University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
Maine
No. 2 Spiders Rout Maine, 44-17
09/20/2008 | Football
Sept. 20, 2008
RICHMOND, Va. -- Jordan Mitchell had a career day receiving, Eric Ward had a career day passing and No. 2 Richmond won its eighth-consecutive home game with a convincing 44-17 triumph over Maine at UR Stadium on Saturday.
Mitchell reeled in two of Ward's three touchdown tosses and finished with four catches for a career-best 139 yards (34.8 avg.), including a dazzling 87-yard score that put Richmond up 7-3 early on. Ward completed 16 of 25 passes for a career-high 273 yards and three TDs.
Richmond (3-1, 2-0) led just 13-10 at the half but pulled away from the visiting Black Bears (2-2, 0-1), who were receiving votes in the latest FCS Top 25 polls, by scoring 31 consecutive points in the second half.
The eight-consecutive home wins ties the second-longest streak in school history. The school record of nine-straight home wins was set between 1968-70.
The second of Mitchell's career-best two TD's was an acrobatic 25-yard grab to open the second-half scoring. The junior from Harrisburg, Pa. vaulted over two Maine defenders and snatched Ward's pass out of the air in the corner of the end zone at the 8:42 mark.
Sophomore Andrew Howard booted a 29-yard field goal on the Spiders next possession to make the score 23-10 and the Spiders kept the Family Weekend crowd of 8,012 entertained and kept the pedal to the metal with points on three of its next five possessions to seal the deal.
The game's lone turnover was the back-breaker for Maine as sophomore CB Justin Rogers picked off an Adam Farkes pass and returned it 37 yards for a touchdown - his second-straight game with a interception returned for touchdown - making the score 30-10 in the final minutes of the third quarter. Maine had gone two consecutive games without a turnover.
For the fourth-consecutive game, the Richmond defense limited the opposition to less than 100 yards rushing, 250 yards passing and 20 points as Maine mustered 44 yards on the ground and 229 in the air.
Sophomore LB Eric McBride made a team-leading 10 tackles and collected his first sack of the season, while junior FS Derek Hatcher and junior CB Seth Williams each made six stops. Rogers, the reigning CAA Defensive Player of the Week, has three interceptions in the past two games.
Freshman WR Will Healy rushed in from 12 yards out to cap Richmond's scoring.
Richmond spread its 161 yards rushing over nine different players and Justin Forte's 55 yards led the way. Senior TB Josh Vaughan carried the ball 14 times for 35 bruising yards and Ward had seven for 28.
After Maine's Brian Harvey got the scoring started with a 39-yard field goal early in the first quarter, Richmond responded with Mitchell's 87-yard TD strike followed by back-to-back field goals from Howard of 28 and 38 yards, respectively.
Howard, who was perfect on the day, matched his career-high with three field goals and drilled all five PATs. The junior from nearby Hermitage High has now converted all 107 extra points in his career.
Farkes, who finished the game 20-of-34 passing for 229 yards, gave Maine momentum heading to halftime with the first of his two TD passes - a 14-yard strike to Kenneth Fersner - with just over a minute left.
Richmond returns to action next weekend with a Top-25 showdown at No. 19 Villanova. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET at Villanova Stadium in a game broadcast by CN8.
