THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 10, 1996 TAG: 9610100517
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 56 lines
Joe Taylor has had enough overtime to last a lifetime.
``Believe me,'' the Hampton coach said. ``I don't ever need to go into overtime again.''
Not after tying an NCAA record with a six-overtime, 59-58 loss to Florida A&M last week.
The game, which lasted five hours and 15 minutes, left Taylor with some strong opinions on the NCAA's new overtime rule. Taylor says he's in favor of placing a limit on the number of overtimes. If a game is still tied after three overtimes, it should be declared a tie, he said.
``At some point, the safety of the participants must become a factor,'' he said. ``I know there's a feeling that this won't happen many times. But the fact that it happened once shows it's possible.''
Actually, it's happened three times. The Yankee Conference had an overtime rule before the rest of the NCAA did, and Rhode Island and Maine played six overtimes in 1982. Villanova and Connecticut matched them in 1989.
But those games were mere scrimmages compared to Hampton and Florida A&M. The Villanova-Connecticut game lasted three hours, 40 minutes; the Maine-Rhode Island game went 3:46.
The NCAA does not keep records on the length of games in minutes.
The Pirates were physically beaten after the game, but most of their pain was emotional. It appeared Hampton had won the game when the Pirates stopped Florida A&M on fourth down in the sixth overtime. But a defensive penalty gave the Rattlers the ball back, and Ken Williams scored on a 1-yard run.
``It was a difficult loss, but we showed so much character, so much heart that I told our players, `Let's not go into a tank,' '' Taylor said.
``That was our fourth game in an NFL stadium. We took on a tremendous challenge. Let's let that challenge create a better person in each of us.''
Taylor says he's better for having played the game. But he doesn't want to do it again.
``I'm at least 10 years older,'' he joked. ``But it's all about life experience, and that's an experience I'll never forget.''
TOUGH ROAD FOR TRIBE: William and Mary's 31-7 win over New Hampshire last week was the first in a string of tough games for the Tribe. William and Mary, ranked 15th, faces No. 17 James Madison Saturday, then travels to No. 12 Villanova. After a game against Northeastern, the Tribe hosts No. 11 Delaware.
JMU, William and Mary and Delaware are tied atop the Yankee Conference standings with 2-0 records. William and Mary has gone 20-6 in conference games since joining the Yankee in 1993. But the Tribe has never won the conference title. The conference winner gets an automatic bid to the Division I-AA playoffs.
``We're sick and tired of finishing second,'' linebacker Mike McGowan said. ``We want to win the conference.''
The Tribe finished second in 1993 and 1994, third last year. ILLUSTRATION: "Believe me, I don't ever need to go into overtime
again," said Hampton coach Joe Taylor. by CNB