THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 25, 1996 TAG: 9610250750
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 62 lines
If Saturday's Yankee Conference showdown between James Madison and Delaware comes down to placekicking, the Dukes have to feel pretty good about their chances.
JMU has the best kicker in Yankee Conference history.
Senior John Coursey was named to the Yankee's 50-year anniversary team before the season. He's the only active player on the squad.
``It's pretty amazing,'' he said. ``It's hard to describe. There are a lot of kickers I obviously had to compete against. I was an All-American last year and I don't know if that's as big an accomplishment.''
Coursey, who needs just four points to become JMU's all-time leading scorer, is the latest in a line of good JMU kickers, starting with Scott Norwood, who played from 1978-81 before going on to kick for the Buffalo Bills.
Norwood also had a hand in bringing Coursey to JMU. Norwood's father, Del, taught at Washington-Lee High in Arlington, where Coursey played.
``I talked to (Norwood) a little bit about JMU,'' Coursey said. ``I never got around to kicking with him.''
Coursey had a lively leg, but rarely had a chance to use it in high school. His team wasn't very good, and he wasn't heavily scouted.
So Coursey wrote letters to colleges and ``told them a little bit about myself.''
JMU was one of several schools to reply. Coursey now holds virtually every JMU kicking record. He hit on all 14 field goal attempts last year and has made 108 of 112 career conversion attempts. He had a string of 75 straight snapped this season.
Coursey has hopes of following Norwood to the NFL.
``It's done a lot differently for kickers,'' he said. ``I certainly don't expect to get drafted, but I should get a tryout.
``My leg is not quite as strong as NFL kickers. But accuracy-wise, it's very good.''
TRIBE GETTING DEFENSIVE: Saturday is homecoming at William and Mary, and grads who haven't been back in a while will notice something different about the Tribe: Defense.
The Tribe has been an offensive powerhouse for a decade. That hasn't changed.
But lately the defense has been more than holding its own. Last year's defense, considered one of the best in school history, allowed 294 yards per game.
This year, the Tribe is allowing just 243, best in the Yankee Conference.
Last week, the Tribe manhandled Villanova, the top-scoring team in the Yankee. William and Mary held the Wildcats to minus-39 yards rushing and had nine sacks.
RATINGS RAP: James Madison is 10th in this week's I-AA poll, while William and Mary is 16th. Both teams rank higher, however, in a more scientific survey: the Sagarin Computer Rankings.
Sagarin ranks all Division I football teams, regardless of whether they are I-A or I-AA. The Tribe ranks 89th overall, seventh among I-AA teams. JMU is 92nd overall, eighth in I-AA.
The power rating rewards victories over good teams. Montana is the highest-ranked I-AA team at 47. Marshall is next at 52. ILLUSTRATION: James Madison kicker John Coursey needs just four more
points to become the Dukes' all-time leading scorer. by CNB