University of Richmond Athletics
Richmond Ranked No. 3/4 In Final FCS Polls
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. – The University of Richmond football team will officially end the 2015 season ranked No. 3 in in the coaches poll and No. 4 in the nation by the STATS FCS Poll, its highest rankings since closing the 2009 campaign ranked No. 5. It is also the first time the Spiders have closed back-to-back seasons nationally ranked since the 2008, '09 seasons.
The Spiders posted a 10-4 overall record to go with a 6-2 mark in the CAA, which landed them the league’s automatic qualifier to the 2015 FCS Playoffs. Richmond earned the No. 7 seed and defeated William & Mary and second-seeded Illinois State to advance the semifinals for the third time in program history before losing to eventual national champion North Dakota State.
Richmond’s third appearance in the FCS semifinals came in a season at the beginning of which the program was picked to finish fifth in the CAA preseason poll. The Spiders rolled out a seven-game win streak, claimed a fourth CAA title and had multiple individuals set single-season records, some that had stood for nearly a decade.
Four individuals earned All-American accolades and head coach Danny Rocco was chosen as the CAA Coach of the Year. The Spiders placed 13 players on CAA All-Conference teams, including seven first team selections with RB Jacobi Green headlining the group as a finalist for the Dudley Award, which recognizes the state of Virginia’s top football player.
Eight starters on both offense and defense, 16 total, will return to the roster next season as well as All-CAA placekicker Peter Yoder. The 2016 season kicks off on Sept. 3 at Virginia.