City Stadium to the Dogs? And Highlights

by DB

I was definitely thinking it all week: I’m glad the Spiders have a week out of CAA play to recover from Delaware, iron out the apparent kinks, and start feeling better about themselves. Of Coastal Carolina, I was unconcerned.

After being out doing other things, I only watched a few minutes of the fourth quarter online. I didn’t intend to watch any of the game at the start of the day, but the Spiders have had a way of sucking me in each Saturday so far this year. A young team (and coach) looking to establish itself (himself) and maintain the run of recent success is far more interesting than an experienced group ticking of wins en route to the real season, the playoffs.

It wasn’t pretty- save for the sharp red jerseys!– but the Spiders managed to take care of business against CCU this time. On a day that, at least in the Shadow of Local BCS U, was a postcard of fall with brisk temps and cool sunshine, the Spiders almost got caught watching the leaves. Elon game hero Tyler Kirchoff’s fumble at the beginning of the fourth quarter and the ensuing CCU touchdown made the game a little too interesting. Not until Patrick Weldon’s end zone INT did a sense of comfort start to settle in. The final score of 41-19 after Justin Rogers’ late TAINT (touchdown and interception) really doesn’t do the game justice: a romp it was not.

Despite the late fumble, richmondspiders.com says Kirchoff’s four TDs powered the Spiders.

JOC explains how the senior leadership on the young team saved the day in the Times-Dispatch.

The Richmond highlight package from SpiderTVHD is here:

Quick note: the highlight packages are great UR, but maybe add some graphics with game situation info to make them a little more user friendly and easier to follow after the fact?

For the other perspective, the local Sun News has the Coastal Carlina wrap-ups:

Errors ultimately doomed the Chanticleers writes Ryan Young.

Also, check out a quarter-by-quarter breakdown of key moments.

(I can’t find CCU highlights anywhere. I’d like to see a comparison. If you can find video, let me know!)

Back inside the CAA, Richmond’s opponent next weekend, the UNH Wildcats, went up to Orono and lost the Brice-Cowell Musket to Maine 16-13 in overtime. Maine now holds the musket for the first time since 2002. UR and William & Mary’s Capital Cup is lightyears better than the I-64 Trophy, but it still doesn’t approach the cache of playing for a musket. Very cool. Of course, I love all of the yard sale trophies in college football.

The Brice-Cowell Musket? Could be.

As for UNH, they lost to URI two weeks ago and now Maine: the (previously) #14 Wildcats, with only OOC wins against Lehigh and Central Connecticut State, join UR as another CAA team that desperately needs to impress and establish itself in-conference next weekend. It’ll be a tough trip for the Spiders.

In the weekend’s featured CAA tilt, Delaware and JMU battled up in Harrisonburg for an early edge towards the league title. Delaware emerged 13-10 victors after a last-second field goal. For highlights of that one, William & Mary’s upset of #1 Villanova, and the rest of the weekend’s action from around the league, head over to CAA Football Blog.

Two items in other news:

First, following up my post from earlier in the week, Tim Stauffer did his thing again yesterday to boost the Padres’ playoff chances. More coverage of Tim from the San Diego Union-Tribune says his patience pays off. And for Insiders on ESPN, Buster Olney discusses Tim’s impressive September in his blog here. Congrats Tim! If nothing else, hopefully this starts are a hint of even better things to come next summer from the Spider.

And lastly, according to this post on JMU Sports Blog which includes a link to a members-only story in the local Daily News-Record, JMU officials are in talks to use City (formerly UR) Stadium as a home venue for a potential FCS playoff game (construction is set to resume on JMU’s Bridgeforth Stadium immediately following the Dukes’ final home game). How ironic. Or poetic? Or something, but it definitely made me laugh. After all these years, they can finally make City Stadium an official home game. Enjoy it Dukes, it’s all yours. Now if UR can only manage to provide the opposition…