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LISA PURDY -- The Flat Hat
Junior tailback Marcus Howard carries the ball as junior offensive tackle Dwight Beard blocks oncoming James Madison University players. Howard rushed 11 times for a total of 69 yards in the game.
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Football pulls last-minute win
By Bernard Becker
Flat Hat Staff Writer
W&M proved their mettle Saturday, overcoming their own sloppiness and a scrappy James Madison University squad,which entered the game with a lowly 1-7 record, to eke out a 17-10 victory. The win upped the Tribe's record to 6-3, ensuring them of their ninth winning season in the last 10 and Jimmye Laycock's 16th winning campaign in his 22 years in Williamsburg.
"I was real pleased with our effort today," Laycock said. "We weren't sharp, particularly on offense, but they had a lot to do with that. We hung in there and made plays when we had to."
Nowhere was that more evident than in the play of junior quarterback Dave Corley and sophomore Rich Musinski. Corley, who was coming from a performance against the University of Maine that earned him Atlantic 10 offensive player of the week, completed a season-low nine passes for just 129 yards and was picked off twice. His target of choice, Musinksi, who entered the game leading the league in receiving yards per game, had an equally tough outing, dropping as many passes as he caught (three) and recording a season-low of 52 yards through the air.
But when they were needed most, the duo came through, hooking up on a 28-yard pass play with the score tied and just minutes remaining. The play was classic Corley, as the quarterback scrambled out of the clutches of the JMU Dukes' defense, then fired a pass downfield to Musinski.
"They brought a four man side blitz, which meant one guy was coming free since we were in a different blocking scheme," Corley said. "The play was originally called for our other flanker, [senior] Bryce Lee, but Rich recognized that I was in trouble, and he came back to the ball and made a great play."
After that play, which gave the Tribe the ball at the JMU 40-yard line, W&M returned to what had kept them afloat the entire game: the running game, and more specifically, freshman tailback Jonathan Smith. Smith, who finished the day with career highs in both carries and yards rushing, got the last of his 141 yards rushing on a 10-yard touchdown run around the right end for what proved to be the winning score with just 48 seconds remaining.
"I was tired, but I was determined to score," Smith said. "I broke one tackle, and I had to beat another one to get around the corner. It was just the two of us, and he hit me near the pylon. I stuck out the ball over the goal line just to make sure, but I knew I was in."
Smith also scored the Tribe's other touchdown, with a 47-yard touchdown run, giving the Tribe a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter. Smith's touchdown was about the only bright spot in an otherwise dismal first half for the Tribe offense.
The Tribe never punted in the first half and crossed midfield on all five possessions, yet only found the scoreboard on the Smith touchdown. Corley was the main culprit, tossing a pair of interceptions, while the only blemish on Smith's fine day was his fumble on the Tribe's first possession.
W&M's final possession was squandered after JMU kicker Burke George made a 24-yard field goal to cut the Tribe lead to 7-3. Tribe junior kicker Mike Nagelin then missed a 39-yard field goal as the half ended.
JMU then took the second half kickoff and ran right over the Tribe, marching 61 yards in seven plays exclusively on the ground. JMU tailback Brannon Goins took the ball the final yard to give the visitors their first lead of the game at 10-7.
After the teams traded punts, W&M had the ball deep in their own end, while the momentum was clearly on the visitors' sideline.
They proceeded pounding out a 23-play, 82-yard drive which ended with a 24-yard field goal by Nagelin that tied the score at 10 with just over 11 minutes left in the game.
Still, the Tribe could not be completely satisfied, since a holding penalty deep inside the Dukes' territory negated a Corley touchdown run.
Despite settling for three, that drive was the turning point of the game, at least according to JMU coach Mickey Matthews.
"Their best defense today was that 11 minute drive," Matthews said. "Not only did they get three points, they kept the ball forever and gave their defense a rest."
That much-needed rest became quite important a few minutes later. After the Tribe was forced to punt from deep in their own territory, JMU punt returner Robert Carson returned the ball to the Tribe 25. From there, however, the Dukes were halted, even losing a yard and forcing George to attempt a 43-yard field goal.
The kick was blocked by senior defensive tackle Chad Richards, then recovered by senior defensive end Chris Stahl to set up the Tribe for the game-winning drive.
"I lined up right over the guard, and we got a great push," Richards said. "I just dove over the guard and blocked it with my hands. Being from right outside of Harrisonburg, I had a little extra in the tank today for this game."
Laycock, whose team returns to action tomorrow against struggling arch-rival University of Richmond (2-7), looked at the victory philosophically.
"Some days are easy," Laycock said. "Some days, it flows, and you get on a roll. Some days, it doesn't, and you got to keep going, keep bouncing back. That's what we did. ... I knew this game was going to the wire, and we just had to grind it out. When you get to November, you get a win anyway you can take it."
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