University of Richmond Athletics
Battle Named CAA Football Defensive Player Of The Week
Sept. 21, 2009
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Richmond senior DE Nicholas Battle was named the CAA Football Defensive Player of the Week Monday after a playing a key role in the No. 1 Spiders' 47-0 whitewash of Hofstra Saturday at UR Stadium.
The victory improved the reigning National Champions to 3-0 overall, 2-0 in CAA Football play. Richmond's winning streak is now 12-consecutive games, which ranks as the longest in the FCS and is the second-longest in Division-I behind Florida's 13 games.
Battle, who picked up his first-ever CAA weekly award and the team's third of the season, made a total of five stops in the game, recorded a career-high 2.5 tackles for loss (17 yards), had one sack (12 yards), forced two fumbles and recovered a fumble.
The San Diego, Calif. native forced a first-quarter fumble that led to a Richmond field goal. Two possessions later, his strip-sack of the Hofstra QB was scooped up and returned 36 yards to set up the Spiders' first touchdown. Battle then fell on a loose ball following another strip-sack in the second quarter, and a touchdown on the ensuing possession put the Spiders up 24-0.
A senior but first-year starter on the defensive line, Battle triggered a defensive effort that garnered its fourth shutout in the last four seasons, limited Hofstra to 199 total yards and just 13 on the ground.
Richmond remains home this Saturday, as celebrations continue around the 81st and final season at UR Stadium. The Spiders host VMI in the 86th meeting between the Commonwealth rivals at 3:30 p.m.