University of Richmond Athletics
Hightower, Ward Lead No. 11 Richmond Past No. 23 Villanova, 35-27, On Homecoming
  Audio Highlights:• Hightower record TD run • Vaughan 22-yd TD run • Howell Interception • Grayson TD & 2-pt. conversion • Ward 9-yd TD run • Sidbury QB sac |
Nov. 3, 2007
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Tim Hightower carried the ball a season-high 36 times for 187 yards and a touchdown, while Eric Ward was 17-of-24 passing for 178 yards and two more scores, as No. 11 Richmond beat No. 23 Villanova, 35-27, in a Homecoming thriller at UR Stadium Saturday afternoon. The Spiders (7-2, 5-1) have now won four straight games.
The win sets the stage for a first-place showdown next Saturday at No. 7 Delaware (8-1, 5-1) as both teams will enter tied atop the CAA South Division standings. Kickoff at Tubby Raymond Stadium is set for 1 p.m. ET.
Hightower, who became just the third back in Richmond history to run for over 3,000 career yards, also set a new career rushing touchdown record with his 30th. He has 16 this season. The senior has rushed for 1,388 yards this season and 3,176 in his career.
A game that saw seven lead changes finally swung the Spiders way for good with 1:27 remaining in the third quarter when Ward hooked up with Kevin Grayson on a 20-yard TD strike. Grayson, back after missing the last two games with an injury, was then on the receiving end of the ensuing two-point conversion toss from Ward that put the Spiders on top 28-21.
On its next drive, Villanova (5-3, 3-3) went 10 plays in 4:03 but could only muster a 35-yard field goal from Joe Marcoux to pull within four at 28-24. The field goal was one of three on the afternoon for Marcoux, who missed a chip shot from 20 yards wide right late in the first half.
Ward's nine-yard TD run with 5:53 remaining in the game was the capper on another clock-eating drive by the Spiders. The 12-play, 73-yard series that milked 6:31 off the clock in the fourth quarter put the game out of reach, leaving the visiting Wildcats less than six minutes to make up nine points.
Marcoux's 28-yarder was good with 17 seconds remaining but Villanova's on-side kick attempt was recovered by Joe Stewart to seal Richmond's third win over a top-25 team this season.
Andrew Howard put Richmond on the board first with a field goal on the Spiders' opening possession of the game. But Villanova responded with some trickery to jump ahead 7-3. WR Phil Atkinson took a backward pass from QB Chris Whitney, and then Atkinson hit Brandyn Harvey for a 43-yard touchdown strike down the sideline.
Whitney was 13-of-24 passing for 186 yards and two TDs and was also Villanova's leading rusher with 64 yards on 16 carries. Harvey, who made five acrobatic catches, finished with 135 yards.
Hightower gave Richmond the lead back as the senior plunged in from a yard out just 31 seconds into the second quarter. Villanova went the more conventional route to recapture the lead as Whitney hit Atkinson for a nine-yard TD at the 11:08 mark of the second quarter.
The back-and-fourth first half rolled on with Richmond going 80 yards on eight plays, capped by a 22-yard TD run from Josh Vaughan that put Richmond up 17-14 with eight minutes to play in the first half.
The Spiders were able to force Villanova into a missed field goal late in the half and took their three-point advantage into the locker room. With the win, the Spiders improved to 22-2 (6-0 this season) under head coach Dave Clawson when leading at the half, 18-4 when scoring first and a spotless 17-0 when surpassing 30-points.
Stewart reeled in a career-high four catches for 36 yards, including two clutch receptions that moved the chains on third down. Justin Rogers, who returned last week from an injury, was dazzling on kick off returns with three for 90 yards, including a 55-yarder.
Eric McBride finished with a game-high 14 tackles, while defending CAA Defensive Player of the Week Stephen Howell made nine stops including an interception early in the second half. Lawrence Sidbury, Jr. made six stops and was in on a sack.
Although Villanova entered the game as the league leader in turnover margin with a plus-13, Howell's interception was the game's lone takeaway.