University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
No. 3 Furman
No. 12 Richmond's Ride Comes To An End With 24-20 Loss To No. 3 Furman
12/03/2005 | Football
Dec. 3, 2005
RICHMOND, Va. -- Sophomore fullback Jerome Felton rushed for a pair of touchdowns and Richmond quarterback Stacy Tutt's fourth down pass in Furman territory with just over a minute remaining fell incomplete as the Paladins edged UR on Saturday evening, 24-20, in the quarterfinals of the NCAA I-AA playoffs.
Furman (11-2) will visit Appalachian State on December 10th at 12:00pm in the semifinal round.
"I can't say enough about Stacy Tutt's and the way he plays," said Furman head coach Bobby Lamb, who saw his team advance to the NCAA I-AA semifinals for the sixth time in program history. We beat a good football team today."
Felton rushed for a team-high 92 yards on 20 carries while senior quarterback Ingle Martin passed for 249 yards and a touchdown. Eleven of Martin's 17 completions went to junior wideout Justin Stepp, who finished with 143 receiving yards.
Richmond struck quickly on its opening possession as senior quarterback Stacy Tutt's found freshman tight end Joe Stewart for his first career scoring reception just 2:02 into the contest to give the Spiders a 7-0 lead. Richmond's 66-yard drive was highlighted by a 42-yard scamper by Tutt before the senior quarterback found Stewart from 18 yards out.
Furman answered right back as Ingle Martin hooked up with senior running back Daric Carter for an 18-yard touchdown pass with 9:39 remaining the opening quarter. Tutt then engineered a 10-play, 60-yard drive that was capped off with the senior signal caller going into the end zone untouched from four yards out to put Richmond ahead, 14-7, at the 4:09 mark of the first quarter.
The Paladins drove into Spiders' territory at the start of the second quarter and had first-and-goal at the Richmond nine-yard line. However, a 17-yard sack by UR junior defensive tackle Johnny Campbell on third down and a missed field goal by Scott Beckler from 38 yard out kept the score at 14-7.
A two-yard run by Felton at the 6:10 mark of the second quarter knotted the score at 14-14 before Beckler's 36-yard field goal with 1:07 remaining in the half gave Furman a 17-14 advantage as the teams headed to the locker room.
On the opening possession of the third quarter, Furman drove deep into UR territory before a fumble by Felton was recovered by Richmond senior defensive tackle Dan Mangiero at its own 26-yard line. However, the Spiders went three-and-out and the Paladins drove 63 yards in four plays, capped off by a one-yard plunge by Felton, to take a 24-14 lead at the 8:19 mark of the third quarter.
Richmond climbed to within 24-20 with 8:20 left in the fourth quarter as Tutt hit senior tight end Ben Teufel with a 10-yard touchdown pass. The Spiders went 79 yards on 13 plays in 8:20 but UR could not convert the extra-point attempt.
Furman gained possession at its own 26-yard line on its opening series of the fourth quarter. Forced to punt after driving into Richmond territory, the Spiders gained possession at their own 15-yard line with 3:47 remaining in the game.
A 13-yard scramble by Tutt moved Richmond down to the Furman 30-yard line with 1:14 to play. Faced with fourth down and seven following a timeout, the Paladins were whistled for offsides, giving the Spiders a fourth and two with 1:09 on the clock. Tutt scrambled to his left but his pass fell incomplete, securing the Paladins' first appearance in the I-AA semifinals since 2001.
Tutt finished with a game-high 102 rushing yards on 18 carries while completing 15-of-30 passes for 153 yards. Sophomore running back Tim Hightower added 90 rushing yards for the Spiders, who were outgained on the evening, 443-348.
Junior linebacker Adam Goloboski collected a game-high 18 tackles in a losing effort, his seventh double-digit tackle performance of the season. Vying to reach the semifinals for the first time in program history, Richmond ended its season at 9-4 after starting the year 1-3.
"My hat's off to Furman. They're a very talented and complete football team," said Spiders head coach Dave Clawson, the 2005 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year. "I am also extremely proud of my football team."
