One of the most remarkable head coaching careers in the history of college football concluded at Zable Stadium Saturday afternoon, as William & Mary Head Coach Jimmye Laycock’s 39th season at the helm of his alma mater ended with a 10-6 setback against longtime rival Richmond.
A 35-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Shon Mitchell to wideout DeVonte Dedmon narrowed the margin to 10-6 with 0:47 remaining in the fourth quarter, but W&M (4-6, 3-4) missed the PAT and was unable to recover the ensuing onside kick.
After a scoreless first quarter, UR (4-7, 2-6) took a 7-0 lead with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Joe Mancuso to Caleb Drake early in the second quarter. Linebacker Dale Matthews, Jr. keyed the 17-play, 80-yard scoring drive when he converted a fourth-and-4 near midfield on a fake punt.
Matthews, who also recorded an interception near the red zone to halt a W&M drive early in the fourth quarter, was selected as the game’s Most Valuable Player.
The Spiders, which claimed the Capital Cup for the second consecutive season, other score came on a 43-yard field goal by Griffin Trau with 0:36 remaining in the third quarter.
Tribe Standouts
Defensive tackle Bill Murray led the Tribe defensively with seven tackles, a forced fumble, a sack and 3.0 TFL, while linebacker Josh Dulaney and defensive tackle Will Kiely posted seven tackles and 1.5 TFL apiece. Cornerback Raeshawn Smith added seven tackles and a pair of PBU’s.
In addition to his touchdown late in the fourth quarter, Dedmon led W&M offensively with seven catches for 54 yards. Tight end Nick Muse also came up big with five receptions for 85 yards.
Inside the Numbers
Richmond won the turnover battle, as it forced three Tribe turnovers and committed none of its own.
Additionally, the Spiders converted points on both its trips into the red zone, while W&M came up empty during its pair of opportunites inside the 20.
Although W&M held a 153-136 advantage in passing yards, UR outgained the Tribe, 229-212.
Richmond was penalized 11 times for 111 yards, while W&M committed just four penalties for 34 yards.
The Opposition
Defensive end Maurice Jackson posted a big game defensively for the Spiders, totaling nine tackles, 3.0 sacks, 4.5 TFL, two forced fumbles and a PBU.
In addition to his fake punt conversion and interception, Matthews totaled six tackles and 1.5 TFL.
Wideout Caleb Drake led UR offensively with seven catches for 41 yards with a touchdown.
Notes
Laycock finishes his legendary career with 249 wins, which ties for 24th in the history of college football with Lou Holtz … Laycock played quarterback for Holtz at W&M in 1969 … Nearly 400 of Laycock’s former players returned for the contest and were recognized on the field during halftime … Prior to the contest, W&M honored its 12 seniors who suited up for the last time in a Tribe uniform – Jack Armstrong, Raeshawn Smith, DeVonte Dedmon, Josh Dulaney, Brooks Norris, Isaiah Kinder, Brehon Britt, Simeon Brown, Jack Cornett, Zach Sims, Joe Suarez and Grant Waxter … Dedmon’s touchdown catch moved him into a tie for fourth on W&M’s all-time list (20), tying him with Mike Tomlin and Joe Nicholas … The W&M-UR all-time series is tied, 62-62-5
