Spiders take advantage of summer workouts

When the University of Richmond made its stunning run to the semifinals in the Football Championship Subdivision last season, many players felt spending the summer together made a big difference.

More than half the team stayed at UR for summer school and informal workouts in 2007, and the numbers were high again this summer.

"I think it helps form a stronger bond when you spend more time with your teammates," said defensive end Sherman Logan, who has recovered from a foot injury and will be ready when camp opens Aug. 4.

"The numbers [of players remaining at school] keeps going up every year since I've been here," Logan said yesterday at the CAA media day in Baltimore.

The Spiders, who have 16 starters returning from last year's 11-3 club, open Aug. 30 at Elon.

"A lot of the players just decided to stay back and train and be around our strength guy," UR coach Mike London said. "Maybe eliminate some of the distractions they would be around if they went home. A lot of the guys have gotten bigger, faster, stronger.

"The most significant gains are made once the season is over and in the months before they report in August."

Tribe's turnaround will be difficult task

With three straight losing seasons in the books, William and Mary coach Jimmye Laycock is hoping the Tribe's fortunes will turn around in 2008. But he knows it won't be easy.

"I don't know if we can [get back to consistent winning years]," said Laycock, whose team is forecast to finish fifth in the South Division.

"It's tough. To do it, you've got to beat the James Madisons, the Delawares. Richmond is doing well. Villanova, Towson and UMass. You've got some really good teams in this league. Everybody wants to win, but when somebody wins, somebody loses."

W&M has 18 starters back (nine on each side of the ball) from last year's 4-7 squad. That didn't impress the coaches or members of the media that voted in the preseason polls.

Even though the Tribe has plenty of experience on hand, Laycock doesn't know if will be enough.

"We've got to play with much more intensity and play better in space," he said. "We've got to be more athletic on the field, defensively in particular."

W&M allowed more points last season (427) than it had in any of its previous campaigns.

Dukes looking forward to rematch with ASU

James Madison won't have to wait too long to erase some of the disappointment from their final game a year ago.

The Dukes, who are predicted to finish behind UR in the South Division, trailed Appalachian State 28-27 in the final minute of the first round of the FCS playoffs but lost an opportunity to win after a fumble with 22 seconds remaining.

The Dukes get another chance Sept. 20, when Appalachian State visits for a 7 p.m. kickoff.

"I don't think I've ever seen football fever hit our campus and our university as it has right now," JMU coach Mickey Matthews said.

JMU opens its season Aug. 30 at Duke, then faces North Carolina Central and CAA favorite Massachusetts before the Appalachian State game. Some national polls have put the Dukes ahead of UR and UMass in preseason predictions, partly because of the return of running back Eugene Holloman, who missed most of last year with a knee injury. -- John Packett