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GAME NO. 3 CAPSULE -
DENNY O'BRIEN
East Carolina vs. William & Mary
Saturday, September 22, 2001
Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium (43,000), 3:30 PM EDT
Television: None
Weather Fx: Partly cloudy, very warm temperatures
Pirates and Tribe at a Glance
After a week layoff due to the tragedies in New York, Washington, and
Pennsylvania, East Carolina and William & Mary return to the gridiron this
week. The game not only marks a continuance of the 2001 season, but also the
renewal of a rivalry that dates back to 1966. The Pirates and Tribe haven't
teed it up since 1983.
The Tribe enters Saturday's meeting ranked 19th in I-AA, and has faired
admirably against I-A opponents during Laycock's tenure, winning 11 times.
The last time William & Mary defeated an upper-division school was in 1998
when it defeated Temple, 45-38. Last year, the Tribe fell to Central
Florida, 52-7.
William & Mary Facts and Notes
Record: 2-0. The Tribe is currently ranked 19th in I-AA.
Head Coach: Jimmye Laycock, 142-96-2 (21st year).
Venue: Nestled in Colonial Williamsburg, Walter J. Zable Stadium
at Cary Field (13,100 ) is one of the more scenic settings in all of college
football, regardless of division.
Last Week: Did not play. The Tribe beat then 21st-ranked UMass,
31-10, on September 8 in Amherst. William & Mary surrendered only 141 yards
of total offense.
The Series: East Carolina leads, 11-4-1. Though the Pirates have
dominated the series, the Tribe has found success in Greenville, winning
three times.
Last Meeting: 1983. In a memorable 8-3 season marked by losses
only to heavyweights Florida, Florida State, and Miami, the Pirates defeated
the Tribe, 40-6.
Last time in I-AA Playoffs: 1996. The Tribe finished 10-3, losing
a second-round playoff game at Northern Iowa, 38-35.
In the Spirit:
The East Carolina football team won the Disney Wide World of Sports
Spirit Award in 1999 for its courageous efforts in overcoming the tragedy of
Hurricane Floyd to finish 9-3. In 2000, that award went to a member of the
William & Mary football team, running back Hameen Ali.
Ali hurdled many obstacles en route to Williamsburg, which included an
adolescence spent moving from foster home to foster home. Ali left his home
after courageously defending his sister when attacked by his mother's
boyfriend. When the boyfriend turned his rage toward Ali, the young boy fled
to a stranger's house, never to return. Ali eventually landed at the
Elizabeth Murphey School.
Football Claim to Fame:
The College of William & Mary isn't exactly known for manufacturing NFL
talent, save for Buffalo Bills kicker Steve Christie. But when it comes to
national leaders, the Tribe has produced its share, including Thomas
Jefferson, who was our nation's third president. In addition to being the
Chief Executive, Jefferson is also credited with designing the buildings at
the University of Virginia.
The Breakdown
Quotes of Note:
"I think our mentality right now is much like it was when we were dealing
with the flood issue in '99, which is to just be flexible and focus on the
next thing, whether it be a practice or a game. I would think that probably
everybody is getting to the point where it's time to get back to routine,
and I'm on that side of the issue. I know that people are talking about
whether we should or shouldn't play, but I think there's a great strength in
routine." -- Steve Logan on how his team is handling the national
tragedy.
"When you look at their game film, their top 22 is as competitive as a
lot of people that we'll play. Their offensive line is big — equal to ours.
Their defensive front is as big as ours. They look a lot like us
offensively. They've got a very diverse presentation on offense, with a very
mobile quarterback, a young man that would remind you a lot of Marc Crandell
— a 5'11", 200-lb guy that runs really well and throws a beautiful ball." --
Logan on the similarities between ECU and William & Mary.
"I showed our players some film of a I-AA team beating a Division I
opponent badly, just to give them a graphic illustration of what it looks
like. So, I'm doing my part to make sure that they understand that they're
getting ready to play a very good football team from a program that's got a
proud tradition. I think they've had eight winning seasons in a row up until
last year when they were a 5-6 team. They've got 17 starters coming back
from last year's 5-6 team. They expected to be good this year, and in fact
they are." -- Logan on playing a I-AA opponent.
"We are going to have to play very, very well. We have gotten off to a
good start this year, we’ve played pretty well in our first two ball games,
but we’re going to have to play very well. We are going to have to get some
breaks here and there." -- William & Mary coach Jimmye Laycock on what it
will take to beat the Pirates.
William & Mary Players to Watch:
QB David Corley, WR Rich Musinski, DL Chris Stahl, RB Komlan Lonergan, OL
Dwight Beard.
Striking Stat:
William & Mary has surrendered just ten points in two games this year.
When the Pirates have the ball:
Look for the Pirates to keep the ground attack going with Leonard Henry,
who rushed for 218 yards against to Tulane, getting plenty of work. Logan
will keep his backs fresh, giving sophomore Art Brown and freshman-sensation
Marvin Townes spot duty throughout the game.
The Tribe will blitz on every down, playing press coverage on the
corners. Look for quarterback David Garrard to take his shots downfield with
split ends Derrick Collier and Torey Morris. Tight ends Seth Yates and Corey
Floyd will be reliable safety valves when Garrard is under pressure.
The Pirates are much stronger up front, and have too many weapons to
throw at the outmanned Tribe defense.
Advantage: East Carolina.
When the Tribe has the ball:
William & Mary has found most of its success through the air, with David
Corley at the controls. The Tribe uses spread formations, much like the
Pirates, and likes to spread the ball.
William & Mary hasn't found much success on the ground, rushing for only
one score thus far. When the Tribe does keep it on the ground, look for the
ball to go to running back Komlan Lonergan, who is averaging just 2.9 yards
per carry.
The Pirates tend to fair well against spread offenses, and Saturday
should be no exception.
Advantage: East Carolina
Special Teams:
Both the Pirates and Tribe boast capable return specialists. ECU's Marvin
Townes is averaging 37.2 yards per kick return, while William & Mary's
Musinski is averaging better than 25 yards per punt return, including an
83-yard touchdown.
Both teams boast accurate kickers, but the Pirates have a slight edge in
the punting unit, where punter Jarad Preston has been a pleasant surprise.
Advantage: East Carolina
Coaching:
The name Jimmye Laycock is synonymous with William & Mary football.
Laycock has built a solid tradition of I-AA excellence in Williamsburg, and
the off-season move to change the defensive philosophy suggests that game
has not passed him. Laycock has been linked to many Division-I openings in
the past, including the vacant posts at Virginia and Wake Forest last year.
Logan has built quite a tradition for himself, too, and he's also no
stranger to the coaching rumor mill. With two top-notch coordinators -- Doug
Martin and Tim Rose -- Logan has built the most highly touted staff in
Conference USA.
Advantage: East Carolina
Intangibles:
It's not every day that the Tribe has the opportunity to play in front of
40,000-plus. William & Mary will undoubtedly give a spirited effort on
Saturday in a matchup of David versus Goliath.
The Pirates have a history of playing to the level of their competition,
so the possibility of a stale effort exists on Saturday.
Advantage: William & Mary
What East Carolina must do to win:
- Keep ground game rolling. So goes the ground game, so go the Pirates.
- Inspired effort. If the Pirates come out stale, William & Mary is good
enough to make them pay.
- Avoid special teams blunder. A poor snap by freshman long-snapper
Brandon Howard, set up a Tulane score in the Pirates last outing. The
Tribe will readily accept any gifts the Pirates have to offer .
- Limit Corley's scrambling. Quarterback David Corley could prove to be
quite a nuisance on broken plays.
- Get skill players involved. ECU showed just how dynamic it can be
offensively by involving several of its skill players against Tulane.
Leonard Henry, Marvin Townes, Art Brown, Aaron Harris, Arnie Powell, Torey
Morris, and Derrick Collier all contributed in the rout of the Green Wave.
What William & Mary must do to win:
- Move the Chains. The Tribe's best defense against the Pirates could be
their offense.
- Eliminate big plays. The William & Mary defense could be susceptible
to "explosion" plays. The Pirates will definitely take their share of
shots.
- Create turnovers. The Tribe will need a little help from the Pirates
to win on Saturday.
- Big plays on special teams. Musinski is a talented return specialist,
and if he makes a couple of plays on special teams, things could get
interesting.
- Spike the Pirates' water cooler.
Prediction:
The Tribe just may keep it close for a quarter or two, but don't expect
much more than that. The Pirates have better athletes, more depth, and
should waltz in this one.
Pirates 41, Bill 6 and Mary 3.
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02/23/2007 02:05:40 AM
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