University of Richmond Athletics
No. 7 Spiders Roll Over Bucknell, 48-21
Sept. 23, 2006
Final Stats | Quotes | Notes | Photo Gallery
By Ivan Abler
RichmondSpiders.com
RICHMOND, VA. --
Richmond football finished its non-conference schedule with an impressive 48-21 rout at home against the Patriot League's Bucknell Bison.Although both offenses sputtered through the early part of the first quarter, the slow start was in no way a sign of things to come. Richmond, after scoring 58 in last week's win against VMI and 48 to beat Bucknell, set a new school record for most points in back-to-back games.
Bucknell struck first with 4:48 left in the first quarter on a one-yard touchdown sneak by quarterback Andrew Lair. Just 30 seconds later, Richmond rallied to tie the game on a deep play-action pass from redshirt freshman quarterback Eric Ward to senior receiver Matt Hale. Starting with that 65-yard score, the longest play from scrimmage this season, Richmond rattled off 41 unanswered points to steadily pull away from the Bison.
"We threw the ball well at times," Spider head coach Dave Clawson said, "and we made some good plays in the passing game which is good to see. After the first score we found some consistency and I think defensively our first group did very well after the first drive."
After Richmond pulled ahead 14-7 early in the second quarter on a one-yard touchdown run from sophomore running back Josh Vaughan, freshman kicker Andrew Howard extended the lead even further with two field goals later in the half. The two kicks, from 37 and 42 yards out, were the longest of Howard's young career.
Richmond's first-string defense added another astounding performance to its resume, holding Bucknell to just 82 yards of total offense and two first downs in the opening half. Junior safety Andrew Harris led the unit with seven tackles and an interception, his third career pick and the team's first of the season.
The Spiders established a balanced attack, with 243 yards on the ground and 250 yards through the air. The rushers averaged 6.6 yards per carry, led by Josh Vaughan 12 carries for 90 yards including two scores.
"The offensive line did a great job today," Vaughan said. "They opened up some running lanes. Coach [Wayne] Lineburg and Coach [Dave] Clawson told us to hit the vertical seams so that's what we tried to do. The offensive line created those seams, so we just tried to hit them as fast as we could and then make people miss in the secondary."
Hale, Richmond's leading receiver against Bucknell, grabbed three catches for 86 yards and the team's opening score. Junior wideout Andy Lehatto created a highlight reel of his own with two fourth-quarter touchdown receptions, his first career scores, and 73 yards for the game.
Many of Richmond's backups, including sophomore quarterback Levi Brown and freshman running back Justin Forte, entered the game late in the third quarter.
The Spiders, despite entering the game 0-for-3 on 4th down conversions this season, succeeded on all three of their attempts against Bucknell. The first two conversions came on a second-quarter drive which ended in a successful field goal. The third conversion, off a 4th-and-7 in the fourth quarter, ended up being a 24-yard touchdown strike from Brown to Lehatto.
The Bison were crippled by serious injuries early on in the game. Freshman tailback Rashod Bumpers tore his ACL after landing awkwardly on a reception in the first quarter. Lair, Bucknell's sophomore quarterback, dislocated his shoulder after being tackled late in the second quarter.
Richmond will start its league play at UR Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 30, against Northeastern. Game time is set for 1 p.m.