Richmond clinches share of CAA championship in dramatic 27-26 win over William & Mary
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (Release via W&M Athletics) – The William & Mary football team concluded its season with a 27-26 loss to Richmond in the Capital Cup Game presented by C&F Bank at Zable Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Although W&M (6-5, 4-4) trailed by 10 points late in the fourth quarter, it charged back with a pair of scores in the closing minutes. After a 29-yard field goal by Caden Bonoffski narrowed the margin to 27-20 with 3:37 remining, W&M’s defense forced a punt to set up an eight-play, 73-yard touchdown drive in the final 1:21. The scoring drive culminated when Malachi Imoh connected on a 2-yard touchdown pass to Colton Turner on an untimed down after UR was flagged for pass interference, but the Tribe’s potential game-winning 2-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful when it was whistled for a holding penalty.
Despite the setback, W&M finishes its campaign with a winning record for the third consecutive season
Things looked good for the Tribe early when it took a 7-0 lead on a 6-yard touchdown run by Imoh and led 10-7 following a 34-yard field goal by Bonoffski during the opening seconds of the second quarter.
Richmond (8-3, 7-1) countered with 13 unanswered points to take a 20-10 lead into the fourth quarter.
The teams traded touchdowns early in the fourth quarter, with the Tribe scoring on a 16-yard strike from Darius Wilson to JT Mayo, before W&M’s late-game comeback bid.
Tribe Standouts
Wilson completed 12-of-20 passes for 247 yards with a touchdown, while he rushed for 65 yards on 17 carries.
Hollis Mathis posted a career-high six catches 106 yards, which was highlighted by a 32-yard reception to help set up the Tribe’s final touchdown.
Mayo also came up big with three catches for a career-best 85 yards and a touchdown.
In addition to his touchdowns, Imoh rushed for a game-high 91 yards on nine carries.
Kevin Jarrell equaled a career high with 14 tackles, while Alex Washington and Nate Lynn added nine and eight tackles, respectively.
Inside the Numbers
W&M outgained UR, 440-371, and averaged 7.5 yards per play.
Additionally, the Tribe owned a 270-175 advantage through the air.
Both teams converted on all five of their trips into the red zone, with both squads posting touchdowns on three trips.
W&M’s defense held UR to just 2-of-10 on third down.
The Opposition
Quarterback Kyle Wickersham was selected as the Capital Cup Game Most Outstanding Player, as he completed 14-of-21 passes for 152 yards and rushed for a team-high 72 yards on 17 carries with a touchdown.
Defensively, Trae Tomlinson totaled a team-high eight tackles with a TFL, forced fumble and PBU, while Matei Fitz added a pair of sacks and 3.0 TFL.
Notes
Richmond owns a 65-64-5 edge in the all-time series and reclaims the Capital Cup after W&M won last year’s matchup at UR … The setback was just the second home loss for W&M in its last 10 games at Zable Stadium … With his two made field goals, Bonoffski finishes the season with 16, which ranks ninth of W&M’s single-season list … W&M allowed just 18.5 points per game this season, which ranks tied for the eighth-best figure in school history.
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