Delaware State visits William & Mary on Saturday for a 6 p.m. kickoff at Zable Stadium in Williamsburg, Va., the first-ever meeting between the two programs. The game will stream on ESPN+ and can be heard on 92.3 The Tide and 107.9 FM. Delaware State (1-0) is in its second season under head coach DeSean Jackson, who has gone 9-4 at the school. William & Mary (1-0) enters newly ranked at No. 17 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 and No. 19 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, under eighth-year head coach Mike London.

Two Signature Comebacks Set the Stage

Both teams arrive off dramatic season-opening wins. William & Mary trailed then-No. 8/7 Villanova by 10 points in the final minute before scoring 13 points in the final 53 seconds to win, one of the most remarkable comebacks in the program’s 133-year history. Sam Braidwood recovered an onside kick with 0:50 left, quarterback Winston Watkins connected with Kai Austin on a 37-yard touchdown to tie the game at 0:22, and kicker Max Lipinski capped it with a school-record fifth field goal of the day, a career-long 45-yarder, as time expired. Lipinski was named the Stats Perform FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week, and safety Cade Ellis, who intercepted two passes in his collegiate debut, was honored as the Patriot League’s Defensive Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week.

Delaware State’s own opener was no less eventful. The Hornets beat Stony Brook 41-34 after Stony Brook rallied from two double-digit deficits to tie the game late in the fourth quarter, only for Delaware State to answer with an 11-play, 80-yard drive to score the winning points with under two minutes to go. “It was a heck of a game. Stony Brook came back, man, they didn’t flinch one bit,” Jackson said. “The first game of the season, a lot of things happened that were expected, so we were able to get that out of our system early.” Delaware State piled up 518 total yards in a balanced attack, 259 rushing and 259 passing, with quarterback Ui Ale throwing for 259 yards and a touchdown, receiver Jaylin Terzado catching six passes for 149 yards and a score, and four different Hornets finding the end zone on the ground.

Jackson Wants to ‘Take Over the House’

Jackson made clear this week that he does not view William & Mary as a step down in competition just because the Hornets are coming off a signature win of their own. “Coach London has a great program. He’s had a lot of success in his past,” Jackson said. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence that they beat a Villanova team, a top-10 team in the FCS conference. I think this sets us up for where we want to be. We want everybody to be able to go into people’s houses. We protect home, and we want to go into people’s houses too, and take over people’s houses as well.” Jackson also pointed to his defense’s growth curve under first-year defensive coordinator Coach Clark, after Delaware State led 31-13 at halftime against Stony Brook, only to have a rocky third quarter. “We would have loved to not give up as many points as we gave up,” he said. “We’ll do a better job of that, and I’m very confident we’ll get that together.”

Scouting a Suddenly Dangerous William & Mary

William & Mary’s offense is led by Towson transfer Winston Watkins, who made his Tribe debut against Villanova by completing 19 of 33 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for a team-high 72 yards and a score, earning Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week honorable mention. Jackson said Watkins presents a different challenge than what his defense saw in Week 1. “Definitely different characteristics in a player from week one to week two,” Jackson said. “He’s 6-5, 250, very physical, big, strong arm. He’s going to put his foot in the ground and run the ball. We’re going to have to keep somebody eyeing him. We’re going to have to keep a spy on him.” The Tribe also returns preseason all-conference tight end Sean McElwain, ranked among the nation’s top tight ends in the preseason, and two-time team captain Davin Dzidzienyo anchoring the defensive line.

Saturday’s game also doubles as William & Mary’s home opener and the Tribe’s Go Green Game, with the program honoring former head coach Lou Holtz, a College Football Hall of Famer who took his first head-coaching job at W&M in 1969.

What’s Next

Delaware State returns home to Alumni Stadium next week to host Bowie State on Sept. 12.