ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, December 1, 1996 TAG: 9612020120
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: NCAA PLAYOFFS
SOURCE: From Associated Press reports
Mike Cook passed for 270 yards and two touchdowns and Tim Witcher ran for two scores Saturday as William & Mary beat Jackson State 45-6 in the first round of the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs.
The Tribe (10-2) dominated with defense, holding the Tigers (10-2) to 18 rushing yards, 199 overall yards and only 2-of-13 third-down conversions. William and Mary gained 480 yards and converted 6-of-14 third-down plays.
Cook completed 15 of 24 passes, including scoring tosses of 24 yards to David Conklin in the second quarter and 26 yards to Josh Whipple in the third quarter. Whipple finished with six catches for 109 yards.
In other playoff action:
The Division III playoffs are loaded with teams that have played in and/or won the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl in Salem. The quarterfinals were played Saturday.
Mount Union 49, Illinois Wesleyan 14: Bill Borchert passed for three touchdowns and ran for two more as 1993 champion Mount Union used a 35-point second quarter to defeat Illinois Wesleyan 49-14 in Alliance, Ohio, for the NCAA Division III North Region championship.
Borchert connected on 19 of 26 passes for 228 yards as the Purple Raiders (12-0) advanced to next Saturday's division semifinals at last year's Stagg Bowl champion, Wisconsin-La Crosse. The winners of the semifinal games will play Dec.14 in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl at Salem.
Wisconsin-La Crosse 37, St.John's (Minn.) 30: In La Crosse, Wisc., the Eagles sacked St.John's quarterback Kurt Ramler six times and held the Johnnies to minus-6 yards rushing to set up a rematch of last season's Division III semifinal.
Wisconsin-La Crosse beat next week's opponent, Mount Union, 20-17 last season to advance to the Stagg Bowl, which it won 36-7 over Rowan.
St.John's led 30-8 with 13:57 left in the third quarter, but then Eagles quarterback Jeff Baker took over, rallying his team for 29 straight points.
Baker completed 21 of 40 passes for 238 yards. He threw three touchdown passes and also was intercepted three times.
Rowan 7, College of New Jersey 3: Greg Lister hit Eugene Foster with a 31-yard touchdown pass on Rowan's first drive of the game and the Profs held on for a victory over The College of New Jersey (formerly Trenton State) in Ewing Township, N.J.
Rowan (9-2) will play host to Lycoming next Saturday in a semifinal matchup.
Lycoming 31, Albright 13: Defensive tackle Joe Mosser had five sacks and Steve Verton caught four passes for 128 yards and a touchdown as Lycoming beat Albright in Williamsport, Pa. Lycoming (11-0) clinched the South Region title.
Mosser, a reserve freshman, added three tackles, while forcing a fumble and then recovering it late in the fourth quarter.
LENGTH: Medium: 59 lines KEYWORDS: FOOTBALLby CNB