University of Richmond Athletics
Richmond Reclaims No. 1 Spot In FCS Polls
09/07/2009 | Football
Sept. 7, 2009
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - It didn't take long for the reigning National Champions to reclaim the No. 1 spot in the Football Championship Subdivision polls. Coming off the team's second win over a BCS team in four years, the Spiders jumped one spot and overtook Appalachian State in this week's polls.
Richmond (1-0) garnered 3,042 points and received 103 of the 120 first-place votes in the Sports Network Poll, while getting 24 of the 28 first-place votes in the FCS Coaches Poll. It marks the first time in team history the Spiders are No. 1 in both polls during the same week of the regular season.
Although finishing the 2008 season ranked first, the Spiders yielded to the Mountaineers for the top spot heading into 2009. But Richmond took down Duke 24-16 Saturday, the Apps fell 29-24 at East Carolina and teams flipped positions.
Last season, when Richmond vaulted to No. 1 in the Sports Network poll on Sept. 22 - then its first regular-season ranking of No. 1 since 1985 - the Spiders also replaced the Mountaineers at the top (Richmond was ranked second in the Coaches poll). But that week last season, the Spiders suffered a 26-20 road loss at Villanova and dropped to sixth. Richmond didn't return until claiming the National Championship.
All-time, the Spiders are 4-2 when playing as the No. 1 team.
Richmond's win and subsequent No. 1 ranking caps a banner opening weekend for CAA Football, regarded as the premier FCS conference in America. The Spiders were one of three South Division teams to take out FBS foes - William & Mary won at Virginia and Villanova triumphed at Temple.
Seven CAA Football teams are ranked in each poll this week - five in the Top 10 - with Villanova leaping to third, James Madison sitting sixth, William & Mary jumping to seventh and New Hampshire holding ninth. Massachusetts and Maine also occupy Top 25 spots.
Richmond puts its school record 10-game winning streak and seven-game road winning streak on the line Saturday at Delaware (3:30 p.m. ET on Comcast Network and Comcast Charter Sports Southeast). The Blue Hens (1-0) are receiving votes in each poll this week.
