BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Bronson Yoder ran for 124 yards and two touchdowns, helping No. 4 William & Mary fend off Campbell 34-24 on Thursday night at Barker-Lane Stadium in the 2023 season opener for both teams.
The game marked Campbell's (0-1, 0-1 CAA) first contest as a CAA member, taking on the preseason conference favorite Tribe (1-0, 1-0 CAA), a team that won 11 games and advanced to the FCS quarterfinals in 2022.
Yoder scored both of his touchdowns on the night in the second quarter, averaging 6.2 yards on 20 carries. Darius Wilson added 57 yards rushing to go along with 182 yards and two touchdowns through the air, completing 17-of-27 pass attempts.
Malachi Imoh added 61 yards on four receptions, while Martin Lucas added 46 yards and a touchdown. Marcus Barnes tallied 11 tackles for the Tribe, with Nate Lynn posting 2.0 sacks.
The Tribe piled up 452 yards of total offense, including 270 on the ground on 5.9 yards per rush, compared to 310 total yards for the Camels, who averaged 5.6 yards per play of their own.
Campbell QB
Hajj-Malik Williams completed 22-of-26 passes for 226 yards with a touchdown (.846), with
Lamagea McDowell running for 54 yards and two touchdowns.
Jalen Kelsey also grabbed six catches for 85 yards.
Chaney Fitzgerald tacked on seven catches for 53 yards, with
VJ Wilkins adding four receptions for 44 yards and a TD.
CJ Tillman gathered a career-high 19 tackles, including 1.0 stop for loss.
D'Marcus Harrington and
Monchovia Gaffney added 10 tackles apiece with a pass breakup.
Campbell struck first on the night, with McDowell punching it in from a yard out, completing a 13-play, 78 yard march before W&M answered with a 13-play scoring drive of its own with Wilson's seven yard pass to DreSean Kendrick.
Tied at 7-7 to start the second quarter after Campbell drove inside the Tribe 10 yard line, a fumble followed by a muffed punt put W&M on the CU 12, with Yoder finding the end zone three plays later.
Campbell tied it again on its next possession, with Williams finding Wilkins on back to back passes for a 14 yard touchdown.
Yoder again barreled in for another Tribe answer, this time completing a six play scoring drive, and after CU stalled, Caden Bonoffski added to the William & Mary lead with a 37 yard field goal to close the half. Bonoffski added a 43 yarder in the third, giving the Tribe a 27-14 lead.
A second McDowell touchdown and a
Caleb Dowden 45-yard field goal cut into the Tribe lead in the fourth, but Lucas' 27 TD reception helped hold off the Camels.
The Camels will make their nonconference and road debut next week, heading to The Citadel for a 3:00 p.m. showdown on September 9. Campbell returns home on September 23, hosting Elon in another CAA contest.
