Tribe Captures Atlantic 10 Championship with 38-14 win over Richmond

W&M receives league's automatic bid into the NCAA I-AA Playoffs

11/20/04 4:25PM

Williamsburg - Senior quarterback Lang Campbell (Winchester, VA), a Payton Award and All-American candidate, threw for 291 yards and four touchdowns to lead sixth-ranked William and Mary to a share of the Atlantic 10 Championship Saturday with a 38-14 victory over long-time rival Richmond at Zable Stadium.

The Tribe improves to 9-2 overall and finishes the regular season with a 7-1 mark in conference play, tying James Madison (9-2, 7-1 A10) and Delaware (8-3, 7-1), both winner’s Saturday, for the league crown. Based on the league’s tie-breaking rules, however, the College secured the A10’s automatic bid into the 2004 NCAA I-AA Playoffs, marking its first postseason appearance since 2001, when W&M also captured the league title.

Campbell completed 21 of 28 attempts in three quarters for his eighth 200-yard passing effort of the season, while his four touchdown passes tied a career-high set earlier this season at Delaware and brought his career total to 45, which ranks fifth on the W&M career list. With 291 passing yards, Campbell increased his season total to 3,037, which set an 11-game, single-season record for the College.

In the 114th all-time meeting between the Virginia schools, Campbell wasn’t the only senior to shine on senior day in Williamsburg, as tailback Jon Smith (Cincinnati, OH) carried 12 times for 88 yards and a touchdown and the Tribe’s senior receiving duo of Dominique Thompson (Durham, NC) and John Pitts (Kernersville, NC) each had an outstanding afternoon.

Thompson and Campbell hooked up on a 25-yard scoring pass for the first points of the game on the Tribe’s opening possession, capping a nine-play, 80-yard drive after the Spiders’ missed a 34-yard field goal attempt on their initial drive.

Smith scored from two yards out with 13:24 remaining in the first half to extend the Tribe lead to 14-0. The senior tailback carried eight times for 46 yards in the opening half, as W&M took a two-touchdown lead into the break.

In the third quarter, Campbell and the Tribe were at their finest, taking control of the contest with 24-straight points to push the lead to 38-0 heading into the final quarter. In the third period alone, Campbell hit on 8-of-9 passes for school-record 174 yards and a record tying three touchdowns. Two of his scoring tosses found the hands of junior tight end Adam Bratton (Montoursville, PA). Pitts pulled in two catches for 71 yards in the frame, including a career-long 64-yard reception, to set up Bratton’s first score at the 13:21 mark.

The lead ballooned to 28-0 following a junior safety Jon Shaw (Altamonte Springs, FL) interception at the W&M 23-yard line, as Campbell led the Tribe on a five-play, 77-yard drive, covering the final five yards with a scoring pass to redshirt freshman Joe Nicholas (Sugarloaf, PA). Pitts hauled in a 17-yard grab on the drive’s second play, while Nicholas and Campbell connected on a 51-yard strike that moved the Tribe to the UR 5.

After the Tribe defense, which was also in control for much of the afternoon, forced Richmond three-and-out, Campbell and W&M moved 67 yards on 11 plays, capped by a four-yard touchdown pass to Bratton, which extended the lead to 35-0 with 3:55 remaining in the third.

W&M scored its final points of the contest with 18 seconds left in the third, as junior all-conference kicker Greg Kuehn (Potomac Falls, VA) drilled a 44-yard field goal, his third from outside of 40 yards this season.

The Tribe held the Spiders off the scoreboard until the 5:37 mark of the fourth quarter, and Richmond added another late score with just five seconds remaining in the game.

Led by junior defensive end Jonas Watson (Hampton, VA), W&M sacked Spiders’ quarterback Stacy Tutt fives times on the afternoon. Watson recorded two sacks, while junior all-conference candidate Adam O’Connor (Greensboro, NC) recorded his team-leading eighth sack of the season. Shaw, who had four solo stops in addition to his interception, and junior linebacker Thad Wheeler (Canton, GA) also brought down Tutt for sacks.

The third quarter was also the defensive’s finest performance of the afternoon, as Richmond managed only 33 yards of total offense and no first downs in the frame, while the Tribe piled up 10 first downs and 273 (99 rushing, 174 passing) of its 473 yards of total offense in the third quarter.

Pitts led the receiving corps with a career-high 93 yards on four catches, while Nicholas brought in six balls for 91 yards and a score. Thompson wound up with 74 yards on four receptions, bringing his season total to 1,186 yards.

In addition to his outstanding defensive performance, Shaw returned four punts for 54 yards, including a W&M season-long of 33.

The Tribe will learn of its first-round NCAA opponent in Sunday’s 1 p.m. selection show on ESPN News. W&M fans and members of the media are invited to join the Tribe in the Wightman Cup Room of William and Mary Hall Sunday afternoon, as the team will gather for the selection show around 12:45.

Box Score

Game Notes: Saturday’s win gave W&M head coach Jimmye Laycock his sixth career season with nine, or more, victories … The win clinched the Tribe’s first A10 championship since 2001, which was also the last time the College advanced to the I-AA playoffs … It also marked Laycock’s 19th career victory over arch-rival Richmond (19-6) … At 7-1, W&M matched a school record for conference wins in a season … The 2004 edition is also just the eighth team in school history to record nine wins in a season … W&M also won its seventh consecutive game at Zable Stadium, dating back to last season, completing its first undefeated regular season at home (5-0) since 1996 … With a No. 6 national ranking coming into today’s game, the College assured its first top-10 ranking in the final regular season poll since 1996 … The W&M senior class is the first in school history to earn two conference championships … W&M ends the regular season with just seven turnovers in 11 games … The NCAA record for fewest turnovers in a season is nine, held by three difference teams … W&M ended the regular season averaging better than 400 yards and 33 points per game … The Tribe defense ended the regular season yielding 22.9 points per game, a full touchdown improvement from the 2003 season and its lowest total since 1997 (18.5) … Campbell went over the 200-yard mark for the eighth time this season and tied a career-high with four TD passes, which was set earlier this season at Delaware … With 291 passing yards, Campbell brought his season total to 3,037, establishing a W&M 11-game, regular season record … He also set the 11-game, regular season record for total offense (3,238) … Campbell has now thrown 235 consecutive passes without an INT, and he has thrown just one in 326 attempts this season … O’Connor’s eight sacks are the most by a Tribe player in season since Luke Cullinane pulled down a school-record 12 QB’s in 1996 … Thompson set an 11-game, single-season record with 1,186 receiving yards on 55 receptions and caught his 10th TD pass of the season.

Game Quotes

W&M head coach Jimmye Laycock
On the game
“Today’s game put an exclamation point on the regular season. I was very pleased with our performance today.”

On the defense
“This was our best game of the year. I was very pleased with our execution.”

On the postseason
“I have to think we have a strong chance of playing at home next week. We are proud to have a piece of the conference championship, as the A10 is the finest I-AA league in the nation.”

“This team competes and as long as they continue to do so, we’ll have a chance to win. Winning nine ball games, with our schedule, is a tremendous accomplishment for our players and coaches.”

UR head coach Dave Clawson
On W&M quarterback Lang Campbell
“He is a talented quarterback in a great system. He’s efficient and doesn’t make mistakes. W&M has a great chance of competing for the national championship, but Campbell will have to continue to play well.”