HERO Sports welcomes you to "Two-a-Days", where we will preview every single one of the 125 FCS programs, with two being released each day from June 18 to August 18 (with the final day having three in one day). Today we give you … William & Mary.
[divider]MORE: Compare Any Two FCS Players or Any Two FCS Teams[divider]
FCS TEAM BY TEAM PREVIEW: The countdown
FCS PRESEASON TOP 25: The poll
FCS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA: The teams
William & Mary (2-9 IN 2017)
Colonial Athletic Association (W&M was 12th in 2017)
COACH: Jimmye Laycock – 39th year (245-189-2)
2017 OFFENSE: 15.0 ppg (112th in FCS)
2017 DEFENSE: 23.9 ppg (43rd in FCS)
SUM IT UP: Just two years removed from winning the CAA in 2015, William & Mary failed to win a conference game last season, finishing two full games behind Albany and Rhode Island. Defensively, the Tribe have plenty of pieces to stay competitive in a deep CAA; that side of the ball wasn't the problem. Offensively, the 2017 season was pretty disastrous, with no consistency up front and three different quarterbacks used throughout the course of the year. The Tribe will need some serious improvement on offense if they want to send Coach Laycock out with a respectable season. Much of that could come via true sophomore Shon Mitchell, who is still highly regarded after a record-setting high school campaign at Virginia powerhouse Oscar Smith.
BEST-CASE SCENARIO: How much Cinderella credit are you willing to give William & Mary in Laycock's final year? A team that finished 2-9 last season is losing a fairly significant number of starters, so logically, it's safe to assume the Tribe could continue to struggle this season. Then again, the younger players could exceed expectations — particularly in a season where the Godfather of the football program is known to be walking away at the end of the year. Because William & Mary was dealt a friendly hand by the CAA's unbalanced schedule, it wouldn't be completely crazy to see the Tribe go 6-5, but that would require a lot of assumptions. Laycock deserves to go out on a high note, but another season in the cellar feels much more likely.
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BEST FCS PLAYER BY NUMBER: We count down, No. 99 through No. 1[divider]
TOP RETURNEE: LB Nate Atkins (170 Tackles over Last Two Seasons).
THE NEXT FIVE: DL Bill Murray (8 TFL's, 2 FF's, 2 BLK's in '17); LB Josh Dulaney (12 TFL's in '17); DB Corey Parker (79 Tackles, 5 PBU's, 2.5 TFL's); FB Tyler Crist (Third-Team All-CAA); QB Shon Mitchell (3 Starts in '17 as a true freshman).
TOP NEWCOMER: OL Marcus Crowell (All-State HS player in New Jersey).
DID YOU KNOW?: William & Mary is well deserving of its nickname, "the Alma Mater of the Nation." Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, John Tyler, Henry Clay and John Marshall are all top-line alumni.
THE QUOTE: "It is rare that one individual can have such a monumental impact on a university, but Coach Laycock has left an indelible mark on William & Mary. We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Coach, and his tenure stands as a testament to the principle of Tribe Athletics that excellence in athletics and academics go hand in hand. The contributions of his former players to their communities and to the world are his greatest legacy." -William & Mary Athletic Director Samantha K. Huge, on the legacy of 39th-year coach Jimmye Laycock.
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SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT
THE HASHTAG: #GoTribe
FOOTBALL TWITTER: @WMTribeFootball
Former @WMTribeFootball standout, Tre McBride (@Uno_Dos_Tre3) reflects on the tight college football community in Virginia. Now in a @nyjets jersey, Tre stays true to his roots. #GoTribe #TribeFootball pic.twitter.com/3NrBegtbKD
— Natalie Kalibat (@NatalieKalibat) August 15, 2018
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#LAYCOCKLEGACY: William & Mary Coach Jimmye Laycock Will Retire After 39th Season
MORE CAA PREVIEWS: Albany | Delaware | Elon | James Madison | Maine | New Hampshire | Rhode Island | Richmond | Stony Brook | Towson | Villanova