University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
No. 9 Elon
No. 4 Richmond Survives No. 9 Elon, 16-13, In NCAA First Round
11/28/2009 | Football
Nov. 28, 2009
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RICHMOND, Va. - Senior QB Eric Ward racked up 276 yards of total offense but No. 4 Richmond needed to dodge a pair of missed field goals by No. 9 Elon in the final 90 seconds and held on to win 16-13 Saturday. The Spiders host No. 5 Appalachian State next Saturday in the Quarterfinals.
Richmond (11-1) improved to 6-2 all-time in NCAA First Round games, advancing past the opening-round in three-consecutive seasons and four of the last five.
Saturday's game versus App. State (10-2) at 7 p.m., which pits the last four Division I National Champions, is a rematch of last year's Quarterfinal - won by the Spiders 33-13 at App. State's Kidd Brewer Stadium.
Of Ward's 276 yards, a career-best 136 came on the ground as the senior became just the 34th player in FCS history to surpass the 10,000-yard total offense mark in a career. Now with 10,122 yards, Ward stands 31st on the FCS all-time list.
He chewed off 74 yards on one play as he sprinted through the Elon defensive line, got key blocking downfield by his receivers and ran virtually untouched into the end zone to put the Spiders up 10-0 early in the second quarter.
Senior kicker Andrew Howard booted two field goals before the break and the Spiders led 13-3 at the half. Elon (9-3) and Richmond traded second-half field goals before the Phoenix struck for a 22-yard touchdown pass from Scott Riddle to Terrell Hudgins with 9:04 left to make the score 16-13.
That's when another dramatic UR Stadium finish unfolded before a crowd of 6,143 - Richmond's largest NCAA First Round crowd at home since 1998.
Howard, who drilled his first three field goals of the game from 27 yards, 33 and 42 yards, misfired wide left on a 46-yard kick with 3:43 remaining.
That missed kicked ended a clock-eating 10-play drive that consumed 5:21, but gave the Phoenix good field position at the 29. Riddle moved his team downfield in six plays - three completions to Hudgins - and took two shots to the end zone to Aaron Mellette and Hudgins, but settled for a 27-yard attempt by Shreiner on fourth-and-three, which was pushed wide right.
The Spiders went three-and-out and punted back to Elon with 25 seconds left and no timeouts.
Riddle found Lance Camp for 16 yards, Hudgins for eight and Camp for six more, before spiking the ball with seven seconds left.
Staring down a 48-yarder that would send the game to overtime, Shreiner had his game-tying attempt blocked by senior NG Parker Miles as the clock expired.
It's the third straight game at venerable UR Stadium - which is closing it doors to Richmond Football at the end of this season after 81 years - to be decided in the final seconds. Richmond missed a winning field goal attempt versus Villanova on Nov. 7 and Howard booted a 48-yard game-winner versus William & Mary last week.
Riddle finished the day 25-of-42 passing for 309 yards and a TD pass, while Hudgins - the all-time leading receiver in FCS history -- reeled in 12 catches for 167 yards and a TD. Nine of his grabs and 130 of the yards came after halftime.
Richmond, which has feasted off opponent turnovers this season, was not able to force a takeway in the game. The Phoenix caused three turnovers but did not score on any of the ensuing drives.
The Spiders trademark "Stonewall Defense" yielded just 27 yards rushing and was at its best with Elon in the Red Zone, limiting the Phoenix to a pair of field goals after the visitors had the ball at the seven in the second quarter, and a pivotal defensive stand in the third quarter after a first-and-goal at the one.
Miles, who collected his first career field goal block, made seven tackles, two TFL, a sack and broke up a pass. Sophomore DB Tremayne Graham made a team-leading and career-high eight stops.
Richmond owned a 400-336 advantage in total offense, including a decisive 260-27 edge in rushing. Senior TB Justin Forte gained 96 yards on 25 carries. Forte also caught three passes for 45 yards. Junior WR Kevin Grayson had six catches for 50 yards.
Saturday game has been set for a 7 p.m. kickoff and tickets go on sale at the Robins Center Ticket Office from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday and from 9-5 on Monday. The game will be broadcast on ESPN's Game Plan package and available on ESPN360.com, with local TV distribution yet to be determined.
