University of Richmond Athletics
Football Preview: #18 Richmond vs. Rhode Island
10/17/2007 | Football
Oct. 17, 2007
No. 18 Richmond Spiders (4-2, 2-1 CAA)
vs.
Rhode Island Rams (1-5, 0-3 CAA)
University of Richmond Stadium (21,319) • Richmond, Va.
October 20, 2007 • 3:30 p.m. ET
Television: None.
Radio: ESPN 950 AM in Richmond with Bob Black (play-by-play), fomer Spider defensive lineman Jasmonn Coleman '97 (analyst) and Matt Smith '92 (sideline).
Satellite Radio: None
Internet: Live audio and video coverage, photo gallery and postgame wrap-up on RichmondSpiders.com.
Weekly Releases:
Richmond: PDF 
Rhode Island: PDF
CAA Football: PDF
Weekly Audio/Video:
Coach Clawson on the CAA Teleconference 
URI Coach Tim Stowers on the CAA Teleconference
Weekly Press Conference #7: Video 
Quick Slants:
• No. 18 Richmond is six games into its 125th season of football and its fourth season under head coach Dave Clawson.
• Today marks the 100th game of Clawson's nine-year head coaching career (51-48 career record).
• Richmond is back in the friendly confines of UR Stadium where it is 2-0 this season and averaging 43.5 points/game. After four of their first five on the road, the Spiders are home for four of their final six games.
• Senior Tim Hightower, now a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, is the nation's third-leading rusher this season, averaging 167.2 yards/game. Last week the tailback surpassed the 100-yard mark for the fifth consecutive game, eclipsed 1,000 yards for the first time in his career and broke the school's single-season rushing TD record.
• Sophomore Derek Hatcher was named the CAA Football Special Teams Player of the Week after returning five punts for 141 yards, including a 66-yarder for touchdown last week (below right) versus Stony Brook. It marks Richmond's fifth weekly award this season.
• Hatcher is the nation's leading punt returner (19.6 yds/return), while freshman Justin Rogers leads the NCAA in kickoff returns (39.1).
• The Spiders played the Stony Brook game without all four of their Preseason All-CAA players and six starters from the season-opener. Sherman Logan, Tim Silver, David Horton and Arman Shields were all injured, with Silver and Logan done for the year.
Up Next: Richmond hits the road next week for a pivotal CAA Football divisional game at rival James Madison. Kickoff is set for a noon ET in game that can be seen live on Comcast SportsNet.
