University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
No. 14 Massachusetts
No. 1 Richmond Stays Hot With 34-12 Thumping Of No. 14 UMass
10/24/2009 | Football
Oct. 24, 2009
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UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Senior Justin Forte rushed for 118 yards and a pair of touchdown, while the defense forced seven turnovers as No. 1 Richmond thumped No. 14 Massachusetts, 34-12, in rainy and windy conditions Saturday at UR Stadium. The victory kept the Spiders undefeated and extended the FCS's longest winning streak to 16 games.
Forte finished with a career-high 26 attempts for 118 yards and matched his career-high with two touchdowns as the Spiders out-gained the Minutemen on the ground 184-62. A majority of the game was played in a steady downpour with winds gusting to 30 mph at times.
The victory kept the Spiders (7-0, 5-0) in sole possession of first place in the CAA South Division, while extending its overall winning streak to 16, its home winning streak to six and its winning streak over CAA North Division opponents to 10. Richmond has matched the 1985 team for the best start in school history.
UMass - coming off a win over then-No. 4 and previously-undefeated New Hampshire - slipped to 4-3, 2-2 with its first loss in Richmond since 2000.
Forte shouldered the offensive load, but Spiders' Stonewall Defense was the big story as it limited yet another opponent to less than 100 yards rushing and forced a season-high seven turnovers, including six interceptions.
Six different Spiders had the picks, highlighted by a 15-yard return for touchdown by senior NG Parker Miles - his second interception in as many games - and a 91-yard return by Michael Ireland that was stopped just short of the end zone as the game ended.
Junior DB Justin Rogers, a candidate for the Buck Buchanan Award, had his best game of the season with five tackles, a fumble recovery, an interception and two pass breakups. Ireland, and linebackers Collin McConaghy and Eric McBride each made a team-leading seven stops.
Senior QB Eric Ward enjoyed his best ground game of the year with nine carries for 62 yards (6.9 yards/rush) - moving the chains with four of his runs.
After the Minutemen got things started with a 33-yard field goal from Armando Cuko on their first drive, the Spiders forced turnovers on three of the next four UMass possessions and seized a 14-3 lead.
Junior Patrick Weldon's interception gave Richmond the ball deep in enemy territory at the 27 and four plays later, Ben Keating scored from one yard out. Rogers' interception turned up nothing on the ensuing drive, but his fumble recovery of a botched snap midway through the second quarter gave the Spiders another short field.
Two plays and 26 yards later, Forte's 17-yard TD run gave Richmond a 14-3 advantage and senior Andrew Howard booted a pair of field goals to give the Spiders a 20-3 lead at the break.
Needing to stage second-half comebacks in the two previous wins, the Spiders were able to pull further away Saturday as Miles' 15-yard interception return - his second career pick and his first career score - gave Richmond a 27-3 cushion.
Forte's 10-yard jaunt midway through the fourth quarter capped the scoring, after the Minutemen struck for nine points earlier in the stanza on a safety and a Scott Woodward 20-yard pass to Victor Cruz. Woodward finished 11-of-23 passing for 137 yards, a TD and two interceptions. He replaced Kyle Havens after a 10-for-25 effort and five turnovers.
In the foul weather, the reigning National Champion Spiders played almost error-free football by turning the ball over just once and committing a season-low two penalties.
Richmond returns to action next Saturday with a Halloween match-up at Towson. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Johnny Unitas Stadium.
