Eric Ward's Career Day Leads No. 1 Richmond Past VMI, 38-28

Sept. 26, 2009

RICHMOND, Va. - Senior QB Eric Ward was 28-of-39 passing for a career-best 394 yards and three touchdowns as No. 1 Richmond rolled up 548 yards of total offense in a 38-28 win over VMI Saturday at UR Stadium. Ward's performance stands as the second-best passing mark in school history.

The victory improved the Spiders to 4-0 overall and extended the school record and longest winning streak in the FCS to 13-straight games as the reigning National Champions scored 31 points or more in their 14th-consecutive home game.

Ward tied his career high with 28 completions to six different receivers, including career-highs by sophomore Donte Boston (7 catches, 125 yards) and Kevin Grayson had a game-high nine grabs for 83 yards. All three had TD catches.

Ward's 394 yards through the air stands as the second-best mark in school history, trailing only Buster O'Brien's 447 yards in the 1968 Tangerine Bowl win over Ohio University.

Richmond out-gained the Keydets (1-2) 548-325 in total offense and also got its first 100-yard rushing game of the season - a career-high 152 yards from senior Justin Forte. He and junior RB Tyler Kirchoff each had TD runs.

The Spiders looked to have put the game away midway through the third quarter, after consecutive scores to open the second half made it 31-14. Kirchoff finished off the half-opening drive with his five-yard TD run and Andrew Howard booted a 34-yard field goal on the next possession.

But the Keydets didn't fade, answering with a touchdown drive of 11 plays after the Spiders turned the ball over for the third time in the game. Derek Hatcher coughed up the ball on a punt return, setting up the VMI TD that made the score 31-20.

Richmond, though, slammed the door for good with a clock-eating 13-play, 83-yard drive that ended with a 13-yard TD pass to Grayson. The drive was kept alive by a running-into-the-kicker penalty on a Brian Radford punt and Ward seized the opportunity. He went six-for-six for 65 yards on the drive following the flag.

VMI QB Kyle Hughes, who broke off a 66-yard TD run to cap the scoring, helped put the Keydets on the board first as his 44-yard TD pass to Tim Maypray opened the scoring at the 9:28 mark of the first and stunned the UR Stadium crowd of 7,554.

Richmond responded in a big way - scoring on three-consecutive possessions thanks to a nine-yard run from Forte, a 17-yard strike from Ward to Gray and a dazzling 53-yard pass from Ward to Boston.

VMI would trail just 21-14 at the half after Hughes found Mario Scott for a nine-yard TD with 4:29 left, and Richmond's Howard missed a field goal for the first time this season on a 33-yarder on the half's final play.

Hughes finished the game nine-of-14 passing for 141 yards and two TDs. He also rushed for 133 and two more TDs. Maypray racked up 176 all-purpose yards for the Keydets, who did not turn the ball over. VMI scored 14 points on its three takeaways.

Richmond, which heads into its bye week, returns to action Oct. 10 with a pivotal CAA Football battle at No. 6 James Madison.

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