University of Richmond Athletics
No. 6 Spiders, Keydets Renew Rivarly
09/30/2008 | Football
Sept. 30, 2008
No. 6 Richmond Spiders (3-2, 2-1)
vs.
VMI Keydets (2-2, 0-0)
Foster Stadium (10,000) • Lexington, Va.
Oct. 4, 2008 • 1:30 p.m. ET
Television: None.
Radio: ESPN 950 AM and Wolf 93.1 FM in Richmond with Bob Black (play-by-play), fomer Spider defensive lineman Jasmonn Coleman '97 (analyst) and Matt Smith '92 (sideline).
Internet Broadcasts: Video | Stats
Weekly Releases:
Richmond: PDF 
VMI: PDF
CAA Football: PDF
Weekly Audio/Video:
CAA Football Teleconference: Audio 
Weekly Press Conference #6: Video (Coming Wednesday) 
Weekly Press Conference #6: Audio (Coming Wednesday)
Quick Slants:
• No. 6 Richmond stays on the road this Saturday, battling VMI at Foster Stadium in the 85th all-time meeting between Commonwealth rivals.
• The Keydets are the third-oldest rival for the Spiders in number of games (84) and the all-time series is nearly deadlocked at 39-40-5 in favor of VMI. But Richmond has won six straight games in the series, 10 of 11 and 17 of 20.
• Richmond has outscored VMI 130-17 over the last three meetings, including a 58-7 victory at UR Stadium in the team's last meeting in 2006.
• Junior QB Eric Ward (pictured) threw for 236 yards and a TD, but the Spiders lost at then-No. 19 Villanova, 26-20, last Saturday.
• The Spiders lead the league in rushing defense, are second in scoring defense, second in turnover margin and have intercepted the second-most passes in the NCAA this season (10).
• Richmond remain in the polls this week for a school-record 18th-consecutive week and is No. 6 in the Sports Network poll and No. 7 in the FCS Coaches poll.
• As the Sports Network No. 1 last week, it matched Richmond's highest spot in the Top-25 since spending five-consecutive weeks at No. 1 in 1985.
• Richmond is under the direction of first-year head coach Mike London, who is a 1983 Richmond graduate and the first alum to lead the Spiders' football program since Ed Merrick (1951-65).
• The 2008 season marks the 126th season of football at Richmond and is the 40th Anniversary of the 1968 team that finished 8-3 and won the Tangerine Bowl.
Up Next:
The Spiders return home next Saturday for a critical CAA South Division match-up versus No. 1 James Madison. Kickoff for the Farm Bureau Insurance Fall Classic is set for 3:30 p.m. at UR Stadium.
