The William & Mary Tribe football teams represented the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. The program was established in 1893 and serves as William & Mary's oldest athletic team. Their long-time football rival is the University of Richmond and their annual meeting is dubbed the I-64 Bowl (later renamed the Capital Cup starting in the 2009 season), so named for the highway connecting the two nearby schools.
The 1990s were the second most successful years of Tribe football (behind the 1940s) in both terms of winning percentage and by the number of points William & Mary outscored their opponents. In terms of total wins, the 1990s has been the most successful decade.
Three players were drafted during this era. Most notably, Darren Sharper was selected as the 60th overall pick in the 1997 NFL Draft. It is still the highest overall draft selection, in the modern football era, by any William & Mary player in the program's history. As of April 2014, Sharper is in the National Football League's top 10 all-time in career interceptions. He was a five-time Pro Bowl starter as well.
Four of the seasons in the 1990s saw William & Mary win at least nine games; two of those were 10-win seasons. The 1990 team won a Division I-AA playoff game for the school's first-ever playoff victory. In 1996, the Tribe were outright champions of the Yankee Conference. That same squad finished the year ranked #5 in the final Sports Network poll, which was a then-school record for highest finish ever.
1990
William & Mary were the 1990 Lambert Cup winners. The Lambert Cup is an award given to the best team in the East in Division I-AA. To be eligible for the Lambert Cup, a school must be located in the East or play half its schedule against eligible Lambert teams.
Date |
Opponent |
Site |
Result |
Attendance |
September 8 |
at The Citadel |
Johnson Hagood Stadium • Charleston, SC |
L 31–34 |
18,011 |
September 15 |
Villanova |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA |
W 37–14 |
9,728 |
September 22 |
Connecticut |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA |
W 24–7 |
11,831 |
September 29 |
at #7 (BCS) Virginia |
Scott Stadium • Charlottesville, VA |
L 35–63 |
40,400 |
October 6 |
at Delaware |
Delaware Stadium • Newark, DE (Rivalry) |
W 22–12 |
21,378 |
October 13 |
vs. VMI |
Foreman Field • Norfolk, VA (Rivalry/Oyster Bowl) |
W 59–47 |
19,000 |
October 20 |
Bucknell |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA |
W 45–17 |
9,821 |
October 27 |
Lehigh |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA |
W 38–17 |
|
November 3 |
Furman |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA |
W 38–28 |
15,000 |
November 10 |
at James Madison |
Bridgeforth Stadium • Harrisonburg, VA (Rivalry) |
W 31–21 |
|
November 17 |
at Richmond |
University of Richmond Stadium • Richmond, VA (I-64 Bowl) |
W 31–10 |
|
November 24 |
UMass |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA (Division I-AA playoffs) |
W 38–0 |
7,027 |
December 1 |
at UCF |
Citrus Bowl • Orlando, FL (Division I-AA Quarterfinals) |
L 38–52 |
20,067 |
#Rankings from Associated Press. |
|
|
Champion – Georgia Southern Eagles
|
1991
Date |
Opponent |
Site |
Result |
Attendance |
September 7 |
at Boston University |
Nickerson Field • Boston, MA |
W 48–22 |
3,630 |
September 14 |
Delaware |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA (Rivalry) |
L 21–28 |
13,579 |
September 21 |
at Navy |
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium • Annapolis, MD |
W 26–21 |
23,697 |
September 28 |
James Madison |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA (Rivalry) |
L 28–29 |
15,371 |
October 5 |
at North Carolina |
Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, NC |
L 36–59 |
44,500 |
October 12 |
at VMI |
Alumni Memorial Field • Lexington, VA (Rivalry) |
W 40–26 |
7,737 |
October 19 |
The Citadel |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA |
W 24–17 |
15,621 |
October 26 |
at Villanova |
Villanova Stadium • Villanova, PA |
L 21–35 |
6,887 |
November 2 |
at Lehigh |
Goodman Stadium • Bethlehem, PA |
L 37–41 |
11,083 |
November 16 |
Samford |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA |
L 13–35 |
7,131 |
November 23 |
Richmond |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA (I-64 Bowl) |
W 49–7 |
12,216 |
|
1992
William & Mary finished the regular season with a 9–2 record, but because they chose to participate in their second-ever Epson Ivy Bowl against Nihon University in Tokyo, Japan, the Tribe were forced to forfeit their qualification to participate in the 1992 Division I-AA playoffs. The postseason bowl game, due to it being an international match and not sanctioned by the NCAA, does not count toward their win-loss records.
Date |
Opponent |
Site |
Result |
Attendance |
September 12 |
VMI |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA (Rivalry) |
W 21–16 |
|
September 19 |
Boston University |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA |
W 31–21 |
|
September 26 |
at Harvard |
Harvard Stadium • Allston, MA |
W 36–16 |
5,794 |
October 3 |
Brown |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA |
W 51–6 |
13,012 |
October 10 |
at Penn |
Franklin Field • Philadelphia, PA |
W 21–19 |
|
October 17 |
Towson |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA |
W 43–15 |
15,122 |
October 24 |
at #24 (BCS) Virginia |
Scott Stadium • Charlottesville, VA |
L 7–33 |
40,100 |
October 31 |
at James Madison |
Bridgeforth Stadium • Harrisonburg, VA (Rivalry) |
L 14–21 |
7,400 |
November 7 |
at Colgate |
Andy Kerr Stadium • Hamilton, NY |
W 44–26 |
|
November 14 |
Lehigh |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA |
W 26–13 |
|
November 21 |
at Richmond |
University of Richmond Stadium • Richmond, VA (I-64 Bowl) |
W 34–19 |
19,377 |
January 23, 1993 |
at Nihon University |
Tokyo Dome • Tokyo, Japan (Epson Ivy Bowl) |
W 35–19 |
40,000 |
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from NCAA Poll at time of game. All times are in Eastern Time. |
1993
1993 Yankee Conference football standings |
|
Conf |
|
|
Overall |
Team |
W |
|
L |
|
T |
|
|
W |
|
L |
|
T |
New England |
#6 Boston University x$^ |
8 |
– |
0 |
– |
0 |
|
|
12 |
– |
1 |
– |
0 |
#25 UMass |
6 |
– |
2 |
– |
0 |
|
|
9 |
– |
2 |
– |
0 |
Connecticut |
5 |
– |
3 |
– |
0 |
|
|
6 |
– |
5 |
– |
0 |
New Hampshire |
4 |
– |
4 |
– |
0 |
|
|
6 |
– |
5 |
– |
0 |
Rhode Island |
2 |
– |
6 |
– |
0 |
|
|
4 |
– |
7 |
– |
0 |
Maine |
0 |
– |
8 |
– |
0 |
|
|
0 |
– |
11 |
– |
0 |
Mid–Atlantic |
#10 William & Mary x^ |
7 |
– |
1 |
– |
0 |
|
|
9 |
– |
3 |
– |
0 |
#18 Delaware ^ |
6 |
– |
2 |
– |
0 |
|
|
9 |
– |
4 |
– |
0 |
James Madison |
4 |
– |
4 |
– |
0 |
|
|
6 |
– |
5 |
– |
0 |
Richmond |
3 |
– |
5 |
– |
0 |
|
|
5 |
– |
6 |
– |
0 |
Northeastern |
2 |
– |
6 |
– |
0 |
|
|
2 |
– |
9 |
– |
0 |
Villanova |
1 |
– |
7 |
– |
0 |
|
|
3 |
– |
8 |
– |
0 |
|
- $ – Conference champion
- x – Division champion/co-champions
- ^ – Division I-AA playoff participant
Rankings from The Sports Network I-AA Poll |
Date |
Opponent |
Site |
Result |
Attendance |
September 4 |
New Hampshire |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA |
W 27–14 |
6,641 |
September 11 |
at Delaware |
Delaware Stadium • Newark, DE (Rivalry) |
L 35–42 |
13,612 |
September 18 |
at Tulane |
Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans, LA |
L 0–10 |
20,517 |
September 25 |
Harvard |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA |
W 45–17 |
14,314 |
October 2 |
vs. VMI |
Foreman Field • Norfolk, VA (Rivalry/Oyster Bowl) |
W 49–6 |
14,000 |
October 16 |
at Northeastern |
Parsons Field • Brookline, MA |
W 53–6 |
4,200 |
October 23 |
Villanova |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA |
W 51–17 |
17,616 |
October 30 |
James Madison |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA (Rivalry) |
W 31–26 |
11,698 |
November 6 |
at Maine |
Alumni Stadium • Orono, ME |
W 47–23 |
3,400 |
November 13 |
at UMass |
Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium • Hadley, MA |
W 45–28 |
3,222 |
November 20 |
Richmond |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA (I-64 Bowl) |
W 31–17 |
12,110 |
November 27 |
at McNeese State |
Cowboy Stadium • Lake Charles, LA (Division I-AA playoffs) |
L 28–34 |
17,167 |
|
|
|
Champion – Youngstown State Penguins
|
1994
1994 Yankee Conference football standings |
|
Conf |
|
|
Overall |
Team |
W |
|
L |
|
T |
|
|
W |
|
L |
|
T |
New England |
#12 New Hampshire x$^ |
8 |
– |
0 |
– |
0 |
|
|
10 |
– |
2 |
– |
0 |
#9 Boston University ^ |
6 |
– |
2 |
– |
0 |
|
|
9 |
– |
3 |
– |
0 |
Connecticut |
4 |
– |
4 |
– |
0 |
|
|
4 |
– |
7 |
– |
0 |
UMass |
4 |
– |
4 |
– |
0 |
|
|
5 |
– |
6 |
– |
0 |
Rhode Island |
2 |
– |
6 |
– |
0 |
|
|
2 |
– |
9 |
– |
0 |
Maine |
2 |
– |
6 |
– |
0 |
|
|
3 |
– |
8 |
– |
0 |
Mid–Atlantic |
#13 James Madison x^ |
6 |
– |
2 |
– |
0 |
|
|
10 |
– |
3 |
– |
0 |
#19 William & Mary x |
6 |
– |
2 |
– |
0 |
|
|
8 |
– |
3 |
– |
0 |
Delaware |
5 |
– |
3 |
– |
0 |
|
|
7 |
– |
3 |
– |
1 |
Villanova |
2 |
– |
6 |
– |
0 |
|
|
5 |
– |
6 |
– |
0 |
Northeastern |
2 |
– |
6 |
– |
0 |
|
|
2 |
– |
9 |
– |
0 |
Richmond |
1 |
– |
7 |
– |
0 |
|
|
3 |
– |
8 |
– |
0 |
|
- $ – Conference champion
- x – Division champion/co-champions
- ^ – Division I-AA playoff participant
Rankings from The Sports Network I-AA Poll |
Date |
Opponent |
Site |
Result |
Attendance |
September 3 |
at Rhode Island |
Meade Stadium • Kingston, RI |
W 38–17 |
3,383 |
September 10 |
Delaware |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA (Rivalry) |
W 31–7 |
12,136 |
September 17 |
at Furman |
Paladin Stadium • Greenville, SC |
W 28–26 |
11,244 |
September 24 |
VMI |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA (Rivalry) |
W 45–7 |
14,014 |
October 1 |
at Virginia |
Scott Stadium • Charlottesville, VA |
L 3–37 |
38,300 |
October 8 |
Northeastern |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA |
W 17–12 |
7,894 |
October 15 |
UMass |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA |
L 14–23 |
9,042 |
October 22 |
at James Madison |
Bridgeforth Stadium • Harrisonburg, VA (Rivalry) |
L 7–33 |
12,500 |
October 29 |
at Villanova |
Villanova Stadium • Villanova, PA |
W 53–28 |
|
November 5 |
Maine |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA |
W 17–0 |
14,687 |
November 19 |
at Richmond |
University of Richmond Stadium • Richmond, VA (I-64 Bowl) |
W 21–20 |
10,683 |
|
1995
1995 Yankee Conference football standings |
|
Conf |
|
|
Overall |
Team |
W |
|
L |
|
T |
|
|
W |
|
L |
|
T |
New England |
Rhode Island x |
6 |
– |
2 |
– |
0 |
|
|
7 |
– |
4 |
– |
0 |
#23 Connecticut |
5 |
– |
3 |
– |
0 |
|
|
8 |
– |
3 |
– |
0 |
New Hampshire |
4 |
– |
4 |
– |
0 |
|
|
6 |
– |
5 |
– |
0 |
UMass |
3 |
– |
5 |
– |
0 |
|
|
6 |
– |
5 |
– |
0 |
Boston University |
1 |
– |
7 |
– |
0 |
|
|
3 |
– |
8 |
– |
0 |
Maine |
1 |
– |
7 |
– |
0 |
|
|
3 |
– |
8 |
– |
0 |
Mid–Atlantic |
#7 Delaware x$^ |
8 |
– |
0 |
– |
0 |
|
|
11 |
– |
2 |
– |
0 |
#13 James Madison ^ |
6 |
– |
2 |
– |
0 |
|
|
8 |
– |
4 |
– |
0 |
#19 William & Mary |
5 |
– |
3 |
– |
0 |
|
|
7 |
– |
4 |
– |
0 |
#20 Richmond |
5 |
– |
3 |
– |
0 |
|
|
7 |
– |
3 |
– |
1 |
Villanova |
2 |
– |
6 |
– |
0 |
|
|
3 |
– |
8 |
– |
0 |
Northeastern |
2 |
– |
6 |
– |
0 |
|
|
4 |
– |
7 |
– |
0 |
|
- $ – Conference champion
- x – Division champion/co-champions
- ^ – Division I-AA playoff participant
Rankings from The Sports Network I-AA Poll |
Date |
Opponent |
Site |
Result |
Attendance |
September 2 |
at #17 (I-A) Virginia |
Scott Stadium • Charlottesville, VA |
L 16–40 |
38,300 |
September 9 |
#7 James Madison |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA (Rivalry) |
L 17–24 |
13,871 |
September 16 |
at Northeastern |
Parsons Field • Brookline, MA |
W 32–0 |
2,400 |
September 23 |
at New Hampshire |
Cowell Stadium • Durham, NH |
W 39–0 |
4,266 |
September 30 |
at VMI |
Alumni Memorial Field • Lexington, VA (Rivalry) |
W 27–7 |
7,896 |
October 7 |
Rhode Island |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA |
W 23–14 |
7,230 |
October 14 |
#22 Penn |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA |
W 48–34 |
8,535 |
October 21 |
at UMass |
Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium • Hadley, MA |
L 9–20 |
5,011 |
October 28 |
Villanova |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA |
W 18–15 |
13,925 |
November 4 |
at #5 Delaware |
Delaware Stadium • Newark, DE (Rivalry) |
L 20–23 |
18,439 |
November 11 |
#16 Richmond |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA (I-64 Bowl) |
W 27–7 |
12,779 |
#Rankings from The Sports Network FCS Poll at time of game. All times are in Eastern Time. |
1996
Date |
Opponent |
Site |
Result |
Attendance |
August 29 |
at UCF |
Citrus Bowl • Orlando, FL |
L 33–39 |
18,013 |
September 7 |
at #22 Rhode Island |
Meade Stadium • Kingston, RI |
W 23–16 |
2,131 |
September 14 |
VMI |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA (Rivalry) |
W 40–21 |
9,614 |
September 21 |
at Bucknell |
Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium • Lewisburg, PA |
W 47–0 |
4,429 |
October 5 |
#20 New Hampshire |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA |
W 31–7 |
7,256 |
October 12 |
at #17 James Madison |
Bridgeforth Stadium • Harrisonburg, VA (Rivalry) |
L 21–26 |
10,500 |
October 19 |
at #9 Villanova |
Villanova Stadium • Villanova, PA |
W 30–21 |
4,733 |
October 26 |
Northeastern |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA |
W 21–14 |
11,373 |
November 2 |
#6 Delaware |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA (Rivalry) |
W 10–7 OT |
8,177 |
November 9 |
UMass |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA |
W 30–6 |
6,867 |
November 16 |
at Richmond |
University of Richmond Stadium • Richmond, VA (I-64 Bowl) |
W 28–13 |
11,204 |
November 30 |
#8 Jackson State |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA (Division I-AA playoffs) |
W 45–6 |
4,057 |
December 7 |
at #3 Northern Iowa |
UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA (Division I-AA Quarterfinals) |
L 35–38 |
10,796 |
#Rankings from The Sports Network FCS Poll at time of game. All times are in Eastern Time. |
|
|
Champion – Marshall Thundering Herd
|
1997
Date |
Opponent |
Site |
Result |
Attendance |
August 30 |
[[{{{school}}}|Hampton]] |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA |
W 31–6 |
10,667 |
September 6 |
at #23 Georgia Southern |
Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA |
W 29–28 |
10,329 |
September 13 |
at VMI |
Alumni Memorial Field • Lexington, VA (Rivalry) |
W 41–12 |
7,267 |
September 20 |
at New Hampshire |
Cowell Stadium • Durham, NH |
L 22–24 |
3,274 |
September 27 |
Boston University |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA |
W 20–17 |
8,574 |
October 4 |
at Northeastern |
Parsons Field • Brookline, MA |
L 12–33 |
3,112 |
October 11 |
James Madison |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA (Rivalry) |
W 38–25 |
8,529 |
October 18 |
at [[{{{school}}}|Connecticut]] |
Memorial Stadium • Storrs, CT |
W 38–17 |
8,396 |
October 25 |
#1 Villanova |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA |
L 13–20 |
10,559 |
November 1 |
at #3 Delaware |
Delaware Stadium • Newark, DE (Rivalry) |
L 0–14 |
18,707 |
November 15 |
Richmond |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA (I-64 Bowl) |
W 10–7 |
8,201 |
#Rankings from The Sports Network FCS Poll at time of game. All times are in Eastern Time. |
1998
Date |
Opponent |
Site |
Result |
Attendance |
September 5 |
at Rhode Island |
Meade Stadium • Kingston, RI |
W 21–13 |
3,713 |
September 12 |
VMI |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA (Rivalry) |
W 49–0 |
9,598 |
September 19 |
Northeastern |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA |
W 24–21 |
6,005 |
September 26 |
at #4 Villanova |
Villanova Stadium • Villanova, PA |
L 28–45 |
12,008 |
October 3 |
at [[{{{school}}}|Temple]] |
Veterans Stadium • Philadelphia, PA |
W 45–38 |
16,281 |
October 10 |
#6 Delaware |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA (Rivalry) |
W 52–45 |
7,443 |
October 17 |
at James Madison |
Bridgeforth Stadium • Harrisonburg, VA (Rivalry) |
W 24–12 |
14,000 |
October 24 |
New Hampshire |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA |
L 19–31 |
10,553 |
October 31 |
at #2 [[{{{school}}}|Hampton]] |
Armstrong Stadium • Hampton, VA |
W 41–34 |
10,704 |
November 14 |
#13 [[{{{school}}}|Connecticut]] |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA |
L 26–34 |
6,529 |
November 21 |
at #8 Richmond |
University of Richmond Stadium • Richmond, VA (I-64 Bowl) |
L 17–42 |
18,914 |
#Rankings from The Sports Network FCS Poll at time of game. All times are in Eastern Time. |
1999
Date |
Opponent |
Site |
Result |
Attendance |
September 2 |
at #11 Delaware |
Delaware Stadium • Newark, DE (Rivalry) |
L 27–34 2OT |
22,038 |
September 11 |
at #23 (BCS) NC State* |
Carter-Finley Stadium • Raleigh, NC |
L 9–38 |
42,386 |
September 18 |
Furman |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA |
L 6–52 |
6,390 |
September 25 |
at Northeastern |
Parsons Field • Brookline, MA |
W 42–30 |
3,721 |
October 9 |
#19 Villanova |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA |
W 45–10 |
4,923 |
October 16 |
#13 James Madison |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA (Rivalry) |
L 20–30 |
9,225 |
October 23 |
at VMI |
Alumni Memorial Field • Lexington, VA (Rivalry) |
W 35–14 |
5,273 |
October 30 |
Maine |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA |
W 37–13 |
9,358 |
November 6 |
at Rhode Island |
Meade Stadium • Kingston, RI |
W 24–6 |
6,130 |
November 13 |
#17 UMass |
Zable Stadium • Williamsburg, VA |
L 16–25 |
7,055 |
November 20 |
at Richmond |
University of Richmond Stadium • Richmond, VA (I-64 Bowl) |
W 34–14 |
13,411 |
#Rankings from The Sports Network FCS Poll at time of game. The ranking for NC State is from the AP Poll. All times are in Eastern Time. |
Decade totals
- Final record: 78–37
- Points scored: 3,419
- Points against: 2,479
- +/- point differential: +940
NFL Draft selections
References
|
Venues |
|
Bowls & rivalries |
|
Culture & lore |
|
People |
|
Seasons |
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