Football Controls The Clock In Road Win At Elon

Saturday, March 13

Elon, NC

1:00 PM

University of Richmond

2-0 , 2-0

Elon University

1-3 , 0-2

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Richmond

ELON

Photo by: Tim Cowie/Tim Cowie Photography

03/13/2021 | Football

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ELON, N.C. – The University of Richmond football controlled the clock on offense and intercepted three passes Saturday afternoon as the Spiders improved to 2-0 in Colonial Athletic Association play with a 38-14 victory against Elon at Rhodes Stadium. Saturday's game is the first of a home-and-home series this year against the Phoenix.

The Spiders dominated time of possession, holding a 41:26-18:34 advantage on the clock while running 80 plays on offense compared to just 42 for the Phoenix. Richmond finished the game with 395 yards of total offense, rushing for 177 yards while passing for 218 yards.

Redshirt senior quarterback Joe Mancuso (Blairsville, Ga.) accounted for three total touchdowns to lead the offense. Mancuso finished the game 17-of-26 for 189 yards and two scores while rushing for 60 yards and one touchdown. Freshman wide receiver Jasiah Williams (Petersburg, Va.) led the team with six catches for 38 yards as eight different players caught a pass in the victory. Redshirt sophomore running back Aaron Dykes (Knoxville, Tenn.) led the team with 66 yards rushing on 13 carries while also rushing for a touchdown.

Defensively, the Spiders limited Elon to only 220 yards of total offense in the win. Richmond intercepted the Elon quarterbacks three times in the win and held the Phoenix to 72 yards rushing. That marks the second-straight game the Spiders have limited their opponent to 72 yards rushing this season (William & Mary).

Sophomore linebacker Tristan Wheeler (Bethlehem, Pa.) led the team with six tackles while redshirt freshman Xavier Marshall (Charlotte, N.C.) finished with five tackles and his first career interception. Senior linebacker Tyler Dressler (Covington, Va.) and redshirt sophomore cornerback Tyrek Funderburk (Indian Trail, N.C.) also recorded interceptions in the strong defensive effort.

The Spiders started strong, taking the opening possession on an 11-play, 67-yard touchdown drive. They did damage on the ground and through the air on the drive, methodically driving down the field. Mancuso found redshirt sophomore Justin Jasper (Richmond, Va.) on an 11-yard touchdown score for the game's first points giving Richmond a lead it would never relinquish.

Elon (1-3) turned the ball over on its second play from scrimmage as JR Martin was intercepted by Dressler who returned it 15 yards to the Phoenix 14-yard line. The Spiders converted the turnover into points as Mancuso rushed in from one-yard out on a fourth down play for the 14-0 lead.

Richmond answered an Elon touchdown with one of its own in the second quarter. The score was made possible by a Mancuso scramble for 29 yards on a third down play extending the drive. Mancuso connected with wide receiver Leroy Henley (Pompano Beach, Fla.) on a 21-yard touchdown pass for the 21-7 lead. The touchdown was the first career score as a Spider for the East Carolina transfer.

The Spiders put the game out of reach with their second interception as Funderburk picked off a Justin Allen pass setting up the short field. Two plays later and Dykes ran in the score from 15-yards out, carrying a defender across the goal line for the 31-7 lead.

Elon made one final push after its second touchdown of the day but Marshall's interception with 9:49 remaining in the quarter ended any doubt. The Spiders ran out the clock on offense for the second straight game, drive 65 yards on 15 plays, consuming 9:39 on the clock. Quarterback Beau English (Stevenson, Md.) rounded out the scoring with a 1-yard fourth down run for the 38-14 final score.

The Spiders are on the road again next weekend, travelling to Harrisonburg, Va., for a meeting against No. 1 James Madison. Game time is set for 4 p.m. and will be broadcast on NBC Sports Washington Plus and FloFootball.

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