THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 3, 1995 TAG: 9509030170
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium: 56 lines
When you step up in class in the first game of the season, as William and Mary did against Division I-A cousin Virginia Saturday night, the best you can hope for is to leave town with all your fingers and toes, and with some idea of what kind of football team you'll have this year.
``It's like putting something under a stress test,'' Tribe coach Jimmye Laycock said. ``Things that might not show up in other games showed up tonight.''
Plenty of things showed up in William and Mary's 40-16 loss. After a disastrous, error-prone first quarter, the Tribe settled down and made a decent accounting of itself in its final meeting with the Cavaliers.
It's the final 45 minutes, not the first 15, that Laycock and company hope to take with them as they enter their Division I-AA schedule next week against James Madison.
``They were Division I-A, and we did some good things,'' quarterback Matt Byrne said. ``Let's emphasize that and move on.''
The Tribe, which failed to reach the end zone last year against Virginia, got there twice Saturday. They also managed 288 yards of total offense.
``I don't think we got overpowered,'' Laycock said. ``It might have looked like it up top, but on the field it didn't appear that way.
``We've made some big strides there, in the offensive line and up front defensively.''
It wasn't manhandling that did the Tribe in early, it was mishandling. On the third play from scrimmage, fullback Troy Keen fumbled after catching a swing pass. Virginia took over at the Tribe 18 and scored four players later.
On the next possession, William and Mary made a first down on a faked punt, only to have it called back for illegal procedure. Virginia scored on a field goal.
Next time around, the Tribe had a punt blocked. Terrence Wilkins recovered it in the end zone and William and Mary trailed, 16-0, less than 10 minutes in.
``I don't know if it was first-game jitters or not,'' Laycock said. ``Virginia had something to do with it. You make a mistake against them, it's usually magnified.
``But other than the first quarter, we played well and were going against one of the top programs in the country.''
The Tribe, for what it's worth, managed more rushing yards - 75 - than Michigan did last week. They put together three long second-half drives, although two were ended by interceptions. They left town without any major injuries.
Still, Laycock was not totally ready to concede that playing Virginia so early is a good thing.
``Ask me in about four or five weeks,'' he said. ``And I'll give you a better answer.'' by CNB