BLOOMINGTON, IN - William and Mary jumped out to a 14-10 halftime lead before Indiana scored 15 unanswered points to seemingly put the game away. But if the Hoosiers thought that the game was over, they were wrong, as the Tribe rallied to get within eight points, and then had two possessions inside IU's 10-yard line in the final five minutes but couldn't get the ball in the end zone, falling by the score of 25-17 in the season opener for both teams.

Senior quarterback Dave Corley, Jr. (Columbia, SC) led a last-ditch effort from the Indiana one-yard line ended with an incomplete pass on the last play of the game. The loss spoiled a brilliant game by the Tribe defensive corps, which forced four turnovers and kept W&M in the game by continuing to limit the IU offense. William and Mary held Indiana to 264 total yards, including just 154 in the air.

The first W&M score of the day was a familiar one to Tribe fans, as Corley hit junior Rich Musinski (West Pittston, PA) for a 24-yard score to cap a 96-yard drive. IU bounced back to tie the game when quarterback Tommy Jones tossed the first of his three touchdown passes on the day, hitting Glenn Johnson late in the first quarter to even the game, 7-7.

The Tribe regained the lead early in the second period when Corley hit tailback Jon Smith (Cincinnati, OH) for a 12-yard catch and run, putting W&M up 14-7. Indiana got a field goal late in the second quarter, but when the teams hit the locker rooms at halftime, it was William and Mary ahead, 14-10.

Indiana battled back in the third quarter, getting a quick touchdown to take the lead for the first time in the game before extending the lead on a safety after a bad snap sailed over the head of W&M punter Mike Mesi (Eatontown, NJ) and through the back of the end zone. Down 19-14, William and Mary's chances dimmed even more early in the fourth quarter when fullback John Pannozzo caught his second touchdown pass of the day. The two-point conversion failed, though, and IU's lead extended to 11 points.

A 32-yard field goal by redshirt freshman Greg Kuehn (Potomac Falls, VA) pulled the Tribe to within eight points at 25-17, and spectacular defense gave the W&M offense its chances to tie the game. Cornerback Billy Parker (Mechanicsville, VA) recorded his second interception of the game, and two IU possessions later, senior defensive tackle Marcus Washington (Washington, D.C.) forced a fumble that gave the Tribe the ball back. But it was not to be, as the Indiana defense held, and the Tribe dropped the season opener.

Corley completed 20 of 41 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns in the loss. Steven Hargrove, Jr. (Alexandria, VA) led the Tribe rushing attack with 19 yards on five carries, while Musinski was the team's leading receiver, with six catches for 60 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, Parker had a pair of interceptions while fellow DB Marques Bobo (Charlotte, NC) thwarted an IU drive with a pick at the goalline.

The Tribe will begin Atlantic 10 play with a contest next Saturday at 6 p.m. at Maine.