University of Richmond Athletics
No. 12 Spiders Take On No. 2 Hampton In First Round Of NCAA Playoffs
Nov. 22, 2005
Complete Richmond Game Notes in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Complete Atlantic 10 Release in PDF FormatDownload Free Acrobat Reader
Complete Opponent Game Notes in PDF FormatDownload Free Acrobat Reader
MID-WEEK COVERAGE: PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES - NOV.23 | PRESS CONFERENCE AUDIO - NOV.23 | SPIDER SPORTSLINE BROADCAST ARCHIVE | SELECTION SHOW AUDIO - CLAWSON AND PLAYERS
The Richmond Spiders, part of the NCAA Division I-AA Championships for the first time since 2000, will travel to Armstrong Stadium in Hampton, Va., to face the undefeated and third-seeded Hampton Pirates in the first round of the NCAA Championships. Kickoff in the first-ever meeting between the two teams is schedule for 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 26. The game's radio broadcast can be heard on the Spider Radio Network and at RichmondSpiders.com. Bob Black will handle the play-by-play with former Richmond defensive standout, Jasmonn Coleman, as analyst and Matt Smith on the sidelines.
The contest will also be one of three nationally broadcasted games in the playoff's opening round. ESPNU will carry the Pirates/Spiders game nationally, while ESPN2 will carry the New Hampshire/Colgate and the Georgia Southern/Texas State games.
The Spiders, who captured their first A-10 Championship since 2000 and their third league crown in the last eight years, are riding a seven-game win streak overall and an eight-game win streak against I-AA competition. Richmond's only loss in the past 10 weeks of the season has come at Division I Vanderbilt, 37-13. The Pirates have a streak of their own which includes every game played this season. Hampton won the MEAC crown by going 8-0 in the conference, but also finished the season 11-0 with non-conference wins over Jackson State, Gardner-Webb and Savannah State.
Richmond is under the direction of second-year head coach Dave Clawson, who has compiled a seven-year career record of 40-40 and an 11-11 mark in two seasons at Richmond. Joseph Taylor is in his 14th season as the Pirates' head coach. Taylor has compiled a 23-year career mark of 181-70-4, and a 120-41-1 record at Hampton.
QUICK OUTS...
-- Tutt needs 37 yards of total offense to be the all-time single-season leader in total offense at Richmond.
-- Tutt needs to be part of 44 plays (run, pass) to move into second on the Spiders' all-time total plays list ahead of Greg Lilly (1990-93) with 1,158.
-- Tutt needs 14 yards passing to move into seventh on the single-season passing yards list at Richmond. He needs 17 yards passing to move into sixth on the single-season passing yards list. He currently has 1,964 yards passing which ranks eighth on the all-time list for single-season.
-- Tutt needs four more touchdown passes to move into a tie for fifth on the single-season TD-passes list.
-- His 22 career rushing TD's rank third all-time at Richmond, while his 10 single-season rushing touchdowns are tied for eighth all-time at Richmond.
-- Tutt needs five completions to move into a tie for ninth on the Spiders' single-season pass completions list. If he completes seven passes he will rank eighth on the single-season completions list.
-- Sophomore Arman Shields needs 32 yards in receiving to move into 10th-place on the Spiders' single-season reception yards list.
-- Shields has five 100-yard receiving games. The last Spider to haul in 100 yards or more in five single-season games was Rod Boothes -- he did it six times in 1992.
-- Richmond's offense has converted on 21 of its last 22 trips to the redzone. In those trips the Spiders have scored 15 touchdowns and kicked six field goals.
-- Richmond's defense garnered a season-best eight sacks against Towson two weeks ago. Prior to that the Spiders' best team sack total was four, four times. This season the Spiders lead the league in sacks with 35 for 216 yards lost, the most since recording a total of 40 sacks in the 2000 season.
-- Senior Joseph Fore has hit at least one field goal in each of the last 10 games he has played. Currently he leads the A-10 in field goals per game and ranks fourth in the country with his average of 1.67.
-- Sophomore Tim Hightower has rushed for 100 yards or more in three games this season. The last person to record three 100-yard games in one season was David Freeman in 2004. Should Hightower go for 100 this weekend, he will be the first player to record four 100-yard rushing games since Jasper Pendergrass did it in 1998.
-- Senior David Freeman needs 24 more kickoff return yards to move into ninth on the Spiders' single-season list ahead of Erwin Matthews' (1987) 529 yards. Currently Freeman is averaging 28.1 yards a return, which leads the Atlantic 10 and ranks fifth in the nation.
-- The Spiders are 15-32 against ranked opponents since the 1995 season, but has a streak of three-straight wins agaisnt ranked opponents. The Spiders, since 1995, have never beaten an opponent ranked higher than No. 3 in the nation.
-- Richmond is 30-23 all-time against the rest of the NCAA Division I-AA Playoff field. The Spiders have winning all-time marks against New Hampshire (9-7), Colgate (3-1), Furman (15-9) and Appalachian State (3-2). Richmond has losing all-time records against Montana (0-1) and Lafayette (0-3).
SACK ATTACK
The Spider defense is on a record-breaking pace when it comes to putting the opposing quarterback on their back. So far this season Richmond has recorded 35 sacks for 216 yards lost. The defense has recorded three or more sacks in seven of the last nine games, including an eight sack performance against Towson, Nov. 12. Sophomore Sherman Logan's eight single-season sacks rank tied for sixth on Richmond's single-season list, while the Spiders' 35 total are the most since 40 for 314 yards in 2000. Logan also leads the A-10 with 0.77 sacks per game.
A RICHMOND WIN WOULD...
-- Give the Spiders a 9-3 mark for the first time since the 1998 season.
-- Mark the longest win streak (eight) for the Spiders since winning nine-straight in 1998.
-- Extend Richmond's win streak over I-AA opponents to nine-straight.
-- Give the Spiders a record of 3-2 in I-AA playoff openers.
-- Mark the Spiders fourth win ever in postseason play, including the Tangerine Bowl win in 1968.
-- Make Richmond 3-4 all-time in the I-AA playoffs and 4-5 in all-time postseason play.
-- Give head coach Dave Clawson his first nine-win season at Richmond.
-- Mark Clawson's first posteseason victory at Richmond.
-- Give Clawson his second postseason victory as a head coach and make his career postseason record 2-1.
-- Make the Spiders 6-6 on the road under Clawson and 4-2 on the road this season.
-- Mark the first win in the overall series for Richmond, making them 1-0 all-time against the Pirates.
-- Move Clawson's marks to 41-40 as a head coach and 102-86-1 in his coaching career.
-- Give Clawson his first all-time win against the Pirates.
-- Push the Spiders into the I-AA quarterfinals for second time in as many playoff appearances.
-- Give the Spiders an all-time record of 449-588-53.
A RICHMOND LOSS WOULD...
-- Give the Spiders an 8-4 mark for the first time since the 1984 season.
-- Snap Richmond's current seven-game win streak.
-- Give the Spiders a record of 2-3 in I-AA playoff openers.
-- Make Richmond 2-5 all-time in the I-AA playoffs and 3-6 in all-time postseason play.
-- Give head coach Dave Clawson a mark of 1-2 all-time in the playoffs, 0-1 at Richmond.
-- Make the Spiders 5-7 on the road under Clawson and 3-3 on the road this season.
-- Move the Spiders to 0-1 all-time against Hampton.
-- Give Clawson a mark of 40-41 as a head coach and 101-87-1 in his coaching career.
-- Move Clawson's all-time head coaching mark to 0-1 against the Pirates.
-- Give the Spiders an all-time record of 448-589-53.
BIG PLAY CAPABILITY
Richmond is very capable of the big play as shown by its list of 23 plays which have gone for 35 yards or more. Against Towson two weeks ago the Spiders had seven plays of 35 or more yards, and four of those went for touchdowns. Richmond's defense has limited opponents to just 12 plays of 35-or-more yards, six going for scores. Six of the 23 plays for Richmond have come on special teams, an area which has drawn the praise of head coach Dave Clawson. Two more have come via interception returns. Nine have been through the air and six have come on the ground. In all the Spiders have amassed 48 points and 1,128 yards in plays longer than 35 yards, compared to 36 points and 640 for opponents' big plays. For a rundown of all the big plays visit page 14 of the notes.
REDZONE ATTACK
The Spiders' offense is no stranger lately to success in the redzone. Richmond scored in 19-straight trips inside the opponent's 20-yard line, prior to snapping the streak in the third quarter against William & Mary. In that streak the Spiders scored 13 touchdowns and recorded six field goals. Richmond has now missed scoring only once in its last 22 trips to the redzone dating back to Oct. 22 against Hofstra, which includes 15 touchdowns and six field goals. In all the Spiders are converting on 79 percent of their trips inside the redzone, with a touchdown percentage of 50 percent. The Richmond defense has allowed opponents 65 percent success on trips into the redzone, which ranks first in the Atlantic 10. For a rundown of redzone activities visit page 15 of the notes.
HE IS GETTING IT THROUGH THE UPRIGHTS
Senior Joseph Fore is among the nation's Top-5 in field goals per game. His average of 1.67 per game ranks fourth best in the nation and is tops in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Since replacing Carter Ball in the field goal and PAT duties, Fore has hit at least one field goal in every game (10), including season-bests of two against Maine, Vanderbilt, Delaware, James Madison, Towson and William & Mary. He also has hit each of his last seven field-goal attempts. Fore is also second in the league in scoring with 8.2 points per game, which ranks 18th in the nation. Fore is 29-32 in PAT attempts and has connected on each of his last 16.
HE'S THE DEEP MAN
Senior David Freeman is among the Top-5 nationally in kickoff return yards per game. The Fayetteville, N.C., native currently is fifth in the nation averaging 28.1 kickoff return yards per game. His average is tops in the A-10. Five of the Spiders' 23 plays of 35-or-more yards are returns by Freeman. He has made returns of 58 yards twice this season, including two weeks ago against Towson. His 36 kickoff return yards last week against William & Mary moved him into 10th all-time in single-season kickoff return yards at Richmond. He passed Jesse Williams, who returned 23 kicks for 487 yards in 1980.
SPECIAL TEAMS ARE TRULY SPECIAL
Three blocks, 1.67 field goals a game, 34.5 net yards punting, 22.8 yards a kickoff return. Richmond's special teams are getting the job done. Head Coach Dave Clawson has praised special teams coordinator Mike Elko for his leadership in making the Spiders' special team units some of the best in the country. Currently the kickoff coverage team, is giving up just 17.5 on returns, which ranks 34th in the country. The punt team is 18th in the country with a net yardage of 34.5, while senior punter Chris Radford's 38.9 yards a punt rank 40th in the nation. Richmond's kickoff return team is averaging 22.8 yards per return, which ranks 10th in the nation and second in the A-10.
NOTES FROM THE WILLIAM & MARY GAME...
-- The 41 points Richmond scored against William & Mary was the fourth-most in series history for the Spiders. Richmond also scored 41 points in 1899.
-- Stacy Tutt has 705 pass attempts, moving into third on the Spiders' all-time list ahead of Buster O'Brien (1966-68) who had 688.
-- Tutt moved into second on the Spiders' all-time list with 6,454 yards of total offense, passing Greg Lilly (1990-93) who had 6,395.
-- Tutt moved into fourth place on the Spiders' single-season list for total offense with 2,629 yards.
-- Tutt moved into 10th all-time for single-season passing yards at Richmond with 1,964 yards.
-- Tutt moved into 10th on the single-season pass completions list with 143.
-- Richmond's offense moved its streak of converting in the redzone to 19-straight trips, before throwing an interception in the redzone in the third quarter. In that streak of 19-straight scoring drives in the redzone, the Spiders scored 13 touchdowns and six field goals.
-- Joseph Fore has hit at least one field goal in each of the last 10 games he has played. He entered the game leading the A-10 in field goals per game and ranked fourth in the country with his average of 1.63.
-- Adam Goloboski and Damien McCallum both made their first interceptions of their careers.
-- The Spiders intercepted two passes against William & Mary, the most since making three picks against Villanova on Oct. 8.
-- Stacy Tutt two interceptions were the most he threw in a game since tossing two picks in his first start of the season at quarterback against Maine on Sept. 17.
-- Tim Hightower rushed for 111 yards, his third 100-yard rushing game of the season.
-- With 36 kickoff return yards Saturday, David Freeman moved into 10th on the Spiders' single-season list, moving ahead of Jesse Willliams (1980). Freeman now has 506 return yards. He entered the game leading the Atlantic 10 and ranking fifth in the nation in return yards at 29.4 per kickoff.
MORE PLAY-OFF INFORMATION AND CONNECTIONS...
-- Richmond wide reeiver coach Latrell Scott was an All-American tight end at Hampton from 1995-98. He was a two-time All-MEAC selections and played in the Pirates' two I-AA playoff games in 1997 and 98.
-- Richmond will be part of the 2005 NCAA Division I-AA Championships for the fifth time in the school's history. Nationally ranked at No. 17, The Spiders earned an at-large bid after winning a share of the Atlantic 10 title with New Hampshire. Richmond has won its last seven contests dating back to Oct. 8 against Villanova, and its last eight against I-AA opponents dating back to Sept. 17 against Maine. In that stretch the Spiders clinched their first A-10 Championship since 2000 -- their third in eight years, an A-10 South Division title for the first time since 1998 and outscored their opponents by an average of 35-16.
-- New Hampshire tops the bracket as the top seed after capturing the automatic qualifying berth from the Atlantic-10 Conference. The Wildcats, who are making their fourth tournament appearance, will be looking to make it past the quarterfinal round for the first time in school history. Appalachian State, which is making its 13th tournament appearance, is the number-two seed. The Mountaineers finished the regular season as the outright champion of the Southern Conference for the first time since 1995. Third-seeded Hampton is the only undefeated team in the field. The Pirates, which captured the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference automatic berth, are making their fourth appearance and looking for their first victory. Rounding out this year's seeded teams is Texas State with the number four seed. The Bobcats, who are making their first appearance in the I-AA football championships, were co-champions from the Southland Conference along with Nicholls State.
-- Richmond head coach Dave Clawson will be on the Atlantic 10 Teleconference Monday morning at 10:20 a.m. Media wanting to join the teleconference should contact the Atlantic 10 Conference office (215-545-6678) for access numbers. The Spiders will hold their regular weekly press conference at 1 p.m. at First Market Stadium (weather permitting). Clawson along with select student-athletes will be available for comment at that time. Clawson will also join Bob Black, Voice of the Spiders, at Buffalo Wild Wings (7801 West Broad Street) Wednesday, Nov. 23, from 7-8 p.m. for the Spider Sportsline.