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W&M wideout to miss Delaware game with sprained

John Harvey

WILLIAMSBURG -- Like most of his William & Mary teammates, Joe Nicholas was eager to get back on the field Thursday as the Tribe hosted rival Delaware in the inaugural Colonial Athletic Association game under the lights at Zable Stadium.

The 6-foot-3 senior wideout will have to wait a little longer after sustaining a sprained knee during preseason workouts.

W&M coach Jimmye Laycock, entering his 28th season in Williamsburg, announced Nicholas' injury Tuesday during the Tribe's weekly media luncheon. Laycock would not elaborate, only saying he was out for the game. " I don't discuss injuries," he said. "Hopefully Joe will be back in a couple of weeks."

Nicholas caught 41 passes for 597 yards and eight touchdowns last season for a Tribe team that finished the year with a 3-8 record.

"Obviously, we were disappointed with last year, and it was kind of like a reality check," Nicholas said earlier this month at W&M's football media day. "My first two years, everything seemed to click for me, but last year I kind of fell off a bit, and I want to do everything I can to help this team win."

Nicholas entered this season as the team's most experienced receiver. A starter since his freshman year, he ranks among the school's career leaders in touchdown receptions (19), receptions (159) and receiving yards (2,127).

The injury will mean more playing time for D.J. McAulay, Elliott Mack and Cameron Dohse in Laycock's pro-style offense.

McAulay caught 21 passes for 307 yards and two touchdowns in eight games last season for the Tribe. The 5-foot-11 junior especially had the knack for the big play, with four catches of 45 yards or longer.

Mack caught 20 passes for 225 yards and a pair of scores in 10 games last season for W&M. The 6-foot junior has nice hands and is not scared to go over the middle.

Dohse was redshirted last season and spent the year as a member of the scout team.

Another option could be moving R.J. Archer back to receiver. The 6-foot-2 sophomore ranked second on the team with 30 catches for 489 yards last season. He moved back to quarterback this spring and lost out to a close battle with Jake Phillips and Mike Potts for the starting job.

Nicholas has confidence in his teammates. "We have four receivers that have played a lot," he said. "We're expecting a lot out of each other and we're ready for a good year."

Last week, Phillips was named the team's starting quarterback after a fierce battle this summer.

The 6-foot-3 junior has started 11 games during his career and thrown 17 touchdowns. Last year, Phillips passed for 763 yards and five touchdowns in seven games. He can also make plays on the ground, rushing for 250 yards and nine touchdowns in his career.

Phillips' ability to make plays with his legs too should help an offense that's breaking in two new running backs. DeBrian Holmes will get the start at tailback.

Defensively, the Tribe has a young team, with just two seniors listed on the two-deep roster. Junior co-Captain Derek Cox will serve as the team leader in the secondary.

The return of linebacker Josh Rutter and all-conference rookie defensive end Adrian Tracy should thrive in new defensive coordinator Bob Shoop's attacking scheme.

Like the Tribe, Delaware is coming off a sub-par season by their standards. The Blue Hens managed just a 5-6 record last season after an injury riddled season.

The return of RB Omar Cuf and Joe Flacco are the main reasons the Blue Hens were voted No. 19 in the country in the preseason polls.

Cuff rushed for 541 yards and eight touchdowns in seven games after suffering an ankle injury against the Tribe. The 5-foot-10 back has run for 2,419 yards and 30 touchdowns during his career and is a preseason candidate for the Walter Payton award.

Flacco had a terrific first season as the Blue Hens' starting quarterback. He completed 264 of 417 passes for 18 touchdowns last season for the Blue Hens.

Thursday's contest will be televised regionally on CN8 and can be seen in greater Williamsburg on WCOX Channel 11. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m.

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