University of Richmond Athletics
#11 Richmond 35, #23 Villanova 27 - Postgame Notes
Nov. 6, 2007
Richmond improved to 7-2 on the season, surpassing the team's win total from 2006 (6-5). The win marks the earliest the Spiders have reached seven wins since starting both 1998 and 2000 with 7-2 marks -- UR won the A-10 title in each year.
Richmond won its 40th Homecoming Game, improving to 40-32-6 all-time.
The game featured a flyover (pictured right) at the end of the National Anthem by two-F18 Super Hornets from the U.S. Naval Base in Norfolk, Va. One of the pilots, Lisle Lustenberger, is a Richmond grad played on the men's soccer from 1988-90.
With 22 wins from 2005-2007, it marks the second-most wins in a three-year span in school history. The Spiders won 25 between 1998 and 2000.
Walter Payton candidate Tim Hightower has now scored a touchdown in 10-consecutive games and rushed for his 30th career TD to set a new Richmond record, breaking the previous record of 29 held by Uly Scott,
Hightower's 187 yards was his third-best rushing performance of the season, while his 36 attempts were a season high and one off his career-high.
Hightower became just the third Richmond back in history to rush for 3,000 yards in his career and with 3,176 is 345 shy of the Spiders' career mark of 3,520 held by Uly Scott.
With 209 all-purpose yards, it puts Hightower just 11 yards shy of breaking the Richmond career record of 4,000 held by Erwin Matthews.
Averaging 40.0 points/game in its four games at UR Stadium this season, the Spiders are the league's most prolific team at home. Richmond has scored 160 total points by way of a 45-38 win over UNH, a 42-0 shutout of Stony Brook, a 38-6 win over URI and Saturday's 35-27 win over Villanova. UNH's home-scoring average of 39.6 is second followed by Villanova's 39.0.
Under Dave Clawson, the Spiders are now 14-7 when playing as a ranked team (9-4 at home). Richmond also improves to 22-2 when leading at the half, 17-0 when surpassing 30-points and 18-4 when scoring first under Clawson.