William & Mary got out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter with two long drives and a blocked punt, and cruised from there to a 41-7 win over VMI in the teams’ season opener Thursday night in Williamsburg.
The Tribe, ranked in both of the FCS preseason polls, ran up 446 yards of total offense.
VMI quarterback Collin Ironside was 8-for-19 for 62 yards and an interception.
Keydets tailback Hunter Rice had 126 yards on the ground and a 12-yard second-quarter TD run.
“I feel like this is a really good William & Mary team,” VMI coach Danny Rocco said. “I think they are going to find themselves in a really good position here as they head into the heart of the season and the later months of November.”
W&M quarterback Darius Wilson was 11-for-15 passing for 190 yards and two TDs.