University of Richmond Athletics
Spider Football Gameday Central - FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals
12/09/2015 | Football
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - The No. 7 seed University of Richmond football team travels to Normal, Ill. for a date with the second-seeded Illinois State Redbirds, the 2015 national runner-up, looking to snap a 19-game home winning streak on Friday night, Dec. 11, at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Live Audio for Friday's game can be found on RichmondSpiders.com with Live Stats available on NCAA.com. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3 and on the WATCH ESPN app with Shawn Kenney and Al Groh on the call.
For complete gameday coverage of Richmond Spider football, be sure to scroll down for Gameday Central.
| Who | No. 7 Richmond (9-3, 6-2 CAA) vs. No. 2 Illinois State (10-2, 7-1 MVC) |
| When | Friday, December 11 - 7:30 PM ET |
| Where | Normal, Ill. | Weather | Campus Map |
| Venue | Hancock Stadium | Directions | Tickets |
| Radio | RichmondSpiders.com | ESPN 950 AM | HANK 93.1 FM |
| Live TV/Video | ESPN3 | FAQs |
| Live Stats | NCAA.com |
| Game Notes | Richmond | Illinois State | CAA |
| Pregame Media | Coach Rocco CAA Teleconference | Coach Rocco Press Conference |
| SpiderTV | Spider Sportsline | Pavik Clears the Way |
| Social Media | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram |
| Hashtags | #OneRichmond | #UnitedInRed | #CAAFB |
The Game
The University of Richmond Spiders hit the road for quarterfinal action in the FCS playoffs, as they face the second-seeded Illinois State Redbirds. The winner of this game would face the winner of No. 3-seed North Dakota State and Northern Iowa next week in the semifinals. Richmond is led by head coach Danny Rocco, who guided the team to the FCS Playoffs last season for the first time since 2009. The team defeated Morgan State, 46-24, in the first round of the playoffs before falling at No. 6 Coastal Carolina. Richmond is now 2-1 in the FCS Playoffs under Rocco, and the Spiders are 6-5 all-time in December FCS playoff action, bolstered by a 3-0 mark in the 2008 National Championship season. Saturday's game will mark the first meeting all-time between the two schools, and the first time ever that the Spiders have faced an opponent whose name begins with “I”.
Quick Slants
Jacobi Green's 141 yards vs. William & Mary moved him into fourth on the single-season rushing list with 1,426 yards. Green has rushed for 100 or more yards in six-straight games (seven times on the season). DB David Jones 100-yard interception return for a touchdown was his ninth of the season, the most recorded by a Spider defender in a single-season. The 100-yard return is also a Spider record, and is tied with three others for a FCS playoff record. WR Brian Brown had 41 yards receiving vs. William & Mary and moved into first on the single-season receiving list with 1,221 yards. He is the first Richmond receiver to surpass 1,000 yards in a season twice.
Last Time Out
Richmond knocked off William & Mary 48-13 in second round FCS playoff action. David Jones' record-setting 100-yard interception return for a touchdown gave Richmond a 21-3 lead and seized momentum for the Spiders. Richmond took a 28-10 lead to the locker room at halftime, and after a Tribe field goal to make it 28-13, the Spiders erased all doubt with an 11-play, 75-yard drive resulting in a touchdown and a 35-13 lead.
Postseason Record
The Spiders have a 12-8 mark all-time over ten appearances in the NCAA playoffs, with a perfect 4-0 in the 2008 National Championship season. Richmond was 1-1 in post-season play in bowl games as a Division I team, prior to becoming an FCS member. Richmond is now 8-2 in its' first game in NCAA playoff action, and has won its' last seven opening playoff games. The 48 points scored by the Spiders in last week's win over William & Mary is the most a Richmond squad has scored in FCS Playoff action.
Postseason Success
The Spiders are no strangers to postseason success. Dating back to the 2007 season, the Spiders are 9-3 in their last 12-playoff games – including winning the National Championship in 2008. All-time, Richmond is 12-8 in the FCS Playoffs. Last season the Spiders advanced to the second round of the FCS Playoffs with a 46-24 win over Morgan State and would finish with a 9-5 record to go with a 5-3 mark in the CAA.
Keeping Up With Jones
DB David Jones set a school record for most interceptions in a season with nine with his 100-yard interception return for a touchdown vs. William & Mary. Jones set two records on the play, also breaking the mark for longest interception return by a Spider. Jones earlier in the season set a new career-high and CAA record with four interceptions against Albany, Oct. 31.
CAA All-Conference Awards
When the CAA announced its annual awards at the conclusion of the 2015 regular season it was revealed that Richmond had 13 individuals selected, headlined by head coach Danny Rocco receiving Coach of the Year honors to go along with seven First Team selections. The 13 selections for the Spiders are the second-most in program history behind only the 2009 team which had 16 players honored. Seven First team choices also match a program record set by the 2010 team. RB Jacobi Green, WR's Brian Brown and Reggie Diggs, OL Nick Ritcher, LB Omar Howard, CB Ayo Ogunniyi and DB David Jones all received nods to the 2015 All-CAA Football First Team. QB Kyle Lauletta headlines the Second Team with OL's Thomas Evans and Nick Vergos, PK Peter Yoder and DL Winston Craig. TE Nick Holloway is the lone Spider featured on the third team.
National Ranking Streak
The Spiders rose two spots in the STATS FCS Poll to 12th, and five spots in the FCS Coaches Poll to 11th in the final regular season poll. The recognition marks the 24th consecutive week dating back to last season that the Spiders have been ranked nationally. Richmond was included in at least one of the major polls each week during the 2014 campaign, reaching as high as No. 8 and as high as No. 5 in 2015.
Green Means Go
Running back Jacobi Green has had a spectacular season since being thrust into the lead back role. Green closed the regular season with 217 yards against William and Mary, his second 200-yard plus performance of the year with the other coming against James Madison. Green had 141 yards in the playoff win over William & Mary last week, and has 1,069 yards in the last six games, averaging 178 yards per game over that span. He leads the CAA in rushing and is fifth nationally with 118.8 yards per game.
Scoring Green
Jacobi Green has rushed for 18 scores this season and is 1-1 on two-point conversion tries giving him 110 points so far this season which leads all Spiders by a wide margin. PK Peter Yoder ranks second with 72 points. Green's 110 points are currently tied for third in a single season in Richmond football history with PK Andrew Howard in 2008.
Dudley Awards
Jacobi Green is one of three finalists for the 2015 Dudley Award, which recognizes the state of Virginia's top Division I football player each season. Green joins JMU QB Vad Lee and William & Mary FS DeAndre Houston-Carson as a finalist. Vad Lee won the award at the conclusion of the 2014 season and appeared in just eight games in 2015. The Touchdown Club of Richmond has tabbed Green as the Running Back of the Year in Virginia, Brian Brown as the WR of the Year and Nick Ritcher as the OL of the Year, giving the Spiders a clean sweep of the offensive awards.
