Saint Francis has one of the FCS' top receivers in 6-4, 195-pound senior Kamron Lewis. SFU ATHLETICS▲
UR coach Russ Huesman JOE MAHONEY/TIMES-DISPATCH▲
BY JOHN O'CONNOR Richmond Times-Dispatch
1 hr ago
Saint Francis, the University of Richmond’s opponent Saturday at Robins Stadium, can be compared to a basketball team whose height helps make it very competitive.
The Red Flash start two 6-foot-4 receivers, senior Kamron Lewis and junior Cyrus Holder, and a 6-7 tight end, sophomore Terrell Johnson. Lewis was named FCS second team preseason All-America, and is considered an NFL prospect.
SFU quarterback Bear Fenimore is a graduate transfer from the University Houston who’s in his second season as the Red Flash starter.
“They present match-up problems on the outside, and I think both those guys [Lewis and Holder] are tremendous football players,” said UR coach Russ Huesman. “To be quite frank, [Fenimore] will throw it up and let them go get it [and] those kids can go up and get it.”
Saint Francis, located in Loretto, Pa., is a school with only 1,726 undergraduates, and 63 percent of them are female. The sports teams became known as the Red Flash after the school newspaper in 1927 referred to set of speedy running backs in that way.
Saint Francis, founded in 1847 by six friars from Ireland, was a Division III member 1978-1992, and then upgraded to Division I and the FCS. The Red Flash joined the Northeast Conference in 1996 and were the league’s doormats for many years.
That changed with the hiring of Chris Villarrial, 45, nine years ago. Villarrial, a former offensive lineman for the Chicago Bears and Buffalo Bills, helped the Red Flash win their first NEC championship in 2016.
In the NEC preseason poll, Saint Francis was picked fourth.
The Red Flash (1-1) won 13-7 at Liberty last season. Saint Francis played at James Madison in 2012, 2013 and 2014, losing 55-7, 24-20 and 38-22. This season, Saint Francis lost 21-19 at Lehigh, which was picked second in the Patriot League preseason poll, and beat Delaware State 45-14.
The Spiders (1-1) come off last Saturday’s 52-7 win over Fordham. UR gained 585 yards, the ninth-most in school history.
Saint Francis, the University of Richmond’s opponent Saturday at Robins Stadium, can be compared to a basketball team whose height helps make it very competitive.
The Red Flash start two 6-foot-4 receivers, senior Kamron Lewis and junior Cyrus Holder, and a 6-7 tight end, sophomore Terrell Johnson. Lewis was named FCS second team preseason All-America, and is considered an NFL prospect.
SFU quarterback Bear Fenimore is a graduate transfer from the University Houston who’s in his second season as the Red Flash starter.
“They present match-up problems on the outside, and I think both those guys [Lewis and Holder] are tremendous football players,” said UR coach Russ Huesman. “To be quite frank, [Fenimore] will throw it up and let them go get it [and] those kids can go up and get it.”
Saint Francis, located in Loretto, Pa., is a school with only 1,726 undergraduates, and 63 percent of them are female. The sports teams became known as the Red Flash after the school newspaper in 1927 referred to set of speedy running backs in that way.
Saint Francis, founded in 1847 by six friars from Ireland, was a Division III member 1978-1992, and then upgraded to Division I and the FCS. The Red Flash joined the Northeast Conference in 1996 and were the league’s doormats for many years.
That changed with the hiring of Chris Villarrial, 45, nine years ago. Villarrial, a former offensive lineman for the Chicago Bears and Buffalo Bills, helped the Red Flash win their first NEC championship in 2016.
In the NEC preseason poll, Saint Francis was picked fourth.
The Red Flash (1-1) won 13-7 at Liberty last season. Saint Francis played at James Madison in 2012, 2013 and 2014, losing 55-7, 24-20 and 38-22. This season, Saint Francis lost 21-19 at Lehigh, which was picked second in the Patriot League preseason poll, and beat Delaware State 45-14.
The Spiders (1-1) come off last Saturday’s 52-7 win over Fordham. UR gained 585 yards, the ninth-most in school history.
"We got the quarterback involved in the run game, and that really helps," said Huesman. Starter Kevin Johnson and back-up Joe Mancuso totaled 11 carries for 79 yards. Johnson ran eight and seven yards for Richmond's first two touchdowns.
"It kind of opened up some running lanes for our backs," Huesman said of the QB carries. "If you've got to defend the quarterback in the run game, it makes a big difference in how you put people around the line of scrimmage, and it does open up the passing game."
The visit from Saint Francis, which has never met Richmond, is UR’s last non-CAA game of the season.
Saint Francis offers 45 football scholarships. Richmond and other CAA programs work with 63, the FCS maximum
