By Dave Johnson
W&M Athletics

Over these many years, William & Mary vs. Richmond has been referred to as "The Oldest Rivalry in the South." Not so — Virginia-North Carolina and Georgia-Auburn began playing in 1892, six years before the Tribe and Spiders got started.

W&M vs. Richmond is, however, the Most Played Rivalry in the South with 131 games in the series' history. Amazingly, things stand at 63-63-5 going into Saturday's tiebreaker at Zable Stadium.

Tribe coach Mike London has seen the rivalry from both sidelines. He was a defensive back at Richmond from 1979-82 and has been an assistant coach with both programs. He was the Richmond's head coach in 2008 and '09 and has been the Tribe's big cheese since 2019.

London has played or coached in 14 games between these teams — six in green and gold, eight in red and blue.

"The perspective is truly unique for me as an individual," said London, an '83 UR grad who has been on the winning side eight times. "There have been so many games being involved in such a great rivalry. To be a part of that is great.

"You can throw the records out because it's a competitive game. Both sides want to win very much."

Richmond coach Russ Huesman also has seen both sides. He was a Tribe assistant under Jimmye Laycock from 1984-97, when the Tribe won 12 of 14 games against the Spiders. He was a UR assistant for five years and has been its head coach since 2017.

"I've been involved in over 20 of these on one side or the other, so I know the importance of this game," Huesman said. "No matter what the records are, no matter what you're playing for, whether it's the playoffs or a winning season, the Capital Cup and the pride it brings to win is huge."

This year, both teams have something on the line. The Tribe (6-4, 4-3 CAA) needs that seventh win to have a stronger case for playoff contention. The Spiders (5-5, 3-4) are looking for their fourth consecutive win, which would clinch a winning season.

Linebacker Tyler Crist, a sixth-year senior, came to William & Mary in 2016 unaware of the rivalry's intensity. He quickly found out.

"I don't remember who we played before Richmond that year, but that Sunday and Monday, the atmosphere changed," he said. "The anger builds up and it's a distaste. It doesn't matter if they're 10-0 or 0-10, we just hate them.

"It's like playing a backyard game or somebody from across town. It means a lot more. Good season or bad season, you always want to beat Richmond."

That 2016 game is a perfect example. Having begun the season with such promise, W&M went into the Richmond finale with a 4-6 record. Richmond was 8-2 and ranked No. 7.

With a dominant second half, the Tribe rolled to a 34-13 win behind running back Kendell Anderson's 219 yards and two touchdowns. The Spiders advanced two rounds in the playoffs before losing to Eastern Washington in the quarterfinals.

Here are a few tidbits you might not know about the South's Most Played Rivalry:

*The first game was played on Nov. 19, 1898, three months after the Spanish-American War ended, in Richmond. The Spiders won 15-0. Except for 1900, 1902 and 1943, the teams have played at least once a year since.

*The first known moniker was the Thanksgiving Day Classic from 1954-64. It later became known as the I-64 Bowl and then, since everyone hates I-64, the Capital Cup in 2009. Last month, C&F Bank was announced as the presenting sponsor.

*Only three series in Division I football have played more games — Lafayette-Lehigh (156), Princeton-Yale (143) and Harvard-Yale (136).

*Fifty-six of the first 74 games were played in Richmond. Since 1965, the series has alternated between Richmond and Williamsburg. The Spiders hosted the only playoff game in 2015.

*The Tribe's worst stretch in the series came from 1912-22 when it lost 16 of 18 games with one tie. Its best run came from 1939-54 when it won 15 in a row, including a 2-0 thriller in 1954 when Bill Marfizo blocked a punt out of the end zone.

*Of William & Mary's 10 most productive games in total yards, three have come against Richmond — 681 (first) in 1991, 649 (third) in 1974 and 616 (seventh) in 2010.

*Overall, the Tribe has outscored the Spiders 2,048 to 1,977. On the average, that's 15.6336 to 15.0916.

To understand how close this series has been, consider London's four games — two on each side — as a head coach. In 2008, Andrew Howard's 37-yard field goal in overtime lifted London's Spiders past the Tribe 23-20. In '09, Howard was good from 48 yards as time expired to give Richmond a 13-10 win.

In 2019, London's first season at William & Mary, the Tribe won 21-15 on Hollis Mathis' touchdown pass to Zach Burdick in overtime. In the abbreviated spring season of '21, Richmond won 21-14 on a touchdown and 2-point conversion with 6:20 remaining.

"These games have come down to a playmaker making a play against another playmaker," London said. "And everybody has to be on notice that it might be you."