THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 1, 1994 TAG: 9408270386
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: R19 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Football Preview: College Football '94
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 104 lines
No getting around it. Much as Rip Scherer cautions against expecting too much from his James Madison University football team, the Dukes are simply loaded.
Expectations are high, as well they should be. The Dukes return 18 of 22 starters and 39 of their top 44 players from a team that was 6-5 and finished on a roll.
Madison won four of its last six, the losses coming by narrow margins to William and Mary and Boston University, which won the Yankee Conference divisional title and advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs.
``Our expectations are to be better, but we're not the only team with a lot of players returning,'' Scherer said.
True. Liberty University, which has been unable to attract any state schools on its schedule in recent years, nonetheless has acquired some talented players.
The Flames have 15 returning starters and a prized transfer in tailback J.T. Morris, a Lynchburg native who played two seasons at Penn State.
If the Flames can avoid injuries, coach Sam Rutigliano says ``we could have one of the best teams we've ever had.''
A look at the area schools:
James Madison: The Dukes have scored points, lots of them, in Scherer's three seasons. Each year the Dukes have broken the school scoring and total offense records - 34.1 points per game, 218.2 yards passing and 393.5 total yards last season.
This season should be no exception. Only wide receiver John Allen and tackle Matt Ricciardi didn't start last season, and both are lettermen. Allen, a three-year letterman, had 13 receptions last season.
Junior quarterback Mike Cawley heads a talented backfield. He is Madison's career pass completion leader (57 percent). A transfer from Syracuse, he completed 131 of 239 passes for a school-record 1,988 yards.
If he falters or is injured, Scherer has a capable backup in Gary Lyons.
Scherer has four tailbacks - Rhadshaun Miles, Paul Harris, D'Artagnan Townes and Kelvin Jeter - who combined for 1,127 rushing yards. Fullback Steve Agee rushed for 467 yards and 10 touchdowns. The offensive line, Scherer says, ``should be the deepest since I've been here.'' The receivers lack experience, but the talent is deep.
A key loss is placekicker Trey Weiss from Virginia Beach.
Eight of the nine top tacklers return on defense.
Liberty: The Flames have flirted with postseason play in most of Rutigliano's five seasons. Every year they've been ranked in the top 25, and they just missed making the playoffs in '92, when they finished 19th in the final I-AA poll.
Now they think they have the firepower to make it into I-AA's Sweet 16.
Morris was considered a potential star at Penn State. He played well, but not spectacularly, in two seasons with the Nittany Lions, rushing for 521 yards in 83 carries. Quarterback Antwan Chiles, a junior who transferred from Florida, started the last four games of '93.
Although receivers Dwanye Carswell and James McKnight signed free-agent pro contracts, Rutigliano says the Flames ``will have no problem catching the ball. We've got good receivers.''
And good depth. Eight starters return on both offense and defense.
Virginia Military Institute: The emphasis in Lexington is on fresh starts. There is a new head coach, Bill Stewart, who assisted at Air Force, Arizona State and Navy before coming to VMI. There are also lots of new faces in the lineup.
Stewart brought in one of VMI's best recruiting classes in years, 23 players in all, and it was needed. The Keydets were 1-10 a year ago and lost many of their best players.
Stewart says the Keydets have to improve this season, and indeed they might. But there are too many depth problems on both lines and too little experience everywhere for a winning record.
Al Lester, a freshman quarterback from Savannah, Ga., is competing with senior Spike Johnson, last year's starter.
Sophomore Thomas Haskins returns at tailback. The line looks solid with junior center Sid Mitchener, a second-team All-Southern Conference pick last season.
Defensively, there are seven returning starters, including linebacker Drew Dunnington, who was second in tackles last season with 100. Former Deep Creek star Demond Ferebee and Damon Pinero, who played last season at First Colonial, give Stewart quality backups at defensive back.
Former Virginia Tech assistant Tom Throckmorton is defensive coordinator and has brought a more aggressive style.
Navy: After two 1-10 finishes in a row, George Chaump began last season by drawing a line in the sand.
``We've put in our time, we've served our sentence, so to speak,'' he said. ``We are ready to win.''
The Midshipmen didn't have a winning season, but showed signs of life. They were 4-7, and probably were better than their record. They had two-point losses to Tulane and archrival Army, had a four-point loss to Air Force and scared mighty Notre Dame before losing, 58-27.
However, a combination of a difficult schedule and losses in the offensive and defensive lines will hamper the Midshipmen in trying to improve on that record.
Richmond: The Spiders had plenty of momentum heading into the last half of 1993. Coming off a 7-4 finish in 1992, they were 5-1 and in the running for the Yankee Conference East Division title.
Then came a brick-wall combination of injuries and a tougher schedule. The result was five losses and a 5-6 record.
The schedule is similar this season, with Delaware, James Madison, Boston University and William and Mary all in October and November. Head coach Jim Marshall is just hoping the injuries won't be as crushing. by CNB