No. 17 Spiders Host Tribe On Senior Day At UR Stadium

Nov. 14, 2005

The 17th-ranked Richmond Spiders, 7-3 for the first time since 1992, welcome William & Mary (5-5, 3-4) to UR Stadium for the 115th meeting all-time between the two teams. Considered the oldest college football rivalry in the South and the fourth-oldest college football series in the country, Richmond will be looking to snap a two-game skid in the series and its first win over W&M in Richmond since 1998. Kickoff against the Tribe, Nov. 19, is set for 1 p.m. The game's radio broadcast can be heard on the Spider Radio Network, at RichmondSpiders.com and on Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 144. Bob Black will handle the play-by-play with former Richmond defensive standout, Jasmonn Coleman, as analyst and Matt Smith on the sidelines.

The Spiders are riding a six-game win streak in the conference, as well as against overall opponents, and have won seven of their last eight overall -- the only loss coming at Division I Vanderbilt. Richmond clinched the Atlantic 10 South Division Title for the first time since 1998, with its win last week over Towson. William & Mary is coming off three-straight losses by an average of 5.3 points. The Tribe has fallen by only one point in each of the last two. William & Mary has a two-game win streak in the all-time series, and has won 13 of the last 16 in the 114-game series.

Richmond is under the direction of second-year head coach Dave Clawson, who has compiled a seven-year career record of 39-40 and a 10-11 mark in two seasons at Richmond. Jimmye Laycock is in his 26th season as the Tribe's head coach. Laycock has compiled a 26-year career mark of 175-118-2, all coming at his alma mater, William & Mary.

QUICK OUTS...
-- Senior Stacy Tutt is currently fourth on the Spiders' all-time list for pass attempts with 658. He needs nine more attempts to overtake Buster O'Brien (1966-68) in third place with 688.
-- Tutt needs 231 yards of total offense to move into second on the Spiders' all-time list ahead of Greg Lilly (1990-93) with 6,395.
-- Tutt needs to be part of 86 plays (run, pass) to move into second on the Spiders' all-time total plays list ahead of Greg Lilly (1990-93) with 1,158.
-- Tutt needs 81 yards of total offense to overtake his own spot of fifth on the Spiders' single-season list with 2,421. He also needs 105 yards of total offense to move past Bob Bleier's 2,444 in 1986, and take over fourth place.
-- Tutt needs 16 yards passing to move into 10th on the single-season passing yard list at Richmond. He currently has 1,767 yards passing. Charlie Richards is currently in 10th with his total of 1,783 in 1970.
-- Tutt needs four more touchdown passes to move into a tie for fifth on the single-season TD-passes list. His 19 career TD rushes ranks sixth all-time at Richmond.
-- Tutt needs nine completions to move into a tie for 10th on the Spiders' single-season pass completions list.
-- Richmond's offense has converted on each of its last 15 trips to the redzone. In those trips the Spiders have scored 11 touchdowns and kicked four field goals.
-- The Spiders have given the ball away eight times in the last seven games, but have limited opponents to just six points off those turnovers. In those same seven games Richmond has taken the ball away 11 times and scored 42 points off the turnovers.
-- Richmond's defense garnered a season-best eight sacks against Towson last week. Prior to that the Spiders' best team sack total was four, four times. This season the Spiders lead the league in sacks with 34 for 205 yards lost, the most since recording a total of 40 sacks in the 2000 season.
-- Senior Joseph Fore has hit at least one field goal in each of the last nine games he has played. Currently he leads the A-10 in field goals per game and ranks fourth in the country with his average of 1.63.
-- Sophomore Arman Shields has five 100-yard receiving games. The last Spiders to haul in 100 yards or more in five single-season games was Rod Boothes -- he did it six times in 1992.
-- Tutt has rushed for 100 yards or more in each of the last two games. Sophomore Tim Hightower has also accomplished the back-to-back 100-yard feat this season, prior to him the last Spider to do it was Cordell Roane in 2001.
-- Senior David Freeman needs 18 more kickoff return yards to move into 10th on the Spiders' single-season list ahead of Jesse Williams' (1980) 487 yards. Currently Freeman is averaging 29.4 yards a return, which leads the Atlantic 10 and ranks fifth in the nation.

RICHMOND-WILLIAM & MARY SERIES
The Richmond-William & Mary series is the fourth-oldest college football rivalry in the nation and considered the oldest college football rivalry in the South... The two teams first met in 1898 when the Spiders topped the Tribe, 15-0 in Richmond, Va... The Spiders extended a win streak to four games until 1904 when William & Mary topped the Spiders 15-6, Nov. 4... The all-time series is unique in that the two teams met multiple times during a single season eight times... The two teams went 1-1-1 against each other in 1905, the Spiders went 2-0 in 1906, 1913, 1914, 1915 and 1917 against the Tribe... They also won and tied against the Tribe in 1916 and finally went 2-1 against W&M in 1919... The Spiders have lost the last two in the all-time series and 13 of the last 16... Look to the left and you will find a rundown of the series dating back to 1928 due to space constraints.

A RICHMOND WIN WOULD...
-- Give the Spiders at least a share of the Atlantic 10 Championship for the first time since 2000.
-- Give the Spiders an 8-3 mark for the first time since the 1985 season.
-- Mark the longest win streak (seven) for the Spiders since winning nine-straight in 1998.
-- Give head coach Dave Clawson his first eight-win season at Richmond and move him to .500 (11-11) as the Spider head coach.
-- Up the Spiders' mark to 7-1 in the Atlantic 10 for the first time since 2000.
-- Extend Richmond's conference win streak to seven-straight, the longest since 1998 when the team won its last seven against the A-10.
-- Mark the first time since 1998 the Spiders have beaten Delaware, James Madison, Villanova and William & Mary in the same season.
-- Make the Spiders 6-5 at home under Clawson.
-- Make the all-time series with William & Mary 59-51-5, in favor of the Tribe.
-- Mark the first win for the Spiders against the Tribe in Richmond since the 1998 season.
-- Snap William & Mary's two-game win streak in the series.
-- Move Clawson's marks to 40-40 as a head coach and 101-86-1 in his coaching career.
-- Give Clawson his first all-time win against the Tribe and make his record 1-1 all-time against William & Mary.
-- Give the Spiders an all-time record of 448-588-53.

A RICHMOND LOSS WOULD...
-- Give the Spiders a 7-4 mark for the first time since the 1987 season.
-- Snap Richmond's current six-game win streak, and its current six-game conference win streak.
-- Drop Richmond to 6-2 in the A-10 for the first time ever.
-- Make the Spiders 5-6 at home under head coach Dave Clawson.
-- Make the Spiders 50-60-5 in the all-time series with William & Mary.
-- Drop the Spiders' record to 32-41-4 when facing the Tribe in Richmond.
-- Extend the Tribe's win streak in the series to three-straight.
-- Give Clawson a mark of 39-41 as a head coach and 100-87-1 in his coaching career.
-- Move Clawson's all-time head coaching mark to 0-2 against the Tribe.
-- Give the Spiders an all-time record of 447-589-53.

BIG PLAY CAPABILITY
Richmond is very capable of the big play as shown by its list of 23 plays which have gone for 35 yards or more. Against Towson last week the Spiders had seven plays of 35 or more yards, and four of those went for touchdowns. Richmond's defense has limited opponents to just 12 plays of 35-or-more yards, six going for scores. Six of the 23 plays for Richmond have come on special teams, an area which has drawn the praise of head coach Dave Clawson. Two more have come via interception returns. Nine have been through the air and six have come on the ground. In all the Spiders have amassed 48 points and 1,128 yards in plays longer than 35 yards, compared to 36 points and 640 for opponents' big plays. For a rundown of all the big plays visit page 14 of the notes.

REDZONE PAYOFF
The Spiders' offense is no stranger lately to success in the redzone. Richmond has scored in each of its last 15 trips inside the opponent's 20-yard line. The streak consists of 3-for-3 on attempts against Towson, 5-for-5 against VMI, 4-for-4 against JMU and three-straight to end the Hofstra game. The string includes 11 touchdowns and four field goals. In all the Spiders are converting on 78 percent of their trips inside the redzone, with a touchdown percentage of 49 percent. The Richmond defense has allowed opponents 66 percent success on trips into the redzone, which ranks third in the Atlantic 10 behind New Hampshire and UMass. For a rundown of redzone activities visit page 15 of the notes.

HE IS GETTING IT THROUGH THE UPRIGHTS
Senior Joseph Fore is among the nation's Top-5 in field goals per game. His average of 1.63 per game ranks fourth best in the nation and is tops in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Since replacing Carter Ball in the kicking duties, Fore has hit at least one field goal in every game, including season-bests of two against Maine, Vanderbilt, Delaware, James Madison and Towson. He also has hit each of his last five field-goal attempts. Fore is also among the Top-10 in the league in scoring with 7.9 points per game, which also ranks 21st in the nation. Fore is 24-27 in PAT attempts and has connected on each of his last 11.

SPIDERS ARE RANKED
Richmond appeared in The Sports Network Top-25 Monday, Oct. 31, at No. 23, for the first time since Sept. of 2002, and has been ranked each week since. The Spiders, No. 17 this week, join No. 1 New Hampshire and No. 7 UMass as the only teams from the Atlantic 10 in the poll. This week's ranking is the highest since Sept. 24, 2001, when the Spiders were ranked No. 17. Richmond then fell to No. 14 Villanova 31-30 the following week.

HE'S THE DEEP MAN
Senior David Freeman is among the Top-5 nationally in kickoff return yards per game. The Fayetteville, N.C., native currently is fifth in the nation averaging 29.4 kickoff return yards per game. His average is tops in the A-10. Five of the Spiders' 23 plays of 35-or-more yards are returns by Freeman. He has made returns of 58 yards twice this season, including one last week against Towson. He needs 18 mores kick return yards to rank 10th all-time in single-season kickoff return yards at Richmond. Jesse Williams returned 23 kicks for 487 yards in 1980, and currently holds 10th place on the list.

SACK ATTACK
The Spider defense is on a record-breaking pace when it comes to getting the opposing quarterback on their backs. So far this season Richmond has recorded 34 sacks for 205 yards lost. The defense has recorded three or more sacks in each of the last six games, including an eight sack performance last week against Towson. Sophomore Sherman Logan's eight single-season sacks rank tied for sixth on Richmond's single-season list, while the Spiders' 34 total are the most since 40 for 314 yards in 2000.

SPECIAL TEAMS ARE TRULY SPECIAL
Three blocks, 1.63 field goals a game, 34.5 net yards punting, 23.2 yards a kickoff return. Richmond's special teams are getting the job done. Head Coach Dave Clawson has praised special teams coordinator Joseph Fore has put 12 of his 47 kicks into the endzone. The punt team is 22nd in the country with a net yardage of 34.5, while senior punter Chris Radford's 39.2 yards a punt rank 34th in the nation. Richmond's kickoff return team is averaging 23.2 yards per return, which ranks seventh in the nation and second in the A-10.

NOTES FROM THE TOWSON GAME...
-- Sherman Logan's sack (nine yards) with just over 10 minutes left in the first quarter, was his ninth in the last six games.
-- Chris Radford's 37-yard punt with 8:20 left in the first quarter was downed at the Towson 8-yard line and marked his eighth punt of the season inside the opponent's 10-yard line.
-- Joseph Fore 44-yard field goal was his longest of the season and marked the ninth-straight game he has hit at least one field goal attempt.
-- David Freeman 40-yard touchdown run with 6:16 left in the second quarter was his longest rush of the season and his first rushing touchdown since Oct. 8 against Villanova.
-- Fore's 33-yard field goal with 2:45 left in the first half marked his fourth-straight field goal attempt made dating back to the James Madison game, Oct. 29.
-- Stacy Tutt 59-yard touchdown rush with just over 13 minutes left in the third quarter was the longest of his career.
-- Tutt's 37-yard touchdown pass with 7:58 left in the third quarter moved him into seventh place on Richmond's single-season total offense list with 2,232. He passed Bob Bleier's total of 2,194 in 1985.
-- The Spiders have recorded at least three sacks in each of the last six games. Richmond's eight total sacks (49 yards) are a season-high.
-- Freeman's 58-yard kickoff return with just over eight minutes left in the third quarter tied his longest of the season. He returned a kick 58 yards against Villanova, Oct. 8.
-- Tutt's 144 yards rushing is a career-high. His previous best of 117 came against UMass, Sept. 18, 2004.
-- Tutt's 100-yard rushing game marks the third-straight game a Spider has gone over 100 yards on the ground. The last time Richmond had three-straight games with an individual with 100 yards was Sept. 11-25,2004. (Freeman - 130 vs. VMI, Tutt - 117 vs. UMass and Freeman - 201 vs. Lafayette).
-- Seth Williams' 53-yard interception with 8:11 left in the game was the first of his career and also marked the longest interception return of the season for the Spiders.
-- John Crone's touchdown reception with 5:35 left in the game marked the first touchdown of his career.
-- Richmond's 48 points are the most since scoring 56 against VMI in Sept. 20, 1997. (56-3, win). The 48 points also mark the first time the Spiders have scored 40+ twice in one season since 1992. (Three times vs. James Madison, Rhode Island and VMI).
-- Freeman's 50 rushing yards are his most since gaining 58 on the ground against Villanova, Oct. 8.
-- The win gave the Spiders the South Division crown in the Atlantic 10, the teams' first divisional crown since 1998. (This is the second-straight season the Atlantic 10 has had two divisions.)
-- The win gave the Spiders a 7-3 mark for the first time since the 1992 season.
-- The win marked the longest win streak for the Spiders since winning seven-straight in 2000.
-- The win gave head coach Dave Clawson his first seven-win season at Richmond.
-- The win upped the Spiders' mark to 6-1 in the Atlantic 10 for the first time since 2000.
-- The win extended Richmond's conference win streak to six-straight, the longest since 2000.
-- The win made the Spiders 5-6 on the road under Clawson.
-- The win made the all-time series with Towson 2-0, in favor of the Spiders.
-- The win marked the first-ever win for the Spiders against the Tigers when playing in Towson.
-- The win built a two-game win streak for the Spiders in the all-time series.
-- The win made the Spiders 3-3 when playing a televised game under Clawson, and 2-1 in 2005 televised games.
-- The win moved Clawson's marks to 39-40 as a head coach and 100-86-1 in his coaching career.
-- The win gave Clawson his fifth-straight win all-time against Towson and make his record 5-2 against the Tigers.
-- The win gave the Spiders an all-time record of 447-588-53.

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