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2023 Richmond Spiders Football - Opponent's Countdown - Hampton

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Family Day at The Brick House when the Pirates arrive...many have commented about the Spiders schedule being conducive for 7/8/9 wins...opening the CAA battle with Stony Brook and Hampton proves the point...the Seawolves and Pirates combined last season for a 2-14 CAA record...the CAA preseason poll picks them for 14th and 15th again this season!

taking this scheduling thing a step further if you add Morgan State and Delaware St's. overall 2022 records to those of Stony Brook and Hampton you get an 15-29 result from our first four FCS opponents...

if the Spiders can stay focused, as likely significant favorites in each of these games, these should be impressive wins, but even if we do not stumble I'm a little anxious that we still won't know whether we're ready to battle for the CAA Championship, or not...

the schedule gets tougher following Hampton, but I believe not going up against a Championship contender until game 7 is the downside of this early schedule...let's hope I can forget about it when we are 4-1, 2-0 CAA going in the Maine game!

Hampton is in the process of attempting to build their program to the CAA level...Coach Prunty acknowledges there's a good ways to go...they should be better this season and could be capable of a few wins...as long as one doesn't come against the Spiders I'm all for the Pirates!

enjoy the Countdown...

Go Spiders!

Billy Cosh leaving to become OC at Western Michigan

Tell us it ain’t true.

Western Michigan: FootballScoop can confirm that Richmond (FCS - VA) offensive coordinator Billy Cosh will be the new offensive coordinator for the Broncos. Pete Thamel was first to share the news. Sources share that Lance Taylor vetted a number of candidates for the opening the past several days, including Joe Davis who spent last season at Eastern Illinois (FCS).

2023 Richmond Spiders Football - Opponents Countdown - Delaware State

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the Hornets could be the perfect opponent for the Spiders who'll be coming off of the BCS game and preparing for the CAA opener the following week...

the Morgan State opener could be a preview of this one as Delaware State is also projected to finish in the lower half of the MEAC...

we should be prohibitive favorites regardless of what happens in East Lansing... this game gives us a chance to have ourselves ready for the CAA battle if we don't get caught looking ahead...

I hope it'll demonstrate the progress we've made on the field after two more weeks of practice and two games...to stay in the CAA Championship battle I expect we'll have to get better every week...

enjoy the Countdown...

Go Spiders!
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2023 Richmond Spiders Football - Prologue - Hampton

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it's amazing how much better an unlikely, white knuckle win over a winless Stony Brook team made this fan and some others I know feel...I guess it was the dramatic finish and the fight the defense and patch work offense exhibited in overcoming multiple challenges...the "ugly" win kept hope alive for the season!

now, here we are a week later faced with a similar challenge, but in comfortable setting of The Brick House and better weather...can the players and coaches put together another game plan and effort that can overcome the challenges that remain?...uncertainty and inexperience at QB...starters missing from the OL...a Hampton team that'll come to the game hungry to start their CAA slate...the Pirates could be a lot better than Stony Brook?

I have confidence our defense, despite its own injuries, will give us a chance to win this game...it's likely, regardless of who's at QB, to be another challenging offensive struggle...but if we see the effort and spirit demonstrated on Long Island we should do "just enough" to get the job done...

it may be a slugfest, and ugly as can be, but a 2-0 CAA start keeps hope alive for another week!

enjoy the Prologue...

Go Spiders!

2023 Richmond Spiders Football - Opponent's Countdown - Stony Brook

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the CAA scheduler's dealt the Spiders an attractive schedule this season, but nothings ever quite perfect...I'd prefer not traveling to Long island nemesis Stony Brook for the CAA opener...Coach Huesman might too, but then again maybe he like to get it behind us?

anything can happen up there and it has...remember the great 2016 team that waxed UVA in the opener...I believe it was 42-14 Seawolves when they manhandled us two weeks later at Lavalle Stadium...the only time we've ever won there was 2013, before Stony Brook entered the CAA

last season was a 2-9 collapse for long time coach Chuck Priore, but he seems like an old school guy willing to take action...he went out and picked up 18 transfers from the Portal...15 come to Long Island from FBS/BCS programs...he also got a new offensive coordinator...

the CAA scheduling software didn't do Stony Brook any favors...they will be battle tested by September 23...they open with Delaware, Rhode Island and Arkansas State before the Spiders arrive...

everything should point to a big Spiders win, but we're going to Stony Brook and anything can happen!

road wins are necessary to win a CAA Championship...regardless of our history at Stony Brook, if we are going to be a Champion, we have to bring back a win from this forlorn place exorcise the demons...bring home an important road win...

enjoy the Countdown...

Go Spiders!

The ruining QB O

Can we just stop with using the QB as a running option? They are not running backs. They are slower and not as quick, they are big lumbering targets. The have enough to do without being part of a running plan. Remove the option. Concentrate the blocking schemes on pass protection. Power short gains and springing the smaller faster quicker running backs.
We’ve had at least two seasons ruined by qb runs - Lauletta’s WM knee ( yes a scramble and a gamble) and the tech game.
Remove even practicing any qb run plays and work in the passing game.
PLEASE.

2023 Richmond Spiders Football - Prologue - Stony Brook

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if things weren't challenging enough playing the Seawolves on Long Island, it looks like the weather will be a large factor also...Stony Brook coach Chuck Priore has always had a "run first" philosophy...Monday he said two of his best running backs would be returning this weekend against the Spiders...

until this week I'd have said bring on the running game...that'd be playing right into the Spiders front seven defensive strength...however Coach Huesman spent a good bit of his media time hammering the UR defense...when asked yesterday if he wanted to back off of the concern he expressed earlier in the week...he doubled down reiterating if the Spiders defense plays as it did against Delaware State, Stony Brook will score 40, we'll have to score 41 to win...

I don't know what to think now, but I'll go out on a limb, the Spiders will not score 41, or give up 40, but I hope Huesman's public concern serves as powerful motivation...

if you can remember our losses at Stony Brook, I expect you'll agree with another of Coach Huesman's warnings...the Spiders should expect the Seawolves to be extremely physical in all three phases...on Monday Coach went so far as to say if we didn't match their physicality we had no chance to win...

both squads need a meaningful win badly...Stony Brook is already 0-2 in the CAA with losses to Rhode Island and Delaware...Priore says despite the record things are coming together and he believes his team will be ready with a winning mentality...

I'm not sure what type of mentality the Spiders will take to Long Island, but I hope the flight gives them time to think about our disappointing play so far versus far better preseason expectations...one thing most Spiders fans can agree on...our team needs to play better...if we can find a way to win this likely slugfest things will look far brighter next week...

enjoy the Prologue...

Go Spiders!

U.S. News 2021 Rankings: UR @ #22

Highest ranking ever, edging out the #23 ranking in 2018 and 2020, although we're actually tied at #22 with Barnard and Bates.

2021: 22
2020: 23
2019: 25
2018: 23
2017: 27
2016: 32
2015: 30
2014: 25
2013: 28
2012: 27
2011: 32
2010: 30
2009: 33
2008: 40
2007: 34
2006: 34

Mooney Q&A

Nothing surprising in here, but it's a pretty quick read on his heart issue, last season, the NIL/transfer landscape, and a few other bits.

Jamie Phillips Jr. - 2024 Offer

Richmond University offer for 6'5" G out of Winter Haven, FL. He calls himself a PG in his Twitter bio, but Verbal Commits has him as a SG. Has a bit of bulk, listed at 205 most places but I see one at 215 which might be more accurate just based on looks.

Gipe is yet again the man doing the legwork.

Siena offer a couple years ago and Stetson last summer. Don't see anything more recent.


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McGonigal and Fahed elevated to assistant coaches

They've been promoted under the new NCAA rule that allows two additional staff members to be designated as assistant coaches to perform coaching activities. They are not allowed to do off-campus recruiting though.

2023 Richmond Spiders Football - Prologue - Delaware State

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are the Spiders the only football team in the country that has opened the season against three States? Morgan, Michigan and Delaware?...

it's been another long week of all eyes focused on the offense, and hopefully a few on the specialty teams, as they try to become the positive factors Richmond fans thought they would be this season...

the questions continue to be pretty much the same and the answers likewise...often very simple...block better, hold the block, protect the QB etc....facing another MEAC opponent, Coach Huesman and several players acknowledged being better prepared for this one, possessing a sense of urgency and realizing the importance of this game...

we'll see if this combination of intangibles and tangibles removes some of the gloom hanging over the disappointing start...it's our last chance to get things pointed in the right direction before the games become much tougher and more important!

enjoy the Prologue...

Go Spiders!

2023 Offseason Grade

D+/C-
Couldn't decide between the two.

Guards
With very little returning known production, we needed some big hits here. Mooney started off with a big one in a smaller package in Jordan King. Looks like a home run, and should give us more scoring than we had at this position, as well as ability to create shots, etc. Great start to portal season. We also added Trevor Smith, who was a pretty highly touted guard out of h.s. I also like the Tyne pick up, another smaller guard, but looks to be able to hit shots. Two solid high school pick ups. We were in the running for Darius Brown, who I think would have formed a super A10 back court with King. That was a big miss. I would have liked to seen one more really productive guard like Brown. I do think between Dji, Roche, transfer add Hunt, and the two promising freshman we should be able to find some production. I think best case scenario is for Dji to be the guy here, cut down TO's and play 25 minutes a game. Hunt and the freshman alongside King makes a very smallish back court. That has worked OK for us in the past, but with no Burton and Quinn not a guy that rebounds outside of his radius, think we need a big athletic guard like Dji to play along with King. As much as we added and have coming back, we really still have a lot of question marks.
Forwards
We had all year to find a replacement for Reed. Did not happen. Mooney seemed to put all his eggs in the Burton returning basket. Big whiff. Tanner coming in is a good pick up, but again in this era of 5 year players it is hard to predict a freshman having a big impact. I love his production at a high level h.s. league. but we could have used another athletic forward to at the very least play defense and rebound. Hopefully Tyler Harris embraces this type of role, though he has been listed as a guard, seems more perimeter oriented. I get that the game has changed and is more perimeter oriented, but when you can't stop people and get out worked and out rebounded badly, it does impact your ability to win. You kind of need to at least be competent in all areas. Noyes fulfilling his promise this year, and being able to guard big forwards and rebound would really cover up this miss. Otherwise this is going to be the area that causes us to be a sub .500 team.

Overall, we brought in King from the portal. And missed or not involved with a lot of other guys we could have used. Likely NIL played a part, but that is part of the the $1.3 Million job description now. Need really big years from Dji, Noyes, and one more player not named King to have a top of the A10 team. I am hoping for it, but a lot of production required from unproven guys up to this point.

2023 Richmond Spiders Football - Prologue - Michigan State

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most Spiders fans knew we would have to get better almost every week of the season to play meaningful football in November...Morgan State just showed us we've got to go much further than we thought...

opportunity areas abound...the improvement has to start Saturday in East Lansing ...hopefully the fixes will show up despite the BCS opponent and what the scoreboard may say...

Satchmo is certainly among the many Spiders fans who are discouraged and shocked...I understand the frustration of many, but I won't give up on the season until its clear we can't, or won't, improve enough to make something out of the season...

enjoy the Prologue and hope for a better day

Go Spiders!

Jack Graham - 2023 Walk-On Commit

This comes a bit out of nowhere - a few weeks ago, it was posted in the recruiting thread that we contacted Jack Graham, a 6’4 senior wing out of Rhode Island. He was originally pledged to High Point but decomitted after coaching changes. We apparently had also offered, as Jack has now committed to UR.

Welcome to Richmond, Jack!

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2023 schedule

Just me or does this seem very favorable for us next year? Michigan State and William and Mary will be the two tough ones, but after that...? I know we have some questions of course, but this doesn't look like a daunting slate.

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