WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (TribeAthletics.com) - The William & Mary football team will open the 2021 season when it travels to Virginia on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
W&M returns all its starters on both sides of the ball from a team that posted a 1-2 mark during an abbreviated slate last spring. The Tribe welcomes back a talented and experienced offensive line that has combined to earn 78 career starts, while it features a dynamic group of playmakers at all the skill positions.
Defensively, W&M limited opponents to just 322.0 yards per game last season, including 167.7 yards per contest through the air. The unit is anchored by a talented defensive line that features a pair of captains - Carl Fowler and Zyquan Bessant - and an all-conference standout in Will Kiely.
Virginia returns 17 starters (10 offense / 7 defense) from last season's squad that posted a 5-5 record and finished the year with wins in four of its final five contests. Quarterback Brennan Armstrong leads a Cavalier offense that averaged 30.7 points per game last season, while linebacker Nick Jackson, a Butkus Award watch list selection, garnered preseason all-conference honors.
UVA was predicted to finish fifth among the seven teams in the ACC's Coastal Division by a vote of the league's media.
Saturday's contest at Virginia will mark the 38th meeting between the two schools, as UVA holds a 30-6-1 advantage in the all-time series. W&M's last victory in the series came in 2009, while the Cavaliers have won the last four matchups.
