University of Richmond Athletics
Football Preview: #4 Richmond at #15 Elon
**LIVE VIDEO STREAMING IS AVAILABLE FOR SATURDAY'S GAME AT ELON, CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION. (Please note, a subscription is required through the Southern Conference website to view this game. This is not part of your current SpiderTV/All-Access subscription.)
#4 Richmond Spiders (0-0)
vs.
#15 Elon Phoenix (0-0)
Rhodes Stadium (11,250) • Elon, N.C.
August 30, 2008 • 7 p.m. ET
Television: None.
Radio: ESPN 950 AM and Wolf 93.1 FM in Richmond with Bob Black (play-by-play), fomer Spider defensive lineman Jasmonn Coleman '97 (analyst) and Matt Smith '92 (sideline).
Satellite Radio: None.
Internet Broadcast: SoCon.tv (video - see above); RichmondSpiders.com & espn950am.com (audio)
Weekly Releases:
Richmond: PDF 
Elon: PDF
CAA Football: PDF
Southern Conference: PDF
Weekly Audio/Video Archive:
CAA Football Teleconference #1: Audio 
Richmond Weekly Presser #1: Audio Coach Mike London
Seniors Sherman Logan and Josh Vaughan
Quick Slants:
• Coming off the most successful season in school history, the Richmond Spiders open the 2008 season where the magical 2007 run ended -- in the Tar Heel State of North Carolina -- battling 15th-ranked Elon in the season-opener for both teams.
• The Spiders' Mike London is making his head-coaching debut after 20 years as an assistant coach, including previous stops at Richmond, in the NFL for the Houston Texans, and most recently as the defensive coordinator at Virginia.
• London is a 1983 Richmond graduate and is the first alum to lead the Spiders' football program since Ed Merrick (1951-65).
• In 2007, Richmond won a school record 11 games (11-3), reached the NCAA National Semifinals (falling to eventual Champion Appalachian State in Boone, N.C.), won the CAA Football Championship and finished with a school-record No. 4 national rank.
• The Spiders return 16 starters from last year's team, including nine All-Conference performers and two All-America selections in junior OL Matthew McCracken and sophomore kick returner Justin Rogers. Both McCracken and Rogers were 2008 Preseason All-America picks, along with senior DE's Sherman Logan and Lawrence Sidbury, Jr.
• Richmond enters 2008 as a unanimous Preseason Top-10 selection by the major publications covering FCS football, including No. 4 by the Sports Network.
• The 2008 season marks the 126th season of football at Richmond and is the 40th Anniversary of the 1968 team that finished 8-3 and won the Tangerine Bowl.
Up Next:
Virginia is Richmond's next opponent, next Saturday in Charlottesville at 3:45 p.m. ET on ESPNU.