Spiders Take Over Sole Possession of First in CAA Standings with 27-24 Win Over Campbell

Saturday, November 9

Buies Creek, N.C.

3:30 p.m.

University of Richmond

8-2 , 6-0

Campbell

3-7 , 1-5

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Richmond

Campbell

Spiders Take Over Sole Possession of First in CAA Standings with 27-24 Win Over Campbell

11/09/2024 | Football

Box Score

Buies Creek, N.C. – With the game tied at 24 apiece, redshirt senior Brandon Peskin kicked a 36-yard field goal with one second left in regulation to give the University of Richmond football team a 27-24 win over Campbell Saturday night and earn the team sole ownership of first place in the Coastal Athletic Association standings.

The win moved the Spiders to 8-2 overall and marked the team's eighth in a row, its longest regular-season win streak since 2009, and brought Richmond to a 6-0 record in the CAA, matching its best CAA start ever, also achieved in 2009. The victory was also Head Coach Russ Huesman's 50th at the helm of Richmond.

The Spiders and Camels (3-7, 1-5) traded blows back and forth in the contest that featured four ties (0-0, 7-7, 17-17, 24-24). The Spiders only lead of the game came after Peskin's game-winning field goal as time winded down.

"We didn't play great but somehow in the second half, we found ways to get first downs and to get touchdowns. Defensively we hung on and we got a couple of good stops," said Huesman.

Chance Graves' pass breakup at 6:55 in the first quarter sent the ball soaring into Matthew Traynor's hands, allowing the Spiders to take over at the Campbell 23. But three plays later, the Spiders fumbled, and the Camels regained possession at their 9-yard line, setting up for Campbell's first scoring drive of the game to give the Camels an early 7-0 lead.

Traynor, who led the Spiders defense, tallied a season and career-high 12 tackles including two tackles for loss and the interception.

Richmond got on the board at 14:17 in the second quarter when Nick DeGennaro caught a 40-yard touchdown pass from Camden Coleman, capping a six-play, 78-yard drive. Campbell responded immediately on the ensuing kickoff, with a 90-yard return for a touchdown to regain the lead at 14-7.

Coleman was Richmond's leading rusher, picking up 64 yards on 12 carries, and went 19-of-33 for 252 yards passing with one interception. Richmond's leading receiver, Landon Ellis, turned in his second career game with over 100 yards receiving, hauling in seven catches for 101 yards.

Campbell kicked a field goal from 40 yards out as time expired in the second quarter to make it a 17-7 game at half, then the Spiders responded on the opening drive of the second half when Zach Palmer-Smith punched in a one-yard touchdown run to cap an 11-play, 65-yard drive that erased 5:16 off the game clock.

Campbell's next drive ended in a turnover on downs, giving Richmond the ball on its own 25-yard line. From there, the Spiders ended a nine-play, 56-yard drive with a Peskin 36-yard field goal to tie the game at 17-17 with 25 seconds left in the third quarter.

With the game tied headed into the final 15 minutes and the ball on the Richmond 27, Camden Byrd hurried the Campbell quarterback into throwing an interception into Jabril Hayes' hands in the end zone before he returned it 10 yards to the Richmond 17.

The Spiders went three-and-out from there, punting the ball away to the Camels who would score just three plays later to make it a 24-17 game.

Richmond's next drive ended with Ja'Vion Griffin, who missed the last two games due to injury, catching a nine-yard pass in the end zone to tie the game at 24 with 4:45 left in the game.

The Camels went three-and-out on their next possession, then Coleman threw an interception to give Campbell the ball back on the Spiders 40-yard line. Campbell went three-and-out once again after CJ Fraser broke up a Camels pass to bring up a turnover on downs, giving Richmond the ball at their 35-yard line to set up for its game-winning drive.

The drive, a 12-play march down the field, set up Peskin's game-winning 36-yard field goal.

"I know our guys are really excited to get this win. It was huge and it was tough," said Huesman. "They made some unbelievable plays out there. Their wideouts are good and their quarterback is scary good. Somehow defensively we found a way to get a stop when we needed to and offensively, we figured out way to score touchdowns."

The Spiders will look for their ninth consecutive win when it travels to Hampton next Saturday, Nov. 16. Kickoff is set for noon at Armstrong Stadium.