THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 8, 1994 TAG: 9409080639
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 97 lines
Delaware football coach Tubby Raymond says he'd love to see a film of William and Mary's 38-17 victory over Rhode Island last weekend. He'd love to because his Blue Hens travel to William and Mary Saturday in a pivotal Yankee Conference game for both teams.
Problem is, conference rules prohibit Raymond from obtaining a film, or even a scouting report, on the Tribe. Because Delaware didn't play last week, the Blue Hens have no game film to exchange with William and Mary.
``They have nothing to gain by letting us have a film,'' Raymond said. ``It's against (Yankee Conference) rules for Rhode Island to share a film with us, and we were not allowed to scout the game.
``All I know is what I read in the paper about the game, and there wasn't a lot in our paper.''
Raymond says he expects the Tribe to play better against the Blue Hens than it did against Rhode Island - especially quarterback Shawn Knight, who was 9-for-19 with 167 yards passing.
``His performance at Rhode Island is not the Shawn Knight I know,'' Raymond said of the senior from Norfolk, who set an NCAA Division I-AA passing-efficiency record last season. ``I'm sure we'll see a different Shawn Knight.''
Tribe coach Jimmye Laycock says it's understandable that Knight got off to a shaky start, given that he spent most of the summer playing professional baseball.
``He was a little bit off, a little bit rusty, in the first half,'' Laycock said. ``In the second half, he played solid football. He went with his decisions, was on target with his throws and was very much into it.''
BIG GAME EARLY: Schedule makers in the Yankee Conference aren't saving the best for last - the Delaware-William and Mary contest could be the game of the season in the 12-team league.
Both the Tribe and Blue Hens advanced to the I-AA playoffs last season. Delaware (12th) and William and Mary (18th) are both nationally ranked. And a near-sellout crowd of 15,000 is expected at Zable Stadium, including some eager for the Tribe to exact revenge.
Delaware rallied to beat the Tribe, 42-35, in the second game for both teams last season. The Tribe recovered to win the conference Mid-Atlantic title but was denied a share of the league title, won by Boston University, because of the loss to Delaware.
Laycock says he's not opposed to playing such a big game early.
``Sometimes it's important to play a big game early, to get your team focused in and to find out what kind of team you really have,'' he said.
RECORD SETTER: If Thomas Haskins' record-setting performance against Richmond was a surprise to most Virginia Military Institute followers, it was no surprise to Keydets coach Bill Stewart.
Haskins, a 5-foot-8, 165-pound scatback from suburban Richmond, rushed 29 times for 251 yards to set a VMI single-game rushing record in a 34-31 loss to Richmond. Ironically for Haskins, he broke the school record on his last rush with 1:21 left, then fumbled while being tackled. The fumble iced the victory for the Spiders.
``Thomas ran his heart out,'' Stewart said. ``He blocked well, he returned two kickoffs for 80 yards. I just ran him one too many times.''
Haskins was named Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Week. ``I'm flattered,'' he said. ``But I'd trade it all for a win.''
MORE VMI: Stewart's wife, Karen, was due on Labor Day with the couple's first child but as of Wednesday had not given birth.
``I've been trying to get her to work in the garden to get things started,'' he said. ``But she won't do that or wash the truck or cut the grass.''
Fortunately for the Stewarts, the Keydets have an off week.
``It's good timing for me and my wife, but not for the team,'' he said. ``We don't need a week off. It's better to be focused on a game.''
RICHMOND QBS: Richmond's quarterback controversy has so far produced more dividends than controversy.
Junior Jason Gabrels started against VMI and was 8-for-13 with 134 yards and a touchdown before injuring his thumb. Sophomore Joe Elrod then entered and directed Richmond on two 84-yard touchdowns drives that rallied the Spiders from a 31-19 deficit. Elrod was 7-for-11 with 110 yards.
``I've been saying all along that we have two good quarterbacks and they both proved that we do,'' Richmond coach Jim Marshall said.
Marshall won't say who will start Saturday, when the Spiders host Yankee Conference rival Massachusetts, which was ranked in the preseason I-AA top 25.
Senior safety Scott Burton continues to be in the right place at the right time for the Spiders. He recovered the Haskins fumble against VMI. That gives him seven career fumble recoveries to go with 13 interceptions.
BIG GAMES: Liberty and James Madison, which opened with lopsided victories against weak competition, hope to vault into the I-AA top 25 with victories this weekend.
Liberty travels to Villanova; James Madison is home against Middle Tennessee State, a traditional I-AA power. ILLUSTRATION: BILL TIERNAN, Staff file photo
``He was a little bit off, a little bit rusty, in the first half. In
the second half, he played solid football,'' William and Mary coach
Jimmye Laycock said of Shawn Knight, left, shown in a 1993 photo.
by CNB