9 CONFERENCE TITLES 7 NCAA PLAYOFF APPEARANCES 45 ALL-AMERICANS SINCE ‘69 GAME: 6 #7 Richmond Spiders vs. #5 Montana Grizzlies 2008 FCS National Championship Game vs. Finley Stadium (20,668) • Chattanooga, Tenn. Dec. 19, 2008 • 8 p.m. ET • TV: ESPN2 • Radio: ESPN 950 AM Quick Slants • No. 7 Richmond makes the school’s first-ever appearance in an CONTENTS Roster -- (pg. 9) NCAA National Championship game Friday night, battling No. 5 Depth Chart -- (pg.10) INSIDE THE MATCH-UP Montana for the 2008 FCS title, live on ESPN2/ESPN2-HD. Team Statistics -- (pgs. 13-22) THE TEAMS • The Spiders are making their seventh all-time appearance in the Player Capsules -- (pg. 23-27) Richmond Spiders FCS Playoffs, their second-straight and third in the last four years. Game Recaps -- (pg. 29-37) UR’s NCAA Capsules -- (pg. 38) Record: 12-3 (6-2 CAA) • Richmond and Montana have met just once before -- the 2000 Clips File -- (blue-colored pages) Ranking: No. 7 (Sports Network) quarterfinals and the Griz ousted the Spiders, 34-20, in Missoula. Playoff Selection / Seed: At-Large / -- • Richmond has won eight-consecutive games, while knocking off “The Drive” -- With no timeouts, Last Game: Win at No. 4 Northern Iowa, 21-20 three-straight conference champs -- No. 21 EKU (OVC), No. 2 App. Eric Ward marched Richmond 62 State (SoCon) and No. 4 UNI (MVFC) -- during the 2008 playoffs. yards in 90 seconds to complete a Montana Grizzlies • The Spiders scored 14-unanswered points in the fourth quarter thrilling comeback. (pg. 6) Record: 14-1 (7-1 Big Sky) and rallied from a 20-7 deficit to beat UNI in a semifinal thriller Ranking: No. 5 (Sports Network) last Saturday. Richmond went ahead with 14 seconds remaining on UR’s Stonewall Defense -- The Playoff Selection / Seed: At-Large / No. 4 junior QB Eric Ward’s 13-yard TD pass to senior TE Joe Stewart. Richmond defense ranks as one of the best units in the NCAA. Last Game: Win at No. 1 James Madison, 35-27 • Ward (pictured) en- (pg. 3, 4) joyed a career day to lift THE SERIES Richmond to the National For-WARD Progress -- Junior QB Overall Record: Montana leads 1-0 Championship game. He Eric Ward has 12 wins and 23 TD Games at Richmond, Va.: Never met was 28-of-35 in the UNI passes in 17 games versus Top Games at Missoula, Mont.: Montana leads 1-0 win, with 280 yards passing, 25 teams. (pg. 5) Last Meeting: Montana 34, Richmond 20 (12/2/00) two TDs and a rushing TD. Vaulting Vaughan -- Senior TB • First Team All-CAA THE COACHES Josh Vaughan has soared to CB Justin Rogers is one of fourth on the Spiders’ all-time Richmond the most versatile threats rushing chart (pg. 3) Mike London (Richmond ‘83) in the FCS, with seven in- Record at Richmond: 12-3 (1st year) terceptions, 20 pass break- Rogers Neighborhood -- Justin Overall Record: 12-3 (1st year) ups, three defensive TDs, a Rogers has seven interceptions Record vs. Montana: 0-0 blocked punt, a fumble re- and three defensive TDs. (pg. 6) Record in FCS Playoffs: 3-0 covery and a forced fumble. Pick ‘Em -- Richmond has inter- He was an All-American Montana cepted a school-record 28 passes kick returner last season. Bobby Hauck (Montana ‘88) this season. (pg. 4) • Anchored by senior Record at Montana: 66-15 (6th year) Road Warriors -- The Spiders are Overall Record: 66-15 (6th year) DEs Lawrence Sidbury and Sherman Logan, the Spiders 12-3 in their last 15 road games Record vs. Richmond: 0-0 versus FCS teams. (pg. 7) Record in FCS Playoffs: 8-5 rank sixth in the FCS in total defense. This season 11 op- Free Football -- Richmond owns TELEVISION ponents have failed to rush an 8-1 record all-time in games Network: ESPN2/ESPN2-HD/ESPN360.com for more than 100 yards. decided in overtime. (pg. 8) Talent: Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Brock Huard (analyst) Richmond (12-3) Montana (14-1) Date Rank Opponent TV Time/Result Date Rank Opponent TV Time/Result RADIO Aug. 30 15 at Elon -- W 28-10 Sep. 6 11 at Cal Poly CWT W 30-28 Sep. 13 -- Southern Utah CWT W 46-10 Richmond ISP Sports Network Sep. 6 -- at Virginia ESPNU L 0-16 Sep. 13 -- Towson * -- W 45-14 Sep. 20 -- UC Davis CWT W 29-24 Flagship: ESPN 950 AM Sep. 20 rv Maine * -- W 44-17 Sep. 27 -- Central Washington CWT W 38-35 Talent: Bob Black (play-by-play), Sep. 27 19 at Villanova * CN8 L 20-26 Oct. 4 -- at Weber State * KPAX L 45-28 Jasmonn Coleman (analyst), Matt Smith (sideline), Oct. 4 -- at VMI -- W 56-16 Oct. 11 23 at Eastern Washington * KPAX W 19-3 Matt Josephs (studio host) Oct. 11 1 James Madison * CSN L 31-38 Oct. 18 -- Sacramento State * KPAX W 43-7 Internet: RichmondSpiders.com; espn950am.com Oct. 18 10 at Massachusetts * CN8 W 30-15 Oct. 25 -- at Northern Colorado * KPAX W 41-20 Oct. 25 -- Georgetown -- W 48-0 Nov. 1 19 Northern Arizona * KPAX W 45-10 Nov. 8 -- at Hofstra * -- W 34-14 Nov. 8 -- at Portland State * KPAX W 29-12 MEDIA INFORMATION Nov. 15 -- Delaware * CN8 W 31-14 Nov. 15 -- Idaho State * KPAX W 29-10 Richmond Nov. 22 16 at William & Mary * CSN( OT) W 23-20 Nov. 22 -- Montana State * KPAX W 35-3 Mike DeGeorge, Assistant Dir. of Athletic P.R. Nov. 29 21 Eastern Kentucky NCAA -- W 38-10 Nov. 29 23 Texas State NCAA -- W 31-13 Cell: (804) 399-8916 Dec. 6 2 at Appalachian State NCAA ESPNG W 33-13 Dec. 6 10 Weber State NCAA ESPNG W 24-13 Office: (804) 287-6313 Dec. 13 4 at Northern Iowa NCAA ESPN W 21-20 Dec. 12 1 at James Madison NCAA ESPN2 W 35-27 Email: [email protected] Dec. 19 5 vs Montana NCAA ESPN2 8 p.m. Dec. 19 7 vs Richmond NCAA ESPN2 8 p.m. Rankings reflect Sports Network poll for week of game played Rankings reflect Sports Network poll for week of game played RICHMOND VS MONTANA FCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP FOOTBALL NOTES PAGE A Richmond Win Would... Media Services • Give the Spiders the first NCAA National Championship for any MEDIA REQUESTS sport in school history. Contact Mike DeGeorge in the Richmond Athletic Public Relations Of- • Give Richmond 13 wins on the season, breaking the school record of fice (office: 804-287-6313; cell: 804-399-8916 or [email protected]) 12 set with last Saturday’s win at UNI. Just two teams in the 126 years to arrange all interviews with Richmond players or coaches. Below is a of Richmond Football have reached the 11-win plateau (2007, 2008). schedule of when both players and Head Coach Mike London will be avail- • Give Richmond a nine-game winning streak -- its longest since win- able: ning nine-straight in 1998 (10-consecutive wins from 1972-73 in the • Sunday: LIMITED -- contact DeGeorge for requests. school record). • Monday: LIMITED -- contact DeGeorge for requests; London on • Improve the Spiders to 13-3 overall (8-2 on the road; 5-1 at home) as CAA Teleconference (info below). a ranked team under Mike London. • Tuesday: London and players available throughout the day and • Move the team’s record to 53-27 as a ranked team (in the Sports Net- following practice. work poll) since 1993, and 22-5 since the start of 2007. • Wednesday: London and selected players available at Richmond’s • Improve the Spiders to 31-39 when playing against a ranked team weekly press conference (1 p.m.) ... audio/video posted on (Sports Network poll) since 1995, but 13-3 since the start of 2007. RichmondSpiders.com following press conference. • Mark the program’s 39th win over the last four years (9, 6, 11, 13) -- • Thursday: London and players available throughout the day and the most of any four-year stretch in school history. The previous best following practice. was 30 wins between 1997-00 (6, 9, 5, 10). • Friday: NO INTERVIEWS • Saturday: London and select players available after game. The locker Richmond Has 12 Named All-CAA room will be closed to the media. On the heels of 15 All-Conference selections in 2007, the Spiders had 12 more players earn All-CAA honors this season in voting con- PHOTOGRAPHY REQUESTS ducted by the league’s head coaches. For special photography needs contact Scott Brown (scott@skbphoto. Richmond’s six First Team honorees was second only to the seven com) or DeGeorge in the Richmond Athletic Public Relations Office. first-team picks from Massachusetts. James Madison had five. • First Team Offense: Josh Vaughan (RB); Kevin Grayson (WR), VIDEO REQUESTS Matthew McCracken (OL) For special video needs contact Brooks Blake or Blake Ellet in the Rich- • First Team Defense: Lawrence Sidbury (DL), Eric McBride mond Athletics Video Department (804-287-6569). (LB), Justin Rogers (CB) • Second Team Offense: John Crone (FB), Michael Silva (OL), PRACTICE COVERAGE Andrew Howard (PK), Derek Hatcher (PR) Richmond’s practices are open to the media. Please contact DeGeorge • Second Team Defense: Sherman Logan (DL) in the Athletic Public Relations office for schedule, times and location. • Third Team Defense: Collin McConaghy (LB) CAA FOOTBALL TELECONFERENCE The Griz In The Playoffs Coach Mike London is available each Monday at 10:10 a.m. ET on the For the fourth-straight week in the playoffs, the Spiders face a CAA Football Coaches’ Teleconference. Media members wishing to access team with a rich postseason tradition.