University of Richmond Athletics
Football Takes Over First Place In A-10 South With 22-10 Win Over No. 22 Delaware
Oct. 15, 2005
Final Stats | Quotes | Notes
RICHMOND, Va. - The University of Richmond football team took over first place in the Atlantic 10 South Division with a 20-10 victory over No. 22 ranked Delaware on Saturday at UR Stadium.
In a game originally scheduled for UD Stadium in Newark, Del., but moved due to field conditions, the Spiders jumped out to a 20-3 lead on the way to their third-straight victory over a Division I-AA opponent. Richmond improved to 3-1 in the Atlantic 10, its best conference start since 2000.
"Our team is really building off each other," Richmond head coach Dave Clawson said. "When the offense comes out and plays well, it gives our defense confidence. When the defense makes stops, it makes our offense play better. I think what have now is a team which builds on momentum off the other side of the football and special teams."
Richmond held Delaware to just 108 rushing yards for the game, including only 26 in the second half. In five games against I-AA opponents this season, Richmond has allowed just two touchdowns and a field goal in the second half. The Spiders held Atlantic 10 North-leading Massachusetts to just a field goal in the second half of the season opener, shutout Lafayette and Maine after the break and allowed just one touchdown in the second half against both Villanova and Delaware.
"Our mindset coming out in the second half was to get three-and-outs," Richmond linebacker Adam Goloboski said. "The first two series we got that done. The defense is really coming along."
Richmond hasn't lost to a Division I-AA opponent since dropping a 7-0 decision to Lafayette on Sept. 10. After that game - the Spiders' second-straight loss to start the season - Clawson moved Tutt back to quarterback, the position he played last season. With Tutt under center Richmond has only one loss, to Division I-A Vanderbilt.
"We knew coming in that he was one of the best pure athletes in the league," Delaware defensive back Kyle Campbell said about Tutt.
"We want the ball in Stacy's hands on critical downs," Clawson said. "I think the thing about Stacy right now is how much he has improved from a year ago. I think he is throwing the ball away when he needs to. He is keeping his eyes downfield and when he gets flushed from the pocket he continues to look for receivers down the field."
Tutt completed 16-of-25 for 212 yards, passing for one touchdown and rushing for another. He was especially effective on third down, connecting on 9-of-11 passes for 124 yards and helping the Spiders average 9.7 yards per play on third-down conversions.
"We made some big third-down conversions today," Clawson said. "That was certainly an area we worked hard on this week."
Sophomore Arman Shields caught nine of Tutts passes for 106 yards. Shields now has over 100 yards receiving in three-straight games, becoming the first Spider to accomplish that since Rod Boothes did so October of 1992.
After Delaware marched down to Richmond's 17-yard line on their first drive of the game, the Spider defense held on third down and forced the Blue Hens to settle for a field goal. The snap was fumbled and Richmond took over, proceeding to march 79 yards on 15 plays and eating up 6:38 on the clock, before Joseph Fore kicked a 21-yard field goal. Fore's field goal was his sixth-straight, capping the Spiders longest scoring drive of the season in both plays and time.
On the ensuing kickoff, Fore put a short kick at about the Delaware 30-yard line and no Blue Hen player was able to pick it up before Richmond's Stephen Howell fell on it. That gave the Spiders the ball on the Delaware 30-yard line. A 20-yard completion to Josh Vaughn and two runs by Vaughn for a total six yards brought the Spiders inside the 10. Tutt then connected with Matt Hale for an 8-yard touchdown catch, Hale's second in as many games, as Richmond took a 10-0 lead.
Delaware cut the gap to 10-3 on a 22-yard field goal in the second quarter, but the Spiders opened up a 17-3 lead just before the half when Tutt scored on a 3-yard touchdown run. That capped an eight-play, 79-yard drive that took just 2:08 and gave Richmond a 14-point lead with 27 seconds left in the half.
Richmond had a chance to add to that lead with 5:27 left in the third quarter, but fumbled at the Delaware 1-yard line. The Blue Hens then became the first I-AA team to score a fourth-quarter touchdown against the Spiders this season, when Sonny Riccio scored on a 1-yard run.
The Spiders will look to keep a hold on first place in the Atlantic 10 South when they host Hofstra next Saturday at UR Stadium.