Capital Cup in 12 Hours!

Tomorrow will mark the 125th gridiron clash between William and Mary and the University of Richmond.    The teams first played in 1898, and Richmond prevailed 15-0.  (The Tribe went 1-1 for the 1898 "season.")  Indeed, William and Mary lost the first four meetings between the two teams, before steadying itself with a 15-6 victory in 1904.  Overall William and Mary holds a slight edge in the series, with a 61-58-5 record, but Richmond has won 8 of the last 10 meetings between the two teams.   (For a collection of "All Time Game Results," updated in 2014, go here.)  Kickoff is at noon in Richmond.

As previously noted, the W&M v. Richmond rivalry is tied with the Minnesota/Wisconsin rivalry as the fourth most prolific college football rivalry and the most prolific in the South. Once known as the I-64 Bowl, in honor of the interstate highway that links the two cities, the game has been known as the "Capital Cup" since 2009. The name reflects the fact that Williamsburg preceded Richmond as the Commonwealth's capital. (See this post for a photo of the cup.) Since the schools renamed the series, Richmond leads 4-2.

The Capital Cup is not the only accolade at stake tomorrow.  If victorious, the Tribe, currently ranked 7th in FCS and 93rd overall in college football, will end the season with a 9-2 record, sole possession of the CAA title and presumably a spot in the FCS playoffs.  (The Tribe earned an exclusive conference title in 1996, winning the Yankee Conference after a 9-2 season.)     For a detailed preview of tomorrow's game, read this post on the William and Mary Sports Blog as well as the "game notes" prepared by the William and Mary Athletics Department.  (See here for notes prepared by the Richmond Athletics Department.)

Twenty games in this series have been decided by 3 or fewer points, and the William and Mary Sports Blog is predicting a 34-31 W&M victory.  Look for a close, exciting and high scoring game tomorrow.  Go Tribe!
 

William and Mary and Richmond to Meet for 124th Time

Tomorrow William and Mary and Richmond will continue their gridiron rivalry.  Unlike rivalries that some believe to be contrived, the Tribe/Spider rivalry is the oldest in the South.  The teams first played in 1898, and tomorrow's game will mark the 124th time the two have met.  The two schools will thus tie the Wisconsin-Minnesota rivalry for the fourth most prolific in college football history, behind Lehigh-Lafayette (150 games), Princeton-Yale (136 games), and Harvard-Yale (131 games). Once known as the I-64 bowl, the teams now play for the Capital Cup, in recognition of the fact that both Richmond and Williamsburg have served as capitals of the Commonwealth. 

William and Mary leads the series 61-57-5.  Richmond has shut out the Tribe 23 times, and the Tribe has returned the favor 19 times. The teams have played to three zero-zero ties, and the Tribe holds the record for the most points scored in a game, 59, in 2003.  (For the source of these data, adjusted to reflect last year's result, go to this source updated in 2014.)

The rivalry's 124th game has more than historical significance.  Both CAA teams are 7-4 and rank 21 (Richmond) and 22 (William and Mary), respectively in the Sports Network Poll of FCS teams.  One observer has speculated that the winner of tomorrow's game (and only the winner), will earn a playoff spot.  Kickoff will be at 7:30 PM, and tickets are still available!  (For detailed game notes, go here.)  Those unable to attend the game in person can watch on the NBC Sports Network.  Good luck to both teams, and Go Tribe! 

William and Mary Announces 2014 Football Schedule

Good Precedent for 2014!

 

William and Mary has announced its 2014 football schedule.   As is customary in recent years, the Tribe will open with an FBS opponent, this year Virginia Tech.  (Tech leads this series 40-18-4.) Other home game highlights will include CAA rivals Villanova (for homecoming) and Delaware.  As always, the Tribe will end the regular season against Richmond, playing for what is now known as the "Capital Cup."  As previously explained on this blog, the W&M v. Richmond rivalry is the oldest in the South and the fourth most prolific college football rivalry judged by games played.  

 

The Tribe will also travel to Durham, New Hampshire and Harrisonburg, Virginia to play CAA opponents New Hampshire and James Madison, respectively.  This season the Tribe defeated JMU 17-7 (see the above photo) and New Hampshire 17-0.  Hopefully the 2014 Tribe will repeat such performances against both teams!  

 

Fans with a sharp eye will notice two new opponents on the schedule: The Stony Brook Seawolves and Elon Phoenix.  Both schools have just joined the CAA, and each will be playing full league schedules this coming year.   (See here for Elon's announcement and here for Stony Brook's.)    No doubt the Tribe will give each team a vigorous CAA "welcome!" 

Here is the schedule.  Home games are in bold, and all times are "to be announced."  I have also included the all-time series record for each rivalry.    For a complete list of the Tribe's all time records against various opponents, currently up-to-date through the 2012 season, go here.

August 30       Virginia Tech                                 Tech leads 40-18-4

September 6    Hampton                                      WM leads 3-1

September 13  Norfolk State                                WM leads 4-0

September 20  Lafayette                                      Series is tied 1-1

September 27  Stony Brook                                   0-0

October 11      New Hampshire                              WM leads 13-3

October 18     Villanova  (HC)                               WM leads 16-14-1

October 25    Delaware                                        Del. leads 22-16

November 1   James Madison                                JMU leads 20-15

November 8  Elon                                                  0-0

November 15 Towson                                            WM leads 7-3

November 22 Richmond                                        WM leads 61-57-5