THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, November 17, 1994 TAG: 9411170603
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CHARLIE DENN, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: WILLIAMSBURG LENGTH: Medium: 93 lines
Squarely on the low end of the playoff bubble, William and Mary's football team will obviously be disappointed if it isn't selected to the I-AA post-season field.
But there is one member of the Tribe who would consider it almost the end of the world - senior linebacker Greg Applewhite.
If the Tribe (7-3) beats Richmond (3-7) Saturday as expected and doesn't get invited, Applewhite thinks the sel-ection committee will have missed the boat.
``This is the best team I've played on,'' Applewhite said. ``And I've played on some pretty good ones.''
Indeed he has. The Tribe was 9-3 last year, losing to McNeese State in the first round of the playoffs. The year before, the Tribe was 9-2 but didn't go to the playoffs because they played in the Epson Ivy Bowl in Japan.
``As a senior, you want to play as long as you can,'' said Applewhite, William and Mary's leading tackler this year. ``But beyond that, we've got the best mix of offense and defense we've had since I've been here.
``This is a complete team. I know we're a playoff team,'' Applewhite said. ``We all do. It's just a matter of if the voters do.''
The Tribe doesn't appear to be in a very strong position. Three conference teams (James Madison, Boston U. and New Hampshire) will all finish 10-1 or 9-2 and all seem sure to be invited.
No conference has ever sent more than three representatives to the 16-team playoff field. Unless several teams ahead of the Tribe lose, they look to be a long shot at best.
But first things first. William and Mary must beat Richmond on Saturday to have even a remote hope.
``The playoffs are in the back of everyone's mind,'' Applewhite noted. ``We also realize, however, that it all starts with beating Richmond.''
The Spiders have lost six in a row. Richmond has also dropped the last five games to the Tribe.
An inconsistent offense and a run defense which ranks near the bottom of the league have been the culprits in the Spiders' sour season.
``They always play us tough,'' Applewhite said. ``Even though their record isn't real good, they'll come out ready to play against us.
``This is the I-64 bowl,'' Applewhite said. ``That means something to both teams.''
Probably more to the Tribe than the Spiders. It may be the only hint of a postseason flavor William and Mary enjoys this fall.
RECORD WIN: If James Madison beats Northeastern as expected, the Dukes will finish the regular season at 10-1, marking the first time in the program's 23-year history the team has won 10 games.
JMU has won nine games three times, most recently in 1991.
And with a win in the finale, coupled with the team's rise to No. 5 in this week's poll, the Dukes seem certain to host a first-round I-AA playoff game Nov. 26. The field and pairings will be announced Sunday.
MR. EFFICIENCY: JMU quarterback Mike Cawley didn't have an especially productive day rushing last week against Connecticut, gaining only 7 yards on six carries.
But on those six carries, Cawley scored four touchdowns. That set a single-game school record for rushing TDs.
Cawley also set a school record for pass completions in a season. He now has 136, topping the former high of 134 by Eriq Williams in 1992.
RUNNING WILD: Liberty freshman Lawrence Worthington didn't even begin the season as a starter but he's made up for lost time.
Worthington took over for injured Penn State transfer J.T. Morris and has become the Flames' top runner. He gained 251 yards last week against New Haven, the second-highest single-game total in Liberty history. Greg Mosely set the record of 300 yards in 1981 against Evangel.
COSTLY LAPSE: In Saturday's Oyster Bowl, VMI scored with 1:34 remaining in the first half to pull within 24-14 of The Citadel. Then with the clock ticking down, the Keydets called two timeouts in an effort to get the ball back once more before intermission.
The plan backfired when The Citadel's C.J. Haynes hooked up with Chauncey Chappelle on a 43-yard TD pass with 53 seconds left. Instead of being down by 10 points, the Keydets trailed by 17.
``I was not pleased with our play right before the half,'' VMI coach Bill Stewart said. ``That is the stuff a young football team has to adjust to, and we didn't.''
SCORING HIGH: In his first year as a regular placekicker, JMU's John Coursey has had a superb season.
He has scored 76 points and is within range of the school's season scoring record. Kenny Sims scored 84 points to set the mark in 1992.
Coursey's 13 field goals are two shy of the JMU record of 15 in a season set by Scott Norwood in 1980. by CNB