University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
Towson
Towson Wins Thriller, 23-21, Over No. 14 Richmond
10/06/2007 | Football
Oct. 6, 2007
TOWSON, Md. -- Sean Schaefer found Demtrius Harrison in the end zone as time expired to lead Towson over No. 14 Richmond, 23-21, at Johnny Unitas Stadium Saturday afternoon in Towson, Md. Tim Hightower scored from 14 yards out to put the Spiders up with 29 seconds to play, but Schaefer capped his record-setting afternoon by going four-for-four on the game-winning driving.
Hightower became the first Richmond back to surpass the 100-yard mark in four straight games since Uly Scott in 1992, but his 26-carry, 120-yard effort was not enough. Saturday's story was Schaefer as the Towson (3-3, 1-3) senior QB completed a school-record 87.9 percent of his passes (29-of-33) for 287 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Richmond (3-2, 2-1 CAA), was without the services of all four of its preseason All-Conference honorees. Both senior WR Arman Shields and senior OL Tim Silver had been out since early in the season, while sophomore DB David Horton and senior DE Sherman Logan were injured in last week's game. Silver and Logan are out for the season.
Schaefer was nearly flawless in the second half, completing 21 of 23 for 216 yards. He went a school-record 15 straight without an incompletion coming out of the halftime locker room.
Hightower had appeared to put Richmond ahead for good, finishing off a 14-yard run for his lone his touchdown of the day with 29 seconds remaining in the game. It capped a 10-play, 66-yard drive that saw sophomore QB Eric Ward complete a fourth-down-and-four pass to freshman Kevin Grayson to keep it alive. Instead of attempting the game-tying field goal, Ward found Grayson for Richmond's fifth fourth-down conversion in as many attempts, and Hightower scored on the next play.
But a 27-yard return set the stage for Schaefer. With 22 seconds on the clock and 67 yards in front of him, he hit Harrison for completions of 22 and seven yards, then threw a 24-yard strike over the middle to Paul Perry. Towson called timeout with four seconds on the clock before Schaefer's 14-yard completion to Harrison, who dragged his feet in the corner of the end zone as the scoreboard's horn sounded.
Harrison finished the day with 10 catches for 110 yards. Casey Cegles caught Schaefer's other touchdown, which put the Tigers up 14-6 in the third quarter.
Ward helped Richmond pull even at 14-14 with 10:48 remaining in the game, rushing in from four yards out on fourth-and-goal -- Ward's second fourth-down conversion of the drive. Scot Riddell hauled in an acrobatic catch in the end zone for the tying two-point conversion.
Mark Bencivengo, after having a field goal blocked earlier in the game, made good on his 38-yard attempt with 5:29 left in the game to put Towson back on top, 17-14.
Although leading the total yardage battle at the half by a 190-93 margin, the Spiders found themselves behind before the first time since the season-opener at Vanderbilt. Richmond trailed 7-6 thanks to the early touchdown by Towson and two missed Andrew Howard field goal attempts.
The Spiders were knocking on the door on the game's opening possession, but came up empty handed as Howard's 26-yard field goal attempt was blocked at the line. The sophomore made good on attempts of 28 and 20 yards before his 43-yarder sailed wide left. A career 79 percent (15-of-19) kicker coming in, Howard had another miss from 38 yards in the third quarter on a Richmond single-game-record fifth FG attempt.
Ward came up with a big play in the closing seconds of the first half, after throwing an interception to Raymond White in the left flat. Ward's pass was deflected into the air by Hightower and White picked it off and ran 59 yards down the sidelines. But Ward sprinted nearly 50 yards to slow White enough for Michael Silva to make the touchdown-saving tackle with two seconds on the clock.
Ward and Silva's pursuit kept the Tigers out of the end and ultimately off the scoreboard as Andrew Harris blocked the Towson field goal attempt - his third career block and second in as many games - keeping the score 7-6 at the half.
The Spiders, who did not punt in the game, out-gained the Tigers 354-330 in total yards and owned a nine-minute advantage in time of possession. The visitors converted all five fourth-down plays and were five-of-15 of third down, including a six-yard pass to freshman Max Prokell -- his first career catch.
Junior TE Joe Monteverde caught a career-best four balls for 24 yards. Grayson finished the game with 69 yards on six catches, while Ward was 23-of-34 passing for 188 yards. Sophomore LB Collin McConaghy had 12 tackles to lead the defense and freshman LB Eric McBride was in on 11.
Richmond returns home next Saturday to battle Stony Brook at UR Stadium in the Spiders' final non-conference game of the season. The Seawolves (3-3) are coming off a similar last-second defeat, falling at Albany today, 24-23, on a field goal with nine seconds remaining. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET.
