University of Richmond Athletics
Twelve Spiders Earn All-CAA Honors
RICHMOND, Va. – It has long since been said that the Colonial Athletic Association is the best conference in all of FCS. To be recognized among the best players in the CAA is quite an accomplishment.
That’s exactly what 12 members of the University of Richmond football team achieved on Tuesday when the CAA released its 2016 All-Conference teams.
Five Spiders earned first-team accolades, including three on the offensive side (Brian Brown, Thomas Evans and Griffin Trau) and two on the defensive side (Winston Craig and Omar Howard).
Redshirt junior QB Kyle Lauletta, FB James Pavik and OL Nick Vergos earned second-team offensive accolades, while Brandon Waller was selected to the second-team defensive unit.
Rounding out Richmond’s accolades was Garrett Hudson and Tyler Wilkins on the third-team offense and first-year starter Brendan Coniker on the third-team defense.
In addition to leading the CAA in every receiving category, Brown led the CAA in every receiving category and ranks in the top-five in the nation as well in the same categories. The Richmond, Va. native is currently 17th all-time in FCS history with 3,897 career yards and is just one TD away from tying the all-time program record.
Trau may be the unsung hero for the Spiders this season, knocking down 17 of his 20 field goal attempts and a perfect 36-for-36 on extra points. His 87 points this year rank as the ninth-most in a single season in program history and his 36 extra points put him fifth on Richmond’s all-time single-season list.
Defensively, Craig and Howard were stalwarts on a unit that ranked in the top-five in the country in fewest passing yards allowed, as well as putting up the highest sack and tackle for a loss totals in recent years. Craig ranked second in the league with 7.5 sacks on the year, a career-high, and also blocked a league-high three field goals. Howard led the Spiders in tackles for the second straight year and had a career high eight tackles for a loss this year.
Evans, Vergos and Pavik were integral parts of the blocking attack that helped paved the way for three different 100-yard rushers this season, including five of the final six games.
Lauletta was outstanding in his second year under center for the Spiders. He led the league and ranked in the top-10 in the country with 3,022 yards, his second consecutive 3,000-yard season. He passed for a league-high and career-high 24 TDs, which was just two away from the program’s single-season record.
Waller came back from an injury that kept him out of the majority of last season to rank in the top-10 in the CAA in tackles for a loss and sacks. He was second on the team with nine tackles for a loss and five sacks. He tied for third on the team in total tackles, but missed the final two games of the year with an injury.
Wilkins and Hudson were dynamic passing catching threats for Lauletta, both catching four TDs on the year to rank in the top-10 in the league in that category. Coniker had a breakout year in his first year starting, racking up 76 tackles, which ranked second on the team. He also had two interceptions and a fumble recovery from his safety position.
The Spiders will start their FCS Playoff journey on Saturday, November 26 when they host North Carolina A&T at Robins Stadium. Game time on ESPN3 is set for 2 p.m.