CLINTON, N.Y. – Williams College quarterback Owen McHugh threw for 215 yards and ran for 69 more, and the Ephs pulled out a 24-17 win against the Hamilton College Continentals at Hamilton's Steuben Field on a cloudy and cool Saturday, Oct. 14.
 

Season Update

• The Continentals (0-5 NESCAC) were trying to make it two wins in a row against Williams after they edged the Ephs 15-13 last year in Williamstown, Mass.
• Williams (2-3) had dropped its previous three games and scored a total of 20 points during that span.

 

How It Happened

• The Ephs took the lead for good with 4:56 left in the fourth quarter. On first-and-10 on his own 45, McHugh found Sam Jaffe over the middle for a short completion, but Jaffe turned it into a 55-yard touchdown as he outran the secondary to the end zone.
• Williams turned a Drew Michalek interception and eight-yard return to the Hamilton 36 into a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter. Jon Oris scored on a three-yard run and Ivan Shuran added the extra point with 6:25 remaining.
• On the Ephs' next possession after a punt by the Continentals, Williams drove 43 yards in 11 plays to the Hamilton 15. Shuran split the uprights with a 32-yard field goal on the second play of the second quarter and gave the Ephs a 10-0 advantage.
• The Continentals responded with an 18-play march that took nearly nine minutes off the clock. Hamilton quarterback Luke Kurzum '27 kept the drive alive with a 23-yard completion to Matt Banbury '24 on third-and-12 and a three-yard run on fourth-and-short. Nate Wildman '27 finished it off with a one-yard plunge into the end zone with 5:54 to go in the half. The PAT by Ben Waterman '27 made it 10-7.
• On the next possession, the Continentals stopped Williams on fourth-and-1 at their own 10 with less than a minute left, but Ethan Scott picked off Kurzum near the sideline at the Hamilton 33 on the very next play. Oris caught a 25-yard pass and found the end zone on a three-yard run two plays later with 27.8 seconds remaining. Shuran's extra-point gave the Ephs a 10-point cushion at 17-7.
• The Continentals had the ball first in the second half and they went 88 yards in 17 plays. Lucas Perez-Segnini '25 kept the drive alive with an eight-yard catch on fourth-and-3 to the Williams 23. Waterman pounded a 21-yard field goal and Hamilton was within 17-10 with 7:38 to go in the third quarter.
• The Continentals forced a three-and-out by the Ephs and went back to work on offense. This time it was an 11-play drive that covered 73 yards and ended on the first play of the fourth quarter. Wildman ran off left tackle, shrugged off a defender and sprinted to the left pylon for a 22-yard touchdown. Kurzum kept the drive alive with his legs as he scrambled 15 yards on third-and-14 and pushed forward two yards on fourth-and-1. He also completed a 23-yard pass to Josh Harmon '25. Waterman's PAT tied the score at 17-17.
• Hamilton didn't get closer to the end zone than the Williams 44 the rest of the day.

 

Notes

• Kurzum was 22 of 34 passing for a season-high 211 yards and added 62 yards rushing.
• Wildman finished with 82 yards on the ground and is seventh in the NESCAC in yards per game, and tied for third with four rushing touchdowns.
• Waterman made his first field goal and is 7-for-7 on extra-points this season. He also averaged 59 yards on four kickoffs.
• Cole Rivell '24 led the Continentals with seven tackles.
• Kyle Bratcher '26 recorded his third interception and broke up his fourth pass this season.
• James Bourque '24 recovered a fumble.
• Oris led the Ephs with six receptions for 110 yards and ran for 40 yards and the two scores.
• Scott was credited with a game-high nine tackles, while Cameron Smith had a sack and a forced fumble.

 

Next Game

Hamilton travels to Colby College (3-2) in Waterville, Maine, for a NESCAC contest on Saturday, Oct. 21 at 1 p.m.