University of Richmond Athletics
Postgame Notes: #2 Richmond 44, Maine 17
09/20/2008 | Football
Sept. 20, 2008
• With the win, Richmond improved to 3-1 overall, 2-0 in CAA Football play and gave the Spiders their third-consecutive 3-1 start and ninth since 1992.
• The 2-0 start in conference play is just Richmond's sixth since 1987.
• The game was Richmond's first-ever playing as a No. 2-ranked team in the Sports Network poll and marks the highest spot for the Spiders since being No. 1 for five-straight weeks in 1985.
• Richmond improved to 43-25 overall as a ranked team in the Sports Network poll since 1993 and 12-3 since the start of last season.
• The Spiders have now won eight-consecutive home games dating back to last, which ties for the second-longest such streak in school history. Richmond won eight games at UR Stadium from 1972-74. The school record is nine-straight home wins from 1968-70.
• Richmond is averaging 38.9 points/game during its eight-game winning streak at home.
• Richmond's home-winning streak now ties Villanova for the sixth-longest active streak in FCS Football -- the Spiders are at No. 19 Villanova next Saturday (3:30 p.m., CN8).
• The win improved Richmond to 22-1 when scoring 30+ points since the start of the 2005 season.
• The interception (returned 37 yards for a touchdown) by sophomore CB Justin Rogers marked Richmond's NCAA FCS-leading ninth of the season. As a team, the Spiders had 10 picks in 14 games last season.
• Rogers, who has three picks this season, has returned one for a TD in back-to-back games.
• Maine entered Saturday's game having not turned the ball over in two consecutive contests.
• The Richmond defense has held all four opponents in 2008 season to less than 92 yards rushing, less than 234 yards passing and less than 18 points. Maine had 44 yards on the ground and 229 through the air. (Maine collected seven points and 83 yards on its final drive of the game after Richmond had substituted the defensive starters).
• Junior QB Eric Ward threw for a career-best 273 yards with three touchdown passes and no interceptions. The three TDs is a career-high in regulation time for Ward, who passed for four TDs at Delaware last season (but two came during overtime). Ward's previous career high in passing yards was 236 at Elon in this season's opener.
• Ward now stands fourth all-time in career passing yards at Richmond with 4,597, passing Charlie Richards' 4,473 yards from 1968-70. Ward needs 721 more yards to catch Stacy Tutt (2002-05) in third (5,318).
• Junior WR Jordan Mitchell averaged 34.8 yards on his four receptions, to set career-highs in both receiving yards (139) and TD catches (two). Mitchell's highlight reel Saturday included TD catches of 87 and 25 yards. His previous career-high of 85 yards came during the 2006 season at Villanova.
• Mitchell's 87-yard TD reception is tied for the second-longest pass play in school history - one-yard shy of the longest. Joe Elrod hooked up with receiver Antoine Lee for an 87 yard catch at Connecticut (Sept. 17, 1994), while the school record of 88 yards was set vs. William & Mary (Nov. 21, 1970) by QB Charlie Richards and WR Jim Livesay.
• Mitchell's 139 yards receiving is the most by a Richmond wideout since Arman Shields amassed 147 yards (14 catches) versus Hofstra in 2005.
• Andrew Howard was spotless in the game, making all three field goals and all five extra-point attempts to account for 14 of Richmond's 44 points - a single-game career-high for the junior. His three made field goals tied a career-high.
• With 14 points, Howard became the school's all-time scoring leader by a kicker. He now has 194 points in just 29 career games, passing Rob Courter who held the previous record of 188 (1987-90).
• Howard has converted all 107 extra-point attempts in his collegiate career and continues to hold the NCAA career record for PAT accuracy (100+ attempts). The NCAA record for consecutive PATs made is 126.
