‘The buzz is real.’ William & Mary is energized after victory over FBS Charlotte, hopes it’s just the beginning.

Colby Sorsdal defined the feelings of William & Mary football players with two short but emphatic statements in the wake of the Tribe’s season-opening victory Friday.

“We beat Charlotte, baby!” he yelled moments after the 41-24 victory, the Football Championship Subdivision Tribe’s first over a larger Football Bowl Subdivision opponent in 13 years.

Then, after gauging the mood of W&M students Saturday following the long, joyous bus ride back to campus, Sordal surmised, “The buzz is real.”

Yep, W&M students, “excited the past few months” about the 2022 season, running back Malachi Imoh says, are even more jacked as the No. 20-ranked Tribe (1-0) prepares for its home opener against Campbell (1-0) at 6 p.m. on Saturday at Zable Stadium. Before doing that, the Tribe understandably savored the rare triumph over an FBS team that was expected but exhilarating.

“We had a great mindset coming in, but I still thought ‘I can’t believe we just did that,’” Sorsdal, a 6-foot-6, 300-pound senior right tackle, said of his primal scream afterward. “It was pure joy and excitement.”

Senior defensive lineman Zyquan Bessant said, “We prepared all week to win, but we knew we were being overlooked. So, a lot of guys played with a chip on their shoulder.

“We didn’t look at it so much as an ‘FCS versus FBS’ thing as a ‘me against this guy’ thing.”

That led to a dominant performance by the Tribe, particularly in the trenches, where Sorsdal, Bessant, linebacker John Pius, defensive end Nate Lynn and first-time starting center Ryan McKenna do their work. In outgaining the 49ers 559 yards to 379, the Tribe forged a 303-131 edge in rushing.

That began, as expected, with the defense, where Pius is becoming the embodiment of Nate Lynn 2.0. Lynn, an All-American, was plenty good with six tackles, 1 ½ sacks and 2 ½ tackles for loss, but Pius was even better with nine tackles, 1 ½ sacks and 4 ½ tackles for loss.

“That was one of the best games I’ve ever played,” said Pius, a sophomore who showed glimpses of potential stardom a year ago. “I feel like the game has slowed down and I was able to play fast.

“All week the coaches told us we could win this game, starting with the defense, but the offense balled out, too.”

Bessant, a team captain who had four tackles and a sack, credited the defense’s dominance up front to the straightforward approach counseled by defensive line coach Keenan Carter. Rather than attempt to play gaps or go around the 49ers’ linemen, Carter counseled aggressively attacking their opponent.

“When you address a block with your hands and stay low, you have more control that way,” Bessant said.

Sorsdal said the offensive line was buoyed by head coach Mike London’s decision to tap center McKenna as one of three walk-ons given full scholarships on the eve of the game.

“That gave us something to be excited about,” Sorsdal said. “It’s something special because when you see how hard those guys work on and off the field, and they need (that scholarship money) and then get it, it’s like their dream come true.”

The 559 total yards were the biggest sign yet that second-year offensive coordinator Christian Taylor is turning a once-average offense into a power. Sophomore quarterback Darius Wilson threw for a career-high 237 yards and rushed for 67 yards on 10 carries, while veteran running backs Bronson Yoder (15 carries, 120 yards), Imoh (6-54) and Donavyn Lester (5-46) each ran for a touchdown as the Tribe netted an impressive 6.4 yards per carry.

Imoh’s 17-yard touchdown on a nice cutback run capped the 17-point fourth-quarter rally that turned a close game into a one-sided victory as big for the Tribe as any in years. Nonetheless, the players are avoiding overconfidence, even as their fan base is electrified.

“We knew this season could be something special even before we stepped on the field against Charlotte, so we’re stressing that this doesn’t define us,” Bessant said. “It doesn’t guarantee anything next week.”

Imoh said, “The FBS game is one you look forward to every year, but we see it as a steppingstone for this week and the weeks ahead.”

Sorsdal, again, summarized the feelings of his teammates.

“We weren’t shocked when we won, but I think the whole student body was,” he said. “It will be exciting to see so many of them come out for our first home game on Saturday.”