University of Richmond Athletics
Football Jumps To No. 3 In Top 25
09/01/2008 | Football
Sept. 1, 2008
RICHMOND - On the heels of a convincing win at Elon in its opener, the Richmond football team jumped to No. 3 in both the Sport Network and FCS Coaches Polls that were announced Monday. The Spiders, who are also receiving first-place votes in both polls, are at their highest spot in the Top-25 since being ranked No. 1 for five weeks in 1985.
Richmond ended last season at No. 4 - a school-record for a final poll - and debuted this season at fourth in the Sports Network and sixth in the FCS Coaches. The 28-10 victory Saturday over then-No. 15 Elon was Richmond's seventh Top-25 triumph since 2007 (7-1) and extended the Spiders' regular-season winning streak to eight.
Appalachian State, though losing at LSU in match-up of the defending Division-I National Champions, held on to No.1 in Sports Network ranking. North Dakota State garnered 42 first-place votes and is second, followed by Richmond (four first-place votes), Massachusetts and Montana (one) in the top-five.
NDSU got 13 first-place votes in the Coaches Poll to replace ASU at No. 1. The Mountaineers (12 first-place votes), Richmond (one) Massachusetts and Northern Iowa comprised the top-five.
CAA Football leads both polls with four teams in the Top-10, and six ranked overall.
In the Spiders' 1985 season, a win at Virginia Tech - then the Spiders' first-ever over an FBS (formerly I-A) team - triggered a seven-game winning streak to open the season. It eventually vaulted Richmond, which was coming off an appearance in the 1984 NCAA Quarterfinals, to the top spot in the I-AA Poll for five-straight weeks.
The winning streak, though, turned to a skid following a loss at Rutgers and the Spiders finished 8-3 and missed the NCAA playoffs.
Richmond goes its fourth-ever win over an FBS team on Saturday at Commonwealth-rival Virginia. Kickoff is set for 3:45 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
