Know Your Enemy: Q&A With W&M Sports Blog

Our friends from The William & Mary Sports Blog were kind enough to answer a few of our questions about the Tribe before Saturday’s JMU vs. William & Mary game. They’re good guys and have a blog that should definitely be on every CAA Football fan’s regular reading list. It’s like a more erudite, less snarky version of our little project here. Anyway, they also humored us by agreeing to publish some of our thoughts on the game over on their site. Read on for some great insight into the Tribe. Enjoy.

Let’s get the big one out of the way. Coming into the season W&M had high hopes to contend for a CAA Championship, but the Tribe has struggled to find its rhythm thus far. Is this a case of the team simply being overrated in the preseason or is it more a case of the team not playing up to its potential?

Coming into this season, the Tribe was ranked in the top-10 in every preseason poll, even as high as number 6 in the country. The offense returned nearly every starter (besides the center and fullback positions) from a unit that averaged 31 points and 412 yards per game a season ago. This year’s W&M squad was expected to compete with the high powered offenses of the FCS, including the likes of JMU, Richmond, and others. However, the Tribe offense has performed very poorly this season, averaging a mere 19 points per game, including just 22 total points in the team’s last 2 games. The defense, meanwhile, has been stellar for the Tribe. After losing key players like Deandre Houston-Carson and Luke Rhodes to graduation, it was expected that this unit would struggle in 2016. That is not the case, as the defense is the strength of this Tribe team, featuring young talent such as freshman Nate Atkins, Corey Parker, Bill Murray, and Arman Jones, among others–which we’ll go in depth on later in this piece. Ultimately, the offense has put the defense in difficult situations all season with turnovers, which makes the defense’s performance to this point that much more impressive.

Head Coach Jimmye Laycock has certainly seen his share of hyped teams during his 37 years in Williamsburg. He said it best in the beginning of the year, when asked about the high preseason rankings that the Tribe was receiving. He essentially said that he has been around long enough to know that rankings mean nothing. Absolutely. He has had teams who are very highly ranked in the preseason who ended the season 2-9 (similar to W&M’s 2011 team). Likewise, he has had teams who were not ranked in the preseason over-perform and qualify for the playoffs (last year’s Tribe squad).

We are hoping that this team gets back on track; a win on the road against JMU would go a very long way in salvaging the Tribe’s season, providing it some much needed confidence for the rest of the year. With the way William and Mary’s defense has played so far this season, if the Tribe offense can play as well as it did last season (assuming QB Steve Cluley comes to form), there is no reason that the Tribe can’t win each game for the rest of the season. It’s a bit of a stretch, but altogether possible. Let’s not forget, William and Mary was 2-2 last season following a loss to Delaware, before going on a 6-game win streak, finishing the season 8-3. This team is capable of doing the same, but it all starts this weekend with JMU. The team is hungry, potentially posing a scary matchup for the Dukes this weekend.

The Tribe has been bit by the injury bug, losing such standouts as Albert Funderburke just as he started flashing serious potential. There are still plenty of talented players on the roster though. Who in particular should JMU fans be worried about?

The Tribe has undoubtedly been hit by the injury bug so far this season. Not the least of which has been an injury to Preseason First-Team All-CAA RB Kendell Anderson who started the year on the bench as a result. And as you mentioned, just when redshirt freshman RB Albert Funderburke began to come into his own and look like a potential star, he tore his ACL and is now out for the season. But luckily for W&M fans, Kendell Anderson came back to health at the perfect time. As a result, the Tribe has actually been able to replace Funderburke with an even better running back– one that finished with 1,418 rushing yards on 240 carries and 16 touchdowns a year ago. Earlier in the season, we at the W&M Sports Blog believed that Head Coach Jimmye Laycock was holding Kendell out until “serious” CAA play. That is, until after the Elon game, vs. New Hampshire. But when Funderburke went down against the Phoenix, Kendell returned to action, finishing with 9 carries for 46 yards and a 5.1 yards per carry average. In last week’s UNH game, he filled the stat sheet with an eye-popping 25 carries for 168 yards (6.7 yards per carry), and 1 touchdown on the ground. We think it’s safe to say that Kendell would fit in just fine with the JMU backfield. But we’re happy he’s in Williamsburg. Another offensive player to watch out for is star junior WR DeVonte Dedmon. If we had to choose one word to describe the 5’10” receiver, it would be speed. He’s an absolute stud that routinely burns defenders. Dedmon currently ranks in the top-10 in the CAA in several categories: receptions per game (4.2), receiving yards per game (75.0), kick return average (22.9), and all-purpose yards (120.6). Keep an eye out for #11 on Saturday.

As previously mentioned, from a defensive standpoint, we really thought the unit would struggle this year. Having lost three big-time players, two of them to the NFL (FS DeAndre Houston-Carson to the Bears and LB Luke Rhodes, formerly of the Tampa Bay Bucs), it just didn’t seem like this squad could take a step forward this year. But they have. Somewhat surprisingly, several key freshmen have stepped up across the board, boding well for the Green and Gold defense for years to come. To name a few that have been revelations so far this season:  freshman DT Bill Murray (15 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 tackles for loss), freshman LB Nate Atkins (42 tackles, leads the team) and freshman S Corey Parker (33 tackles, 2 INT, and week 1’s CAA Rookie of the Week). In addition to the rookies, the W&M defense is also bolstered by strong veteran presence, with players such as senior captain CB Trey Reed (6 passes defended, 2 INT) and junior 300-pound junior DT Isaiah Stephens (18 tackles, 2 QB hits). All things considered, this unit has performed tremendously well despite the Tribe’s offensive woes–currently standing at #4 in the CAA for Total Defense. Defense travels, and if the Green and Gold can force Bryan Schor to throw the ball, we expect this W&M unit to come out strong on Saturday.

Steve Cluley is in his third year as the starting QB. To outside observers, it appears as if he’s regressed this season, completing only 54% of his passes and tossing 9 interceptions already. He’s had success against JMU in the past though and certainly has the talent to get the job done. What’s your assessment of his play and his hold on the starting job?

Steve has typically been a QB who knows how to protect the ball. In his first full season as starter back in 2014, he threw just 4 interceptions the entire year. Last season, in the 13 games (including 2 playoff contests) the Tribe played, Steve finished with 16 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions. Decent. But when you dig deeper, you’ll learn that he threw a staggering 8 of his 10 interceptions in the final three games of the year. That means through the first 10 games of the year, Cluley tossed just 2 interceptions before falling off. When you add all the numbers up, in Cluley’s first 22 games as a starter, he threw just 6 interceptions (0.27 per game). However, in the past 8 games, Cluley has thrown a combined 17 interceptions (2.13 per game). That is a staggering difference, and one that has to change if the Tribe is to get back on track this season.

In regards to his hold on the starting job, there is no question that Cluley will be the starter for the Tribe for the rest of the season. Although struggling, he has total command over the offense and the playbook, and a strong arm to boot. He is a 3-year starter after all–rare in today’s college football landscape. But we’ve fielded this question about Cluley’s current play before, and there really is no explanation for his recent play on the field. The only thing we can come up with is the fact that this season is the first year that Cluley had high expectations for himself and for the Tribe offense. Perhaps the pressure is getting to him, forcing him to make simple mistakes or trying to do too much in the offense, leading to turnovers. We feel that Cluley just needs to relax and play loose; he has nothing to lose at this point. Again, a win over JMU would require that Cluley minimizes turnovers and plays to his true potential.

Overall, Cluley has all the tangibles and intangibles, so we know he can put it together. He is a big quarterback, standing at 6’3″ 225 pounds. He also possesses a strong arm that is displayed whenever he hits speedster DeVonte Dedmon. It doesn’t hurt that he can also run the ball on the occasional read option play, or when plays break down. Like we said, we think it is a confidence thing for him right now. We like to think he will rebound against JMU, and for the remainder of the season. If Cluley even plays up to his potential, this Tribe team will be deadly over the final 6 games of the season.

We like you guys and want our readers to also, so here’s a softball. Yes or no, are the Richmond Ticks the worst?

Funny you should ask. We’ve fielded this question before, and the answer is quite simple: YES, they’re the worst! You guys think you hate Richmond? Well, Richmond is our mortal rival…and recent years have not been kind. The W&M vs. Richmond game is known as the “Capital Cup,” and dates all the way back to 1898. Yes, 1898, you read that correctly, when the teams met for the first time on the gridiron. W&M currently holds the all-time series lead at 61-60-5. But if current trends continue, the Tribe will see that series advantage disappear in the coming years. Richmond has won 10 out of the last 12 meetings between the two, dating all the way back to November 2005–which includes Richmond victories in the last 5 games. It’s safe to say the Spiders have had the Tribe’s number. And last season was no exception.

Going into last season’s regular season finale against Richmond, W&M was ranked #7 in the FCS, and Richmond found themselves ranked #14. The winner would become CAA Champions and secure a strong automatic berth in the FCS playoffs. Tribe fans held high hopes that it could be the year that W&M finally breaks the drought and beats Richmond for the first time since November 2011. However, W&M would fall on the road in the season finale, 20-9. The Spiders went on to receive a first round playoff bye, while the Tribe received a first round opponent, the Duquesne Dukes–whom they narrowly defeated in a high-scoring, shootout affair. And guess which team the Tribe was matched up with in the second round? You guessed it: the Richmond Spiders. Except this time, it wasn’t even close. The Tribe was absolutely man-handled, as every single one of Richmond’s big time players stepped up. On the road, W&M fell 48-13, for the second time in a single season to Richmond, and for the 5th straight contest in a row. For whatever reason, they currently have the Tribe’s number. But Richmond’s surprising loss to Stony Brook earlier this year gives us hope. This season’s contest will again be played as the final game of the season, and this time at home in Williamsburg. Anything is possible in a rivalry game, and we look forward to the opportunity to bring the Capital Cup back to campus this season. Just remember: “Ticks suck”…Get it?

The JMU vs. W&M rivalry has had its share of great games the old cliche that you can “throw out the records” when the teams get together appears to be true. The Dukes are heavy favorites on paper, but W&M is a desperate (and therefore dangerous in our opinion) team with plenty of talent. How can the Tribe win the game?

The JMU-W&M rivalry is certainly a fun one, dating back to 1978. JMU currently leads the overall series 21-17, thanks to their current domination of the Tribe, including winning 13 of the previous 18 games, and winning all games in Harrisonburg dating back to 2004. From the double overtime game back in 2012, to last year’s thriller in Williamsburg, this game is always an exciting one.

On paper, we would agree that the Dukes should be heavy favorites. With the second best rushing attack in the nation (342 yards per game), and top rusher in the nation (Khalid Abdullah-602 yards), the Dukes will be hard to stop offensively. However, this young and talented Tribe defense is up for the challenge.

For the Tribe to win this game, it MUST keep pace with the Dukes offensively. This might seem like a ridiculous thought at first glance, but this Tribe offense has the potential to do so. Kendell Anderson is finally healthy (rushing for 168 yards last weekend), DeVonte Dedmon is a constant threat, and receivers Jack Armstrong and Daniel Kuzjak are coming into their own. If Cluley can play confidently and minimize turnovers, this Tribe offense has a chance to finally live up to its potential against JMU on Saturday. JMU has never been known for their defense, and the Tribe will look to exploit that on Saturday.

Another thing to watch this weekend will be the Tribe’s special teams play. By returning All-American kicker Nick Dorka and All-CAA selection Hunter Windmuller, as well as the CAA Special Teams Player of the Year in DeVonte Dedmon, William and Mary was supposed to dominate opposing teams in special teams play. However, both Dorka and Windmuller did not play against New Hampshire last week due to injuries, and their presence was sorely missed. William and Mary missed both field goals they attempted against the Wildcats, as well as an extra point in the game, which really hurt the Tribe down the stretch. We’ll have to wait and see if either of these players dresses for the game Saturday.

For the Tribe to win this game, they will need to hold JMU to under 40 points, keep pace with them offensively, and dominate the Dukes on special teams. It is certainly asking for a lot, but this team is capable. You don’t get a preseason top-10 ranking for nothing, and this team has the talent on the roster to compete with anybody in the FCS. It will be a tough task, but we think the Tribe has a shot on Saturday to make a statement and get themselves back into the win column.

Despite a few surprising CAA losses, a win Saturday could be the perfect thing to boost confidence and put the Tribe right back in the mix. What’s your prediction for Saturday’s game and the rest of the 2016 season?

To set the stage for this week’s game, and to scare some fans wearing purple, we’d like for everyone to join us in a trip down memory lane. The time was October 2012. The leaves had just turned and Harrisonburg’s mountains glistened an orangey-reddish hue, serving as a picture-perfect backdrop to the countless selfies taken on campus that day. To jog your memory, this was a year that saw the W&M Tribe finish with an absolutely abysmal 2-9 (1-7 CAA) record. Going into the game, the Tribe sat at 2-4 (1-2 CAA), as the nationally ranked #4 Dukes sat pretty at 4-1 (2-0 CAA). To put it quite frankly: it was David vs. Goliath. But no matter, good ole W&M Head Coach Jimmye Laycock and his boys were up to the challenge, coming out firing. So much so, that the Tribe actually led at the half 14-7, putting the Dukes on a full-out upset alert. In the second half, things remained much the same, as a balanced Tribe offense continued to produce, and the fourth quarter ended in a tie, 17-17. That year, the Tribe (again, finishing 2-9) would take #4 JMU all the way to 2OT, in their house. The contest ended on a gutsy W&M 2-point conversion attempt that would have won the game for the Tribe. Ultimately, W&M could not convert, and #4 JMU just barely escaped in Harrisonburg by a razor-thin margin, 27-26.

Now, this isn’t meant to say that W&M should be favored in this game. But the point we’re trying to make is that this is a rivalry game. Plain and simple. And as all sports fans know, absolutely anything can happen in a rivalry game — even if the underdog is on the road. Or should we say, especially when the underdog is on the road. This year’s Tribe team is undoubtedly better than the 2-9 squad it brought to JMU in 2012. And while W&M has already experienced its share of woes this season, the team’s pieces are in place to get the job done on Saturday–think about it, just two weeks ago, the team was ranked #8 in the nation. For fun, we’ll predict: Tribe 28 JMU 27…the score that W&M would have won by in 2012 on the 2-point conversion. Because why not. Roll Tribe. See you in Harrisonburg!