University of Richmond Athletics
Postgame Notes: No. 7 Richmond Rolls At Rock, 33-13, Over No. 2 App. State
12/06/2008 | Football
Dec. 6, 2008
Team
• The victory sends the Spiders to their second all-time FCS Semifinal appearance and second in as many seasons.
• Richmond, who remains the lone unseeded team in the tournament, will travel to third-seeded Northern Iowa (12-2) next weekend and play either Friday at 8 p.m. ET or Saturday at 4 p.m. ET. Fourth-seeded Montana travels to top-seeded James Madison for the other semifinal. The NCAA will announce the dates of those games on Sunday. All of the remaining games in the FCS Playoffs will air live on ESPN/ESPN-HD or ESPN2/ESPN2-HD and ESPN360.com.
• The win moved the Spiders to 11-3 this season, tying the school-record for wins set last season (11-3).
• Richmond improved to 51-27 when playing as a ranked team (Sports Network poll) since 1993 -- 20-5 since the start of last season.
• When playing against a ranked team, the Spiders improved to 29-39 since 1995, but and impressive 11-3 since last season. Richmond is 4-2 in its last six games versus teams ranked 10th-or better.
• The win improved Richmond to 7-6 all-time in FCS Playoff games, including a 3-2 mark in the Quarterfinals.
• The loss snapped the Mountaineers 13-game winning streak in postseason play, their 10-game winning streak at home in the postseason and their run of three-consecutive National Championships.
• The loss is just ASU's second loss at Kidd Brewer Stadium in the last 44 games.
• ASU had defeated Richmond twice previously in the FCS Playoffs, beating the Spiders in the 1987 First Round and last season in Richmond's first-ever Semifinals appearance.
• Richmond improved to 11-4 in games played in November and December since 2005.
• Richmond limited Appalachian State to just 39 yards rushing on 23 carries, marking the first time the Mountaineers have been held to less than 50 yards on the ground since Dec. 16, 2005 (46 yards) - when they beat Northern Iowa for the National Championship. The Mountainerrs gained 52 yards on 28 carries in their season-opening loss at LSU this season.
• The Spiders entered the game having already set a team record with 23 interceptions, and with five more versus ASU, Richmond now has 28 this season (and average of 2.0 per game). The previous record of 20 was set in 1973. This season,
• Richmond has intercepted three All-Conference QB's -- William & Mary's Jake Phillips, Towson's Sean Schaefer and ASU's Edwards -- a total of 16 times (six, five and five, respectively).
• The Spiders owned a season-high plus-seven turnover margin (seven takeaways, no giveways) and scored 24 points off the turnovers. For the season, Richmond +23 in takeaways and has scored 138 points off turnovers.
Individual
• The three interceptions by junior CB Seth Williams set a career-high and tied the single-game school record. A number of players hold the record, including current assistant coach Scott Burton.
• In two career games versus Appalachian State - both coming in the playoffs - junior QB Eric Ward has rushed for 160 yards and three TDs, while passing for 329 yards, three TDs and no interceptions.
• Ward improved to 28-10 all-time as Richmond's starting QB, including an 11-5 record in games versus Top 25 teams.
• Josh Vaughan rushed for a career-best three touchdowns in the game, surpassing his previous best of two, which he set on 10 previous occasions.
• Vaughan needs just one more rushing touchdown to tie Tim Hightower's career record of 34.
• Vaughan has surpassed the 130-yard mark on the ground in six of the team's past seven games.