WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — In a thrilling Coastal Athletic Association matchup, Matthew Downing delivered an impressive performance, throwing four touchdown passes, which culminated in a dramatic 15-yard touchdown to Onuma Dieke just seconds before the game clock expired. This nail-biting victory propelled Elon to a 40-36 win over William & Mary on Saturday, marking their second consecutive victory of the season.

Downing previously showcased his skills by tossing three touchdown passes during Elon’s 50-27 triumph over Campbell the week before. He opened the scoring in this game with a 45-yard touchdown pass to Zimere Winston early in the first quarter. However, William & Mary quickly responded, with Bronson Yoder scoring one of his two touchdowns to even the score.

Darius Wilson then stepped up for the Tribe, guiding the team ahead with a 23-yard touchdown pass to Sean McElwain. William & Mary took a commanding lead into halftime after wide receiver Hollis Mathis connected with McElwain again, this time with an 18-yard pass. The score at that point was 21-10, favoring the Tribe.

Elon’s fortunes shifted as they came out strong in the second half. Downing threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Fuhrmann, reclaiming the lead for the Phoenix at 27-21 at the start of the fourth quarter. However, William & Mary’s Wilson rushed for a 16-yard touchdown shortly thereafter, putting the Tribe back in front at 28-27. Not to be outdone, Downing quickly responded by rushing in for a 1-yard touchdown, nudging the Phoenix ahead again at 33-28.

In a final back-and-forth exchange, Yoder completed a 12-play, 78-yard drive for the Tribe, scoring to put them ahead 36-33 with just 1:31 left on the clock. Yet, Downing orchestrated a remarkable 72-yard drive in 13 plays to seal the deal with the game-winning touchdown pass.

Downing’s final statistics included 315 yards passing with an 18-for-35 completion rate along with one interception. Rushawn Baker made a strong contribution on the ground, covering 167 yards on 22 carries, while Winston had a standout game with three receptions for 101 yards. On the opposing side, Wilson completed 16 of 25 passes for 181 yards and an interception, adding another 87 yards and a touchdown on the ground with 12 rushes.