The five-team race for the Colonial Athletic Association title became slightly less contentious with the University of Richmond football team’s 38-24 win against Elon University Nov. 11.
The Spiders bounced the Phoenix from CAA title contention behind a sizzling offense that got started early. En route to Elon’s defense conceding a season-high 38 points was a 1-yard touchdown rush from redshirt sophomore quarterback Kyle Wickersham, set up by a pair of passes that went for over 30 yards to junior wide receiver Jerry Garcia Jr. and first-year wide receiver Landon Ellis.
A punt on 4th and 4 was quick to arrive on Elon’s first drive, as a holding penalty to bring up 3rd and 15 proved too much to overcome for the Phoenix offense. The ensuing UR drive, however, was no more productive; the Spiders found five yards off a rush from redshirt senior running back Savon Smith, but two straight incompletions gave the ball back to the Elon offense.
The Phoenix found traction on their next drive, with 21 rushing yards on four carries to set up a deep 37-yard pass for the game-tying score.
The Spiders picked up a quick first down on their next drive, courtesy of a 7-yard run from Wickersham and a reception from Ellis that went for six. Another punt seemed to be in the cards, though, as a stubborn Phoenix defense made sure that two passes out to Smith went for just one total yard, while a third fell incomplete. In fact, it was senior punter Aaron Trusler who picked up the first down on a 21-yard rush on 4th and 9, the fake setting up redshirt junior tight end Connor Deveney for the 9-yard touchdown just over a minute into the second quarter.
UR’s defense again pestered Elon, forcing two incompletions and yet another 3-and-out on the following Phoenix drive. The 37-yard punt was forced by a pass breakup from redshirt senior defensive lineman Marlem Louis, and set the Spiders’ offense up at their own 45-yard line.
Smith and Wickersham helped the offense to quickly capitalize on the Spiders’ defensive stand. Wickersham found redshirt sophomore wide receiver Ja’Vion Griffin open deep for a 30-yard gain before picking up 13 more on a quarterback run. This set up Smith for his second carry of the drive, a 1-yard rush to make it a 21-7 UR advantage.
It was yet another punt that closed out Elon’s next drive, which was doomed in part by a sack from redshirt junior defensive lineman Jeremiah Grant for a loss of 11 yards. This time, the Spider offense could not translate the defensive stop into points; Wickersham was intercepted just four plays into the drive by an Elon defensive back.
Despite being set up at the UR 44-yard line, the Phoenix again came up empty with a turnover on downs after a rush attempt on 4th and 1 was stuffed by redshirt first-year defensive back D’Angelo Stocker.
With the Spiders’ final drive before halftime taking nearly five minutes off the clock, it was a complete team effort that sustained the drive through short-yardage plays. Redshirt junior wide receiver Nick DeGennaro recorded a critical reception to convert a 4th-and-8, while Smith notched his second touchdown of the day with a 12-yard catch to close out the half. Paced by 149 passing yards, the Spiders were on track for a season-high in total yardage by halftime.
After trading punts, it was Elon who put up the first points of the half, a 42-yard rushing touchdown to cut the lead to 14. This proved to be the only points through the third quarter; UR’s two remaining drives were quick 3 and outs, while an offensive holding penalty drained the momentum of Elon’s next possession.
Graduate defensive back Aaron Banks’ pass breakup on a 4th and 3 play put UR’s offense on the field early in the fourth quarter. This time, it was a rush-heavy offensive scheme that was able to tally three more points, as a 47-yard run from Wickersham eventually led to a 25-yard field goal from redshirt junior kicker Andrew Lopez.
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Elon would answer with a 37-yard kick of its own to pull within 14 of the Spiders, but that was as close as they would come. On the next UR drive, it was again a long rush from Wickersham that paced the offense, this time for 52 yards. From the Elon 18-yard line, it was then Smith who punched in his third touchdown of the afternoon, covering the needed 18 yards in just four rushes.
A 5-yard pass over the middle on Elon’s final drive of the afternoon again made it a 14-point contest, but an onside kick recovered by Banks assured the Spiders’ victory with one minute remaining.
“Every single week, we’re looking at where we stand [in the CAA],” Louis said in a postgame press conference. “Going into this game… we were very focused on winning, doing whatever we could.”
The Spiders will have the opportunity to win a piece of the CAA title at the College of William and Mary at 1 p.m. Nov. 18.
Contact sports writer Scott Valentine at scott.valentine@richmond.edu
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