University of Richmond Athletics
No. 2 Richmond Begins National Title Defense Saturday At Duke
Sept. 1, 2009
No. 2 Richmond Spiders (0-0)
vs.
Duke Blue Devils (0-0)
Wallace Wade Stadium (33,941) • Durham, N.C.
Sept. 5, 2009 • 7 p.m. ET
Television: None.
Radio: Richmond ISP Sports Network (ESPN 950 AM and Wolf 93.1 FM in Richmond) with Bob Black (play-by-play), former Spider defensive lineman Jasmonn Coleman '98 (analyst), Matt Smith '92 (sideline) and Matt Josephs (studio host).
Internet Video Broadcast: RichmondSpiders.com & TheACC.com
Internet Audio Broadcast: RichmondSpiders.com; espn950am.com
Weekly Releases:
Richmond: PDF 
Duke: PDF
CAA Football: PDF
ACC Football: PDF
Weekly Audio/Video:
CAA Football Teleconference: Coach London 
Spiders Weekly Press Conference #1: Video (Coming Wednesday) 
Spiders Weekly Press Conference #1: Audio London | Ward & McBride
Quick Slants:
• No. 2 Richmond begins defense of its 2008 Division I National Championship at Duke Saturday night in Durham, N.C.
• The Spiders are coming off a school-record 13 wins last season and carry a nine-game winning streak inot the contest. That streak is the second-longest in the FCS and third-longest in all of Division I football. Richmond has also won six-straight road games.
• From last year's National Championship team, the Spiders return 18 starters (7 offense, 9 defense, 2 kickers), including four All-America honorees from last season -- OL Matt McCracken, OL Michael Silva, LB Eric McBride and CB Justin Rogers.
• Richmond returns to Durham for the first time since handing Duke a 13-0 defeat on Sept. 2, 2006. That victory is one of 16 by CAA Football teams over FBS competition since 1997 -- UR has two.
• The Richmond-Duke rivalry dates back to the 1924 season, with the Blue Devils holding a 9-2 lead.
• Senior QB Eric Ward, who picked up his first career win against Duke in 2006 in his first career start, returns as one of the Spiders' seven Preseason All-America picks. He is 30-10 as Richmond's starter.
• Ward is one of four senior captains for the 2009 season that were selected by the team: McCracken, LB Collin McConaghy and DB Seth Williams.
• Former Spider DE Lawrence Sidbury was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 2009, becoming the third Richmond player in two years to be drafted. RB Tim Hightower was a fifth-round pick in 2008 and led all NFC rookies in rushing TDs for the NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals.
Up Next:
The Spiders open CAA South Division play next Saturday at Delaware. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. in a game televised live on The Comcast Network and Comcast Charter Sports Southeast.