University of Richmond Athletics
Second-Half Takeaways the Difference in Football Spring Game
04/05/2025 | Football
RICHMOND, Va. — The Spiders defense made the game's biggest plays late in Richmond football's annual spring game Saturday, allowing the red team to emerge with a 12-10 win over the blue squad.
Following the game, the program announced its five captains for the 2025 season: QB Kyle Wickersham, OL Gabe Carbajal, OL Scott Hummel, S Jordan Allen, and LB Carter Glassmyer. Allen and Hummel were also announced as the co-winners of the Gus Lee Winter Warrior Award, given to the member of the team who made the biggest strides during offseason workouts.
"Being named captain was a big thing. I wanted to fully throw myself into a leadership role," said Wickersham. "Just having that honor from my teammates is a big thing. That was one of my big goals to achieve."
The game pitted the first-team offense, wearing blue, against the second-team offense, wearing red. The defense, dressed in white, played against both offensive units.
"The problem we got into [this spring] was we were so thin defensively," said Spiders head coach Russ Huesman. "You just can't get as many reps as you want to get because you can't just say 'OK, you're taking all these reps with the ones and some with the twos.' I would have liked to have more snaps today but we just couldn't do it."
Despite a limited rotation, the defensive unit played its best in the second half, forcing a pair of turnovers and allowing just nine points, six of them coming on a short-field TD by the red team after an interception by Zach Chambers.
"It was good to see them battle through fatigue," said defensive coordinator Justin Wood. "Today was the hottest day and the most reps that they've gotten. I definitely feel like we're moving forward. We're not where we want to be yet, but I have confidence by fall camp we'll be there."
The other takeaway by the white team came in the 3rd quarter, when the blue team attempted a flea flicker in its own territory. Cornerback CJ Fraser beat the protection and knocked the ball up and out of QB Ashten Snelsire's hand as he attempted to throw, and defensive end Daniel Sellers grabbed the ball out of mid-air at the 12-yard line. It was one of several standout plays from Sellers, who ended an earlier blue team drive with a sack and a batted pass on consecutive plays.
With Wickersham under center, the blue team marched down the field on its opening drive, which ended in a 43-yard FG by Sean O'Haire. Wickersham converted multiple 3rd downs with his legs and his arm, including a beautiful throw to Quanye Veney in tight coverage over the middle.
"When it comes to just throwing and going through my progressions I feel like that has been night and day for me," said Wickersham. "We're very balanced and everyone is getting passes."
Veney scored the game's first touchdown, grabbing a pass from Snelsire in the back left corner of the end zone on 3rd-and-goal from the 9-yard line on the blue team's second possession. Veney's 12-yard catch moved the team into the red zone earlier in the drive, which also included an 18-yard reception by wideout Jaiden Fair.
The red team's first score came on its ensuing possession, when QB Joe McCauley found wideout Cole Schilling for a pair of long catches to draw the team close enough for a 32-yard field goal by Jayden Alsheskie, making the score 10-3 blue at halftime.
It remained there until the 4th quarter, when Zach Chambers grabbed an errant throw for an interception, setting up the red team near the goal line. Andrew King punched it in from short yardage to make the score 10-9, where it would stay after an unsuccessful 2-point conversion attempt.
Following a stalled drive, the red team regained possession at its own 35-yard line with an opportunity to execute its 2-minute offense. A pass from McCauley to wideout Isaiah Dawson moved the team into field goal range, and Alsheskie made a 40-yard field goal as time expired to make the final score 12-10.
"I was glad to see at the end we could get a situation where we could get a game-winner there," said Huesman.
Richmond will open its 2025 season August 30th at Lehigh.
Following the game, the program announced its five captains for the 2025 season: QB Kyle Wickersham, OL Gabe Carbajal, OL Scott Hummel, S Jordan Allen, and LB Carter Glassmyer. Allen and Hummel were also announced as the co-winners of the Gus Lee Winter Warrior Award, given to the member of the team who made the biggest strides during offseason workouts.
"Being named captain was a big thing. I wanted to fully throw myself into a leadership role," said Wickersham. "Just having that honor from my teammates is a big thing. That was one of my big goals to achieve."
The game pitted the first-team offense, wearing blue, against the second-team offense, wearing red. The defense, dressed in white, played against both offensive units.
"The problem we got into [this spring] was we were so thin defensively," said Spiders head coach Russ Huesman. "You just can't get as many reps as you want to get because you can't just say 'OK, you're taking all these reps with the ones and some with the twos.' I would have liked to have more snaps today but we just couldn't do it."
Despite a limited rotation, the defensive unit played its best in the second half, forcing a pair of turnovers and allowing just nine points, six of them coming on a short-field TD by the red team after an interception by Zach Chambers.
"It was good to see them battle through fatigue," said defensive coordinator Justin Wood. "Today was the hottest day and the most reps that they've gotten. I definitely feel like we're moving forward. We're not where we want to be yet, but I have confidence by fall camp we'll be there."
The other takeaway by the white team came in the 3rd quarter, when the blue team attempted a flea flicker in its own territory. Cornerback CJ Fraser beat the protection and knocked the ball up and out of QB Ashten Snelsire's hand as he attempted to throw, and defensive end Daniel Sellers grabbed the ball out of mid-air at the 12-yard line. It was one of several standout plays from Sellers, who ended an earlier blue team drive with a sack and a batted pass on consecutive plays.
With Wickersham under center, the blue team marched down the field on its opening drive, which ended in a 43-yard FG by Sean O'Haire. Wickersham converted multiple 3rd downs with his legs and his arm, including a beautiful throw to Quanye Veney in tight coverage over the middle.
"When it comes to just throwing and going through my progressions I feel like that has been night and day for me," said Wickersham. "We're very balanced and everyone is getting passes."
Veney scored the game's first touchdown, grabbing a pass from Snelsire in the back left corner of the end zone on 3rd-and-goal from the 9-yard line on the blue team's second possession. Veney's 12-yard catch moved the team into the red zone earlier in the drive, which also included an 18-yard reception by wideout Jaiden Fair.
The red team's first score came on its ensuing possession, when QB Joe McCauley found wideout Cole Schilling for a pair of long catches to draw the team close enough for a 32-yard field goal by Jayden Alsheskie, making the score 10-3 blue at halftime.
It remained there until the 4th quarter, when Zach Chambers grabbed an errant throw for an interception, setting up the red team near the goal line. Andrew King punched it in from short yardage to make the score 10-9, where it would stay after an unsuccessful 2-point conversion attempt.
Following a stalled drive, the red team regained possession at its own 35-yard line with an opportunity to execute its 2-minute offense. A pass from McCauley to wideout Isaiah Dawson moved the team into field goal range, and Alsheskie made a 40-yard field goal as time expired to make the final score 12-10.
"I was glad to see at the end we could get a situation where we could get a game-winner there," said Huesman.
Richmond will open its 2025 season August 30th at Lehigh.
Players Mentioned
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K
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WR
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OL
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RB
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QB
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DL
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WR
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QB
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