No. 16 W&M Subdues Towson, 41-16

Tribe piles up season-high 585 yards of total offense

10/30/04 9:00PM

TOWSON, MD - Senior All-American candidate, quarterback Lang Campbell (Winchester, VA) threw for 268 yards and three touchdowns in three quarters, and the 16th-ranked Tribe piled up a season-high 585 yards of total offense to subdue Towson, 41-16, in an Atlantic 10 Football Conference game Saturday night.

With the win, William and Mary improved to 6-2 overall on the season and 4-1 in the A10, while Towson dropped to 3-5 overall, 0-5 in league play.

Campbell completed 20-of-29 attempts and his three touchdown passes brought his season total to 14, seven of which have come in the last two games. The 268 passing yards brought his career total to 4,697, moving him into sixth place on the W&M career list, while his three TD passes brought his career total to 38, also moving him into sixth place on the W&M career list in that category.

Senior wide receiver Dominique Thompson (Durham, NC) caught seven passes for 122 yards and two touchdowns, his fifth and sixth scoring receptions in the last two games. Thompson went over the 1,000-yard mark on the season early in the third quarter, becoming just the sixth player in W&M history to record a 1,000-yard receiving season.

Thompson registered his fourth career 100-yard receiving game, all of which have come in the Tribe’s last five game. His four 100-yard games move into a tie for 10th place on the W&M career list for 100-yard receiving games.

Just as impressive as Campbell’s feats through air was the Tribe’s ground attack, which racked up a season-high 280 rushing yards after averaging just 99.1 yards per game coming in. Senior tailback Jon Smith (Cincinnati, OH) led the rushing attack with a season-high 113 yards on six carries and added a running score. Smith became the first Tribe player this season to surpass the century mark on the ground, and it was his fifth 100-yard rushing game of his career (5), moving him into a tie for eighth place on the W&M career list.

W&M got off to a quick start, as Campbell hit Thompson on a 46-yard scoring strike on the Tribe’s first offensive snap of the ball game. It was the Tribe’s fifth consecutive scoring play that involved a Campbell pass to Thompson, and the fourth-straight scoring pass that went for more than 45 yards. Just 1:53 into the game, the College led 7-0.

The teams exchanged punts after the early scoring play, and on the strength of a 13-yard return by the Tigers’ standout defensive back Allante Harrison, Towson began its second possession at the Tribe 44-yard line. The Tigers moved 28 yards on six plays and redshirt freshman Ron Halbruner’s first collegiate field goal attempt was true from 33 yards, cutting the Tribe lead to 7-3 with 7:38 remaining in the first quarter.

The College extended its lead to 14-3 on the first play of the second quarter, as Smith scored on a one-yard run, capping a nine-play drive that covered 71 yards. Smith was the workhorse of the drive, gaining 37 yards on four carries that possession alone.

W&M pushed the lead to 21-3 on its next offensive possession, as Campbell and Thompson got together once again, connecting on a 21-yard touchdown pass with 7:32 remaining in the opening half. The drive covered 67 yards on eight plays, and it was Thompson’s sixth touchdown reception in the last two games.

With the offense hogging much of the attention over the past two weeks, the Tribe defense got into the act on the ensuing possession, as junior linebacker Chris Ndubueze (Lanham, MD), playing in his home state, recorded his first-career interception at the Tribe 10-yard line. Ndubueze returned it 10 yards to the Towson 20, and W&M took over with 4:40 remaining in the half.

Junior Greg Kuehn’s (Potomac Falls, VA) 32-yard field goal with 47 seconds remaining in the half culminated a 12-play, 65-yard drive after the turnover that extended the lead to 24-3. It was the Tribe’s 10th scoring drive after a caused turnover this season, and it was Kuehn’s 14th consecutive successful field goal try from within 40 yards. With the kick, Kuehn moved into a tie for sixth place on the Atlantic 10 career field goal list (39).

The first half featured one of the Tribe’s most-balanced offensive performances of the season, as the College amassed 304 yards of total offense, 179 through the air and 125 on the ground. The 125 rushing yards were just five shy of W&M’s season-high for an entire game, which was set at Liberty on Oct. 9.

Smith ran nine times for 65 yards and a score in the opening half, surpassing his previous season-high of 63 rushing yards, which was set at New Hampshire on Sept. 18, while Campbell completed 12-of-18 passes for 179 yards and two touchdowns.

The defense continued its strong showing in the early going of the second half, ensuring there would be no Tiger comeback, as Towson punted on its first two possessions. Sophomore tailback Elijah Brooks (Largo, MD), another Maryland native, effectively put the game out of reach with an eight-yard touchdown run with 7:27 remaining in the third quarter, extending the Tribe lead to 31-3. The Tribe moved 62 yards on six plays in 2:03, ending with Brooks’ fifth rushing score of the season.

W&M increased its lead to 38-3 on Campbell’s one-yard toss to junior tight end Adam Bratton (Montoursville, PA) with 1:41 remaining in the third quarter. It was Bratton’s first touchdown reception of the season and Campbell’s third scoring pass of the game and seventh in the last two contests. The drive covered 56 yards on nine plays, and the scoring pass was the Tribe’s only yardage through the air on the drive.

On the Tribe’s next possession, redshirt freshman quarterback Michael Potts (Middletown, DE) took over the reigns from Campbell and led the College on a nine-play, 18-yard scoring drive that was capped by season-long 42-yard field goal by Kuehn, pushing the lead to 41-10. It was Kuehn’s first successful attempt on five tries outside of 40 yards this season and his 40th career field goal, moving him into sixth place alone on the A10 career list.
Brooks was the Tribe’s second-leading rusher on the evening with a career-high 93 yards on 18 carries, while redshirt freshman Tony Viola (Broadway, VA) gained a career-high 53 yards on seven carries, all of which came in the fourth quarter. W&M piled up 280 rushing yards on the night, its best total since running for 268 against UNH last season.

Potts completed three passes for 37 yards in his second career collegiate game, and 10 Tribe receivers caught passes in the game.

W&M returns to Williamsburg next Saturday with a 1 p.m. conference game against 23rd-ranked Villanova.

Game Notes: Campbell’s 46-yard TD pass to Thompson on W&M’s first offensive snap was the Tribe’s fourth straight passing score over 45 yards … W&M’s 585 yards of total offense were the most since gaining 558 in a 38-28 win over UNH last season … Campbell threw for 116 yards and a TD in the first quarter against the A10’s best pass defense, which was allowing just 115 yards through the air per game coming in … Thompson went over the 1,000-yard mark for the season early in the third quarter, becoming just the sixth player in W&M history to reach 1,000 receiving yards in a season … Thompson also recorded his fourth 100-yard receiving game in the Tribe’s last five games overall, moving into a tie for 10th place on the W&M career list for 100-yard receiving games with his fourth … Kuehn’s 32-yard FG in the second quarter was his 14th consecutive successful try from inside 40 yards … Kuehn’s second FG, a 42-yarder, moved him into sixth place on the A10 career list (40) … The 42-yard field goal was also Kuehn’s first make from outside 40 in five tries this season … Smith became the first Tribe player to gain 100 rushing yards this season, gaining 113 on 16 carries … It was Smith’s fifth career 100-yard rushing game, moving into a tie for eighth place on the W&M career list ... With 113 rushing yards, Smith brought his career total to 2,171, tying him for ninth place on the W&M career list … Campbell moved into sixth place on the College’s career passing yards list (4,697) and sixth place on the W&M career TD pass list (38) … It was the sixth time in eight games this season the Tribe scored over 30 points.


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