DATE: Thursday, September 11, 1997          TAG: 9709110456

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C6   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE:    - ED MILLER

                                            LENGTH:   60 lines

DIV. I-AA REPORT

Richmond's big

worry against

Virginia? injury

Nice little run the Richmond Spiders have going. After finishing 2-9 last year, Richmond is off to a 2-0 start, and has shown signs of developing a passing game.

The challenge now is this: how do the Spiders maintain a modicum of momentum, with Virginia looming on Saturday?

It's a subject coach Jim Reid has given some thought.

Losing does not worry Reid. Losing a player or two does.

``The only concern I have is injury,'' Reid said. ``At six o'clock Saturday night, we may not have some of the guys we had at 3:30. It could ruin our entire season.''

Richmond has not played a I-A team since it met Navy in 1990. But Reid was an assistant coach at UMass when the Minutemen played Boston College every year.

``We'd get a couple of guys banged up,'' Reid said.

Bruised confidence is also a concern when stepping up in class.

``We're starting to make progress on offense,'' Reid said. ``What I'm concerned about is that progress will stop short.''

Spiders rediscover

the joys of passing

As for that Richmond passing game, the Spiders aren't throwing more than last year, but they are throwing more accurately.

In two games, quarterback Matt Shannon has completed nearly 70 percent of his passes (23 of 33) for 329 yards. Last year, three Richmond quarterbacks completed passes at just a 47 percent clip.

``Last year we were struggling to even get a pass off, really,'' Reid said. ``It was an invitation for the defensive line to go meet our quarterback. This is the first time we've really had some (receivers) who can run a little bit.''

Cook's arm operating on

all burners for Tribe

In two games, William and Mary quarterback Mike Cook has completed 64 percent of his passes, for nearly 600 yards, and six touchdowns.

None was bigger than the 11-yard scoring pass to Billy Commons that lifted the Tribe to a 29-28 win over Georgia Southern Saturday.

``That's a huge pass for my career,'' Cook said.

The pass capped a comeback that was reminiscent of last year's playoff game at Northern Iowa. In that game, the Tribe rallied from a 27-0 deficit before losing 38-35.

Tribe line runs deep

It took less than six minutes for William and Mary to lose two starting offensive lineman Saturday. On the first play from scrimmage, center Brian Sorrell turned an ankle and was lost for the day. Shortly after, guard Dan Rossettini suffered a concussion and also didn't return.

Replacements Chris Morris and Tom Taliaferro stepped in and didn't miss a beat, as the Tribe rolled up 470 yards of total offense.

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