that began when Reilly recovered a Sean Goldrich fumble caused by sophomore safety Jared Velasquez.
The Tribe’s first touchdown of the afternoon came on a 6-yard pass from Caprio to McBride with 0:20 remaining in the second quarter. The short five-play, 37-yard drive lasted just 1:22 and began after Houston-Carson intercepted a pass by Andy Vailas and returned it 14 yards into UNH territory. The drive was highlighted by a 33-yard pass from Caprio to Reeves, which was the sophomore’s second long catch of the opening half after he hauled in a 61-yard reception earlier in the quarter.
The College outgained UNH, 231-143, in the opening half.
W&M added to its lead on the opening possession of the second half, as a 1-yard touchdown run by Cooper punctuated a 10-play, 84-yard drive. The scoring march was highlighted by a 54-yard pass from Caprio to junior Sean Ballard.
In addition to limiting the Wildcats to a season-low 312 total yards and forcing three turnovers, W&M held UNH to just 3-of-15 on third downs.
The Tribe will return to action next weekend when it plays at No. 21 Delaware on Saturday at 3 p.m. The contest will be televised by Comcast Sports Net.
