No. 5 App. State Edges No. 4 Richmond In Quarterfinals: Postgame Notes

Dec. 5, 2009

Team Notes

• The loss ended Richmond's 2009 season with an 11-2 record, marking the fewest number of losses in a season since the 1946 Spiders finished 6-2-2.

• The game marked the final-ever Richmond Football game at UR Stadium and ended the team's 81-year run as the venue's primary tenant. Richmond opens the $25-million Robins Stadium on campus next season.

• With the loss, the defending National Champions slipped to 10-7 all-time in Playoff action and snapped a five-game Playoff winning streak.

• Appalachian State increased its lead in the all-time series 5-3, including a 3-1 edge in the Playoffs. The Spiders and Mountaineers have met in the last three postseasons, with ASU winning 55-35 in the 2007 Semifinals, Richmond winning 33-13 in the 2008 Quarterfinals and ASU winning 35-31 in the 2009 Quarterfinals.

• Richmond slipped to 2-3 all-time in NCAA Quarterfinal action (0-2 at home).

• The Spiders owned a 14-7 lead at the half, marking the first time the Spiders have ever held a lead at the half over the Mountaineers in the postseason. Last year Richmond trailed 7-6, before running away with a 33-13 win. The Spiders trailed 35-21 in 2007 (lost 55-35) and trailed 13-3 in 1987 (lost 20-3).

• The game's lone turnover was a fumble on a punt (forced and recovered by junior LB Eric McBride) that was returned eight yards for a TD that put the Spiders up 31-28 with 3:26 left in the game. Richmond finished the season with a +93 advantage in points off turnovers (117-24).

• The 175 yards rushing by App. State junior RB Devon Moore was the second-most ever allowed by the Spiders in the Playoffs and the most allowed by the team this season. (ASU's Armanti Edwards rushed for an FCS record 313 on Richmond in the 2007 Semifinals.)

• The lead changed hands three times in the final 4:27, after Richmond either led (or the game was tied) for the entire contest before that.

• Before ASU rushed for 228 yards, Richmond has limited seven-consecutive opponents to less than 100 yards on the ground.

• Richmond won the time-of-possession battle 33:57-26:03, marking the 13th time in as many games this season that the Spiders have done so.

Player Notes

• Senior QB Eric Ward finished his career 41-12 as Richmond's starter, which included two CAA Football Championship (2007, 2009), a National Championship and three-consecutive Playoff appearances.

• Ward finished 17-7 versus Top-25 ranked teams and 7-2 in the postseason.

• With 202 yards passing, it marked Ward's fourth career 200-yard passing game in the postseason.

• Ward owns every Richmond career passing record, ends his career ranked eighth all-time in CAA Football history in passing yards (8,969) and fifth in total offense (10,375). On the FCS all-time list, Ward's 10,375 yards of total offense ranks 27th.

• Ward's TD pass to Tre Gray was the 12th career postseason TD pass for the senior.

• The fumble forced and recovered by junior LB Eric McBride was the game's lone turnover, and led to McBride's eight-yard return that put Richmond up 31-28 with 3:26 left.

• McBride finished the 2009 season leading the team in both fumble recoveries (four) and forced (three).

• Fullbacks Ben Keating and Kendall Gaskins each scored touchdowns, and finished tied for team lead this season in TDs with seven.

• Junior LB Patrick Weldon set a new career-high with 13 tackles, surpassing his previous best of 11 that was set on three occasions. Weldon finished second on the team with 94 tackles in 2009.

• The Spiders three starting linebackers were the top three tacklers in 2009 - Collin McConaghy (97), Weldon (94) and McBride (93).

• Senior K Andrew Howard finished his career as the Spiders' all-time leading scorer with 360 points - 126 points clear of the Spiders' second-all-time leading scorer Tim Hightower.

• Howard's 360 points ranks as the fifth-most in CAA Football history, his 55 made field goals is the fifth-most in conference history and his 195 PATs is a conference record - all are school records.

• Howard is the highest-scoring kicker in league history.

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