University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
No. 10 Massachusetts
Vaughan Leads No. 9 Richmond Past No. 10 UMass, 30-15
10/18/2008 | Football
Oct. 18, 2008
AMHERST, Mass. - Senior TB Josh Vaughan carried the ball for a career-high 156 yards and two touchdowns, leading No. 9 Richmond to a 30-15 win at No. 10 Massachusetts Saturday in Amherst, Mass. Vaughan's effort and a big day by the defense helped snap the Minutemen's 16-game home-winning streak.
The Spiders shut down UMass to the tune of 71 yards on the ground and 165 through the air, limiting the nation's ninth-leading rusher Tony Nelson to just 61 yards on 23 carries (2.7 avg.). The junior entered the game averaging nearly 125 yards on the ground.
The visitors tacked the first nine points on the scoreboard, took a 16-9 lead into the half and Vaughan scored twice in the second half to finish off the Spiders fourth win in six games versus top-10 ranked teams since the start of 2007.
The victory improved the Spiders to 5-3 overall and 3-2 in the CAA, while UMass slipped to 4-3, 2-2 with just its sixth home loss since November 2001 - three of them belonging to Richmond.
For Vaughan, it was his eighth career 100-yard rushing game and the senior moved from 10th to seventh on the school's all-time rushing list, while his 22nd and 23rd career rushing TDs put him fifth all-time at Richmond.
Junior QB Eric Ward was 11-of-20 passing for 97 yards and played his sixth-consecutive game without an interception. Ward had a TD pass to Joe Monteverde and rushed for a score in the first half.
Richmond's linebacking corps combined for 34 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, an interception and two pass breakups. Sophomore Jordan Shoop (who filled in for injured starter Tyler Sullivan) made a career-high 14 tackles and 1.5 sacks, Patrick Weldon (filling in for injured starter Collin McConaghy) was in on 11 stops, 2.0 for loss, while starter Eric McBride had nine tackles and an interception.
The game seemed to turn Richmond's way for good after UMass went three-and-out in 20 seconds and Nick Battle blocked his second punt of the season deep in UMass territory in the third quarter. Vaughan's 13-yard TD jaunt two plays later put Richmond up 23-12 with 5:23 remaining.
But UMass kicker Armando Cuko drilled his third field goal of the game - a 38-yarder - making it a one-score game at 23-15 with 12:46 left in the fourth quarter. The Minutemen forced a turnover on Richmond's next possession when Sean Smalls pounced on a Ward fumble and the Homecoming crowd of 15,953 was back in the game.
The Spider defense held, though, and Cuko missed a 43-yard field goal wide left, giving Richmond the ball back with 6:12 on the clock. Ward connected with TE Joe Stewart for 25 yards on the key play of the drive and Vaughan iced the victory with a five-yard TD to cap the eight-play, 74-yard drive.
Stewart finished with a team-high 39 yards receiving on three catches.
The Spiders out-gained UMass 281-236 for the game (184-71 on the ground), converted five-of-10 third downs and owned a five-minute edge in time of possession.
Behind Vaughan's effective rushing, Richmond marched down the field on its first two possessions and generated the game's first nine points. Howard booted a 23-yard field goal on the Spiders' opening drive, then Monteverde reeled in his first career TD pass -- a 14-yard strike on fourth down - during the ensuing drive to make the score 9-0.
Howard missed the first extra point of his career on the Monteverde TD, snapping his streak of 121 consecutive that was four shy of the NCAA record for consecutive PATs made (126 by Montana's Chris Snyder).
Following a UMass 22-yard FG by Cuko that capped a 14-play, 59-yard, 6:55-drive, the Spiders answered back with a clocking chewing six-and-a-half minute drive of its own topped off by Ward's two-yard TD run with 3:11 left in the half.
Victor Cruz's 22-yard TD reception finally put the Minutemen in the end zone with 47 seconds left in the half (PAT failed), but a big return by Rogers had the Spiders sniffing a field goal to close the half.
A Vaughan run put the Spiders in range, but a holding call erased the carry and forced a 55-yard field goal attempt from Howard that fell short as time expired to keep the score at 16-9 at the half.
Richmond returns home next week to host Georgetown on Homecoming Weekend. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET at UR Stadium in the Spiders' final non-conference game of the season and the last before Richmond's bye week.
