University of Richmond Athletics
This Is Gameweek: Spiders Face Third Ranked Team Of Season
10/01/2003 | Football
Oct. 1, 2003
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UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Richmond head coach Jim Reid brings the Spiders to his alma mater for its Homecoming weekend looking to spoil Maine's festivities and capture a win from the 23rd-ranked Black Bears at Alfond Stadium.
Reid was a three-year starter in the Maine secondary until his graduation in 1973. The Medford, Mass. native is 3-3 against the Black Bears (1-2 in Orono) during his nine-year reign as Spider head coach.
Maine (3-2, 2-1 Atlantic 10) earned an unusual bye week last Saturday as William & Mary cancelled the Atlantic 10 contest because of Hurricane Isabel troubles. Richmond (0-3, 0-2 A-10) has dropped its first three games this fall, including last week's 17-13 defeat to Rhode Island when the Spiders had two fourth-quarter drives stall in the red zone.
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THIS WEEK'S STORYLINES
GAME NOTES
Clamping Down ... After allowing 239 passing yards to Delaware on Sept. 13, the Spider defense has held its opponent to 139 (Furman) and 27 (Rhode Island) passing yards in each of the next two contests ... After three games, Richmond ranks 12th nationally, allowing 135.0 passing yards per game.
Leading The Charge ... Senior Bryson Spinner ranks 24th nationally -- fourth in the Atlantic 10 -- with 236.67 yards of total offense per game ... In his first three games as a Spider, Spinner is averaging 191.7 passing yards and 45 rushing yards per game.
200+ ... Bryson Spinner 245 passing yards against Rhode Island is the most by a Spider since Jimmie Miles tossed for 250 in a 28-24 win against Connecticut on Oct. 30, 1999 ... His performance marked the first time a Spider threw for 200-or-more yards since Sean Gustus passed for 212 against New Hampshire on Oct. 14, 2000.
Pass Happy ... Richmond posted the three best single-season rushing performances in program history during the past four years, but the focus has changed in 2003 ... After three games, senior QB Bryson Spinner has thrown for 565 yards, the highest total in a three-game stretch since Jimmie Miles threw for 679 yards during the 1999 campaign ... Miles threw for 230 against URI (10/9), 199 against Hofstra (10/16) and 250 against UConn (10/30).
Career Catch ... Junior wide receiver Jake Schools enjoyed a career day (4 catches, 86 yards) against Rhode Island on Sept. 27 ... He sliced through the secondary for his first career touchdown -- a 47-yard reception -- in the first quarter.
Hang Time ... Sophomore punter Chris Radford ranks 21st nationally with a 41.4 punting average ... Radford booted a season-long 53 yarder against the Rams on Sept. 27 ... His career-long is 60 yards, against Furman on Sept. 21, 2002.
Defensive Changes ... A different Spider has led the team in tackles each of the first three games ... Sophomore corner back Joe Mallory recorded 13 stops at Delaware in his first game on defense ... Redshirt freshman linebacker Lance Gray made a team-high 13 tackles at Furman ... Senior defensive end Jason Houston and junior safety Danny Young led the Spiders with eight tackles against Rhode Island.
Defensive Changes II ... Richmond replaced eight starters from last year's defense this year and have injected even more newcomers into the lineup as the season progressed ... Seven Spiders have made their first career start this season: Joe Mallory (CB) and Damien McCallum (CB) ... Junior corner Clement Johnson is the veteran of the defensive corps, having started 15 games during his career.
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* Jim Reid returns to his alma mater where he is 1-2 as Richmond's head coach. Reid is 3-3 against the Black Bears during his nine-year reign at UR.
* Richmond's last win in Orono came on Oct. 17, 1998 when the Spiders pounded Maine 35-10. Like this year, that was also the Black Bears' Homecoming game.
* The Spiders have started the season with three straight losses for the first time since 2001 when they began the season 0-4. That squad won three of its last seven to finish 3-8.
* Jim Marshall's 1990 squad ended its three-game, season-opening skid with a 24-16 win against Maine on Sept. 29.
* The last time Richmond played on October 4 was in 1997 when the Spiders defeated Maine, 17-14, at UR Stadium.
* The Spider defense held Rhode Island to 17 points last Saturday. The Rams had scored 28, 39 and 55 points in their first three games.
* Rhode Island's Wendall Williams returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter on Sept. 27. It was the first time an opponent had returned a punt for a score during the Jim Reid era and the first time since New Hampshire's Calvin Jones went 45 yards for a TD on Nov. 5, 1994.
* #23 Maine is the third ranked opponent the Spiders have faced this season. Richmond opened the season at #11 Delaware (now #4) and at #9 Furman (now #7).
