The Story
TRIBE FOOTBALL: Green and Gold Reclaims the Turf in the Fall 2008 Season
What last year was for Tribe basketball, this year has unequivocally been for football.
Last year, the College’s men’s basketball team led an improbable run all the way to the CAA finals, using last-second heroics and upset after upset to put the Tribe in grasp of its first NCAA tournament birth ever
And while the team fell short of winning the title game and advancing to the “Big Dance,” the season was a resounding success. By increasing the team’s visibility and inspiring prevalent Tribe Pride across campus, a program that had the year before failed to post an above .500 record was now at the forefront of William and Mary Athletics.
This year, Tribe Football has staged its own return to eminence. While this article was written before the team took the field versus Richmond, a game which decided our playoff fate, the season is, with a win or loss, still a huge step forward.
The Tribe has not made the Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs since 2004. That year, Lang Campbell, who is now currently floating between the NFL and AFL (Arena Football League), led the Tribe to the (then Division 1-AA) semifinals. The College hosted a game versus James Madison, falling just short of a championship game birth with a 48-34 loss. In the three subsequent seasons - prior to 2008 - the Tribe had a combined record of 12-21, with a CAA record of 6-18. In 2008, before the contest versus the Spiders, the team had already locked up a guaranteed record of over .500 in both general and CAA play, and has been nationally ranked every week since Oct. 20.
Across the board, the effort from the Tribe has been outstanding. Jake Phillips has led a stellar offensive unit. Phillips has already surpassed last year’s numbers - and his career highs - in touchdowns, completion percentage and passer rating. His receiving core has been led by junior D.J. McAulay. McAulay is tied for first in the league with eight touchdowns, and his 701 receiving yards are fourth. He is also notably first in yards per catch. He has done an excellent job filling in for Elliot Mack, who has struggled with injuries, and Drew Atchison, who graduated. They were, combined, Phillips’ top targets from last year.
On the ground, the Tribe already has had a two-headed attack led by freshman Jonathan Grimes and sophomore Terrence Riggins. Grimes already has more yards on the season, with over 800, than last year’s leader, Courtland Marriner, who has been injured for much of this season. Grimes also has seven touchdowns rushing, more than any member of the Tribe last season.
The offense in general has been an improved unit. The offense is averaging, per game, 34.1 points. That mark is good for third in the CAA, and is an improvement of 5.5 points from last year. Perhaps even more importantly, the Tribe offensive line has improved drastically in its play. Last year, Jake Phillips was sacked 30 times. This year, he has been sacked fewer than half as many times, only 14. Likewise, the line has done a spectacular job of creating holes for Grimes and Riggins. While the Tribe is only sixth in the conference in yards per game - and in no way is that a bad place to be among the 12 teams - the College is (tellingly) second in yards per carry. Considering the ease with which the passing game has operated, there has not been the need to rely on the rushing game. Indeed, the stats support this assertion as well; William and Mary is the only team in the top nine in the conference with under 350 rushing attempts.
Defensively, the Tribe has also had drastic improvements from last season. The defensive unit last year allowed an average of over 38 points per game. This year, the Tribe is allowing, on average, 24.1 points per game. The defense has the third most interceptions in the CAA, the fifth most sacks and is fifth in total pass defense. On the defensive line, the play of Adrian Tracy has been tremendous, and he is currently considered one of the likely recipients by CAAsports.com for the Buck Buchanon Award, which is awarded to the premier defensive player. Tracy has 62 tackles, 14 for a loss, 8.5 sacks and a blocked kick. Derek Cox, another Tribe standout on defense, is tied for fourth in the league in interceptions with four, and has the most returned for touchdowns, with two.
Cumulatively, the defensive unit has been hard-nosed and has kept the team in games. This year’s opener against Division 1 NC State is a true testament to that, as the Tribe held the Wolf Pack to one first down in the first half, and allowed only one drive of more than 10 yards. Gritty is the best way to characterize this defensive unit, as it has hung tough when the team needed it to do just that. “Bend, but don’t break,” football analysts say.
Across the board, it is clear that the Tribe has taken a step forward this year. Win or lose versus Richmond, there is no doubting the importance of 2008. While the Tribe is not yet a championship-caliber team, it has the foundation to be good for a long time. Jake Phillips is a senior, and will be missed next year. R.J. Archer, however, has looked good in limited play, and should continue to develop as a QB. Last year, he was switched from QB to WR and spent significant time there. This year, he has been Phillips’ primary backup and is the heir apparent for 2009. Additionally, the rushing attack looks forward to the return of Marriner, and its two leading rushers this year are both underclassmen. The leading receiver, D.J. McAulay, is a junior, and will therefore return as well. Finally, and just as significantly, the Tribe will return three of five starting offensive linemen. That solid foundation for a line will be a huge benefit for Archer and for the running game.
On defense, the Tribe will lose Derek Cox - hopefully to the NFL - but will return Adrian Tracy and his dominating pass rush. The unit will lose a grand total of two current starters, and should be in good shape to continue its improvement.
Yes, there is much to be excited about for William and Mary football fans. Collectively, the Tribe has put together a season that has landed them inside the top FCS top 25, peaking recently at 12. With a win versus Richmond, the Tribe could be headed back to the playoffs for the first time since 2004, something that no one but professors and fifth year seniors can say they have witnessed.
And even if they fall short, the team will still have reestablished itself as one to be reckoned with, and will certainly be circled on the schedules for several next fall. Plus, establishing a winning tradition can’t hurt recruiting efforts, nor can building a new state-of-the-art training facility.
The future is bright for Tribe football. They have said to the men’s basketball program, “Anything you can do, I can do better.” Now, with basketball season just underway, it’s up to David Schneider and company to once again up the ante.
This piece originally appeared in the December 2008 issue issue of The DoG Street Journal.