Football
What is your Spider Spirit personality?
By Emily Viviani | October 23, 2008Take the quiz and find out! 1. On a Saturday morning you are most excited for: a.
Take the quiz and find out! 1. On a Saturday morning you are most excited for: a.
No.
Saturday's football game against James Madison University is more than an average in-state rivalry - the two teams will be playing for supremacy among all Colonial Athletic Association and Football Championship Subdivision teams when they meet at 3:30 p.m.
By Stephen Utz Collegian Reporter Richmond wide receiver Jordan Mitchell knew exactly how to beat Maine's defenders when they started playing 12 yards off him: one quick move to the sideline. That's all it took for him to get open for an 87-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Eric Ward, a play that tied for the second-longest scoring play in school history and was part of a 44-17 victory against the University of Maine Saturday at home. "It was a play we saw all week in practice," Mitchell, a junior, said of Maine's defensive coverage on the play. Ward completed 16 of 25 passes for three touchdowns and a career-high 273 yards while Mitchell earned a career high in reception yards and scored two touchdowns.
After 23 years, Richmond football is No. 1 again. The Sports Network, which had ranked the Spiders at No.
By Stephen Utz Collegian Reporter Richmond wide receiver Jordan Mitchell knew exactly how to beat Maine's defenders when they started playing 12 yards off him: one quick move to the sideline. That's all it took for him to get open for an 87-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Eric Ward, a play that tied for the second-longest scoring play in school history and was part of a 44-17 Richmond victory against the University of Maine Saturday at home in front of more than 8,000 people. "It was a play we saw all week in practice," Mitchell, a redshirt junior, said of Maine's defensive coverage right before the reception, which led to the game's first touchdown. Mitchell earned a career-high 139 reception yards off four catches and scored two touchdowns.
Less than five years after leaving the University of Richmond, a former Spider student-athlete is now unable to walk. Richard Bagby, a former Richmond football player, was injured on Aug.
Last year, quarterback Sean Schaefer threw the game-winning touchdown after a 67-yard, four-play drive, taking just 22 seconds to help Towson University beat Richmond for the second straight year. This year, it was the Richmond defense's turn to score fourth-quarter touchdowns.
After a disappointing loss at the University of Virginia last Saturday, the football team is excited to start its conference play at home against Towson, the only CAA team that beat the Spiders last year. "If the spider has eight legs, I think we shot ourselves all eight times," coach Mike London said at a press conference after the Virginia game.
During the past month, attendance at University of Virginia home games has come with an increasing set of restrictions. First came the e-mail that fans would no longer be allowed to bring signs to games.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.
Sure, our red zone offense came up short. OK, the fourth quarter was ugly. But I don't think I'm the only one who was proud of the Spiders Saturday afternoon in Charlottesville. The Spiders played a Cavaliers team that was expected to walk all over them.
The NFL's opening weekend is just around the corner and two former Richmond Spiders have every reason to be excited.
After eight months of practice and anticipation of the 2008 season, the defending CAA football champion Spiders are looking forward to their first game, at 7 p.m.
Leland Melvin never really intended to become an astronaut. But 10 years after he was accepted to NASA's astronaut training program, Melvin became the first University of Richmond graduate in space in February. Melvin was on campus this weekend to present his Reach for the Stars II program, which aims to inspire young students to pursue math and science education.
Kevin Grayson, the University of Richmond football team's top receiver last season, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault and battery and has been sentenced to 50 hours of community service as part of a plea agreement reached after a fraternity fight in February. Grayson, a redshirt freshman, also received a six-month suspended jail sentence for three years as part of the plea deal between Grayson's defense lawyer and Commonwealth Attorney Elizabeth Hobbs. Grayson, a Richmond native, had been charged with felony malicious wounding by senior Brett Waikart after a scuffle at the Sigma Chi Fraternity lodge Feb.
University of Richmond athletic director Jim Miller introduced Mike London on Saturday as the university's 33rd head football coach, an announcement that came eight days after former head coach Dave Clawson resigned to take over as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Tennessee. London, who graduated from Richmond in 1983, spent the past four seasons as the University of Virginia's defensive coordinator, following a year as the defensive line coach for the Houston Texans of the NFL. "Whatever barriers existed before to me becoming a head coach -- whether it's experience in the NFL, experience at a bigger school -- those have all been checked off the list," London said.
The University of Richmond defense gave up more points than it had during its last three games, but the Spiders remained undefeated at UR Stadium with at 35-27 win over the Villanova University Wildcats on Nov.