No. 1 Richmond defeats Hofstra 47-0

The first home game of the season was full of firsts for the University of Richmond football team, as it defeated Hofstra University 47-0 at UR Stadium on Saturday.

Four Richmond players scored their first career touchdowns during the game, as Richmond extended its school-record winning streak to 12 games and improved to 3-0 this season.

The Richmond defense forced four fumbles during the first half and the offense turned them into 24 points. The team scored four touchdowns during the second quarter alone and never let Hofstra back in the game.

"We just talk about being ball aware," Richmond head coach Mike London said of his defense's ability to cause turnovers. "We try to bring attention to it because there's only one [ball] in the game and if you have it more than they do, you're probably going to win."

The Spiders allowed only 13 yards rushing on 34 Hofstra attempts during the game and came up with five sacks, while the Richmond running game excelled for the first time this season, gaining 213 yards, led by Justin Forte's 74.

Richmond quarterback Eric Ward passed efficiently for the third week in a row, throwing for 165 yards and four touchdowns during less than three quarters of action. Ward also spread the ball around, with seven different receivers catching at least one pass.

"The teams we play can't key in on one guy," Ward said of his ability to get multiple receivers involved. "It definitely makes my job a whole lot easier."

During much of the second half, Richmond used its second-string players because of its big lead. Backup quarterback John Laub saw his first career playing time and had some success on the ground, rushing for 29 yards on two carries.

An estimated 1,225 students attended the game, which is the largest student attendance in recent history.

"When you look behind you and see a sea of red like that, guys play a little harder," London said. "It was an awesome display of school spirit and we hope to continue that [next week]."

Richmond took advantage of a Hofstra fumble to score its first points of the game. Senior defensive end Nicholas Battle disrupted a hand-off in the backfield, causing Hofstra quarterback Cory Christopher to fumble. Richmond's other defensive end, senior Pierre Turner, recovered the fumble, giving the Spiders the ball at the Hofstra 34-yard line. The Spiders reached the Hofstra 10-yard line, but stalled and settled for a field goal attempt. Senior place kicker Andrew Howard converted from 27 yards to give Richmond a 3-0 lead.

The Spiders forced another fumble on the way to their first touchdown of the game. Battle fought through a block, losing his helmet in the process, but still managed to hit Christopher as he prepared to deliver a pass. Richmond junior linebacker Eric McBride recovered the fumble and returned it to the Hofstra 5-yard line. Two plays later, freshman running back Kendall Gaskins used his first career carry for a three-yard touchdown to put the Spiders ahead 10-0.

Richmond sophomore wide receiver Donte Boston became the second Spider of the day to score his first career touchdown to give the Spiders a 17-0 lead. Hofstra attempted a fake punt and earned first-down yardage, but Richmond safety Derek Hatcher forced yet another fumble and Turner recovered, giving the Spiders the ball at the Hofstra 39-yard line.

After a holding penalty, Richmond faced a third-and-20 from the Hofstra 49-yard line. Ward found Boston, who caught the ball on the sideline, evaded a tackle, and ran to the end zone for the score. Howard converted on the extra point to give Richmond a 17-point advantage.

Hofstra appeared to have its first scoring opportunity of the game as it reached the Richmond 16 yard line, but on third and 6, Richmond forced its fourth fumble of the half. Junior linebacker Jordan Shoop caused the fumble and Battle recovered, ending Hofstra's drive.

Richmond took advantage of the Hofstra mistake again, driving 77 yards in seven plays for another touchdown. Ward hit junior wide receiver Max Prokell with a 23-yard touchdown pass to cap off the drive and increase the Richmond lead to 24-0. Prokell's touchdown made him the third Richmond player in the first half to score his first career touchdown.

After a Hofstra punt, Richmond continued to dominate, driving 48 yards in seven plays for its fourth touchdown of the second quarter. Ward threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Kevin Grayson on third-and-15 and a Howard extra point made the score 31-0 with less than a minute to play during the half.

On their first possession of the second half, the Spiders continued where they left off during the first half. Richmond moved the ball down the field after a Hofstra punt and scored another touchdown. This time Ward found junior fullback Ben Keating wide open in the end zone. Keating became the fourth Richmond player to score his first career touchdown during the game and Richmond took a 38-0 lead.

Hofstra's stuggles continued during the fourth quarter when long snapper Jose Cruz snapped the ball over punter Shane Casciano's head and through the end zone for a safety, giving Richmond a 40-0 lead.

Richmond added its final score of the game on an 8-yard touchdown run by Tyler Kirchoff with two minutes to play during the game.

With the win, Richmond extended its school-record winning streak to 12 games and moved to 3-0 this season and 2-0 during Colonial Athletic Association play.

Boston set a career high for receiving yards, leading all Richmond wideouts with 65 yards. Ward's four touchdowns also tied a career high.

Though London was happy with his team's effort, especially on special teams, he said each game should help the team improve for the following week.

"It's hard to win games," London said. "You can't rest on your laurels because someone is always looking to beat you."

The Spiders will be back in action at 3:30 p.m. next Saturday when they face the Virginia Military Institute at UR Stadium.

Contact staff writer Reilly Moore at reilly.moore@richmond.edu