CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- The Spider football team decisively beat the University of Montana Grizzlies 24-7 Friday night at Finley Stadium to give the University of Richmond its first national title in any sport in the school's 178-year history. [slideshow=19,650,433] All photos by Dan Petty and Bob Quaintance.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- John Crone, the University of Richmond's senior fullback, had an announcement to make. "I just want y'all to know we just won the national championship," Crone said when he entered Richmond's post-game press conference.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- Two hours before kick-off of the National Championship game Friday, Dec. 19, University of Richmond football fans lined Finley Stadium's entryway for the last Spider Walk of the season.
NEW YORK -- Friday night I stood beside more than 30 Richmond alumni to watch our football team make school history.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- The University of Richmond football team hadn't been No. 1 in almost three months. The Spiders' second loss of the season, to Villanova University on Sept.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- The Spiders arrived for their first national FCS championship game on Tuesday and have since been preparing for Friday's match-up against the University of Montana. [slideshow=18,650,433] All photos by Dan Petty/The Collegian.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- The University of Richmond football team arrived Tuesday night here to begin preparing for Friday night's national championship.
The University of Richmond football team has set a number of program records this season, but on Friday it could win something no team in school history has -- a national championship. "We weren't very successful when I got here and to have this happening," senior defensive end Lawrence Sidbury Jr.
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- When junior quarterback Eric Ward was practicing passing plays this week, senior tight end Joe Stewart was usually his third option. Stewart said he had told Ward: "Don't forget about me over there.
The University of Richmond football team is set to play the University of Northern Iowa at 4 p.m.
BOONE, N.C. -- Dozens of students traveled five hours to The Rock here in Boone to cheer on the Spider football team, which won 33-13, upsetting the three-time defending national FCS champions.
BOONE, N.C. -- All week long, the question for the football team's defense was whether the addition of senior defensive ends Sherman Logan and Lawrence Sidbury Jr.
The University of Richmond football team is set to play Appalachian State University Saturday in Boone, N.C., for the quarterfinal game of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. Second-seeded Appalachian State University, which is 11-2 this season, beat Richmond 55-35 last year on its way to a third-straight FCS championship during the semi-final game.
The Spiders have averaged more rushing than passing yards per game this season, but on Saturday it was a 45-yard touchdown pass that got the University of Richmond offense started. "Passing and running kind of works hand in hand," said junior quarterback Eric Ward, who had 245 passing yards.
The University of Richmond football team has made the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs for the third time in four years. The Spiders, who earned an at-large bid with a 9-3 finish, will host Eastern Kentucky University at 1 p.m.
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - The University of Richmond football team forced seven turnovers during its game Saturday afternoon at the College of William & Mary, but still needed overtime to assure its second-consecutive Football Championship Subdivision playoff berth. The Spiders beat the Tribe 23-20 when junior kicker Andrew Howard made a 37-yard field goal in the first overtime period. The team will find out its opponent for the first round of the FCS playoffs Sunday night. "It was a terrific football game," Richmond coach Mike London said. "We've been involved with a game like that at our place [against James Madison] when we came out on the short end of the stick, but we hung in there and played hard and then came out on the other side this time." Richmond dominated the first half against William & Mary, intercepting four passes, forcing a fumble and allowing the Tribe to gain only 12 total yards. Right guard Michael Silva opened the scoring for the Spiders with his first career touchdown when Richmond quarterback Eric Ward fumbled as he tried to reach the ball over the goal line during the first quarter. Silva recovered the ball in the end zone for the touchdown. Richmond's only other touchdown came on defense, when safety Derek Hatcher intercepted Tribe quarterback Jake Phillips's pass and returned it 35 yards. With the return, Richmond set the single-season record for interception returns in a season, with four. Hatcher's interception was one of six for the Spiders during the game. Defensive back Justin Rogers had two, while linebacker Jordan Shoop, safety Mike Ireland and safety David Horton each had one. Richmond added two field goals from Howard, one of which came with no time left in the second quarter, to take a 20-0 halftime lead. "We played about as bad as we could in the first half," William & Mary tight end Rob Varno said. The Tribe scored for the first time in the third quarter on a 32-yard field goal by kicker Brian Pate, but entered the fourth quarter trailing 20-3. Pate added another field goal early in the fourth quarter, but Richmond appeared to be in command, holding a 14-point lead with less than five minutes to play. Tribe punt returner Derek Cox changed the momentum of the game by returning a punt 80 yards for a touchdown with 3:02 remaining in the game. On the ensuing kickoff, William & Mary back-up quarterback R.J.
The University of Richmond may have allowed the University of Delaware to score two defensive touchdowns, but the deciding factor of Saturday's game was offensive touchdowns -- the Spiders had four and the Blue Hens had none. Delaware scored first on sophomore defensive back Tyrone Grant's 57-yard interception return -- the only Richmond opponent to do so since the University of New Hampshire's Czar Wiley on Oct.
Sixteen teams, 15 games, four weeks and one reason I prefer the Football Championship Subdivision to the Football Bowl Subdivision: the playoffs. On Saturday, the regular season will end and at 7 p.m.
The University of Richmond may have allowed the University of Delaware to score two defensive touchdowns, but the deciding factor of Saturday's game was offensive touchdowns -- the Spiders had four and the Blue Hens had none. Delaware scored first on sophomore defensive back Tyrone Grant's 57-yard interception return -- the only Richmond opponent to do so since the University of New Hampshire's Czar Wiley on Oct.
The football team's 12 seniors have an impressive resume: four consecutive winning seasons, two conference championships and the longest postseason run in school history. "We wanted to leave our mark and kind of turn the program around," senior defensive lineman Lawrence Sidbury Jr.
