Richmond, VA: The Richmond Spiders clinched their second consecutive Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) title and extended their winning streak to 10 games with a 27-0 victory over the William & Mary Tribe in the Capital Cup on Saturday. The Capital Cup, the "Oldest Rivalry in the South," dates back to 1898, and with this win, Richmond now leads the all-time series 66-64-5. This was the Spiders' first shutout over the Tribe since 1973 when they recorded a 31-0 victory.
The game started with a pivotal defensive play on the Tribe’s opening possession. Richmond’s Wayne Galloway intercepted a pass from Tribe quarterback Darius Wilson with 12:02 left in the first quarter. The Spiders capitalized on the turnover as Sean O’Haire drilled a 50-yard field goal—the seventh-longest in Spiders’ history—to take a 3-0 lead.
Later in the first quarter, Richmond extended their lead with a 9-play, 66-yard drive, capped by a 3-yard touchdown run from quarterback Cam Coleman. The successful PAT put the Spiders ahead 10-0 with 2:01 remaining in the opening quarter.
In the second quarter, O’Haire attempted a 20-yard field goal, but the kick was nullified after a roughing-the-kicker penalty by a Tribe defender. The penalty gave the Spiders an automatic first down, and Camden Coleman followed up with a 1-yard touchdown run. O’Haire’s PAT made it 17-0 at halftime.
The Spiders sealed the win in the fourth quarter with a 30-yard field goal from O’Haire and a 1-yard touchdown run by Zach Palmer-Smith, completing the 27-0 shutout. Richmond’s defense was relentless, stifling William & Mary’s offense and securing their first shutout of the Tribe in over 50 years.
The Spiders now advance to the FCS playoffs for the third consecutive season. Richmond will face Lehigh in the first round on Saturday, November 30th, with kickoff scheduled for 2 p.m.
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