December 19, 2008

[Mojo-Spider]

Commemorating the finest day of the FCS Era of Richmond Spiders football. I'll still never forget the fellowship and camaraderie of the Spiders' fans in Chattanooga that Friday and Saturday. A lot has changed in D-1 football, FCS and Richmond football in the last 17 years, but this D-1 National Championship is in the record books and our memories forever!

In the spirit of the season, and in honor of the Championship, I found some video on the interwebs and my personal archives to commemorate the Championship. I also asked Microsoft Co-Pilot to gather a summary of the game versus the Grizzlies. I hope this will bring back some of pleasant memories for Richmond football fans.

Video links:

----- game highlights 3:13

---- Spiders entering Stadium pregame - amateur video ...this was an incredible few seconds I had never seen Spiders fans this intense before that night, and have not seen them that intense since that night! :47

---- From leaving RVA to the Championship Trophy amateur video of the entire trip pregame celebration, game and postgame celebration- 8:43


The Richmond Spiders won the 2008 FCS National Championship on December 19, 2008, defeating the Montana Grizzlies 24–7 at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Richmond entered the game as a slight favorite by 1.5 points.

Game Summary

• First Quarter: Richmond struck first with a touchdown pass from QB Eric Ward, capping an 11-play, 66-yard drive.
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• Second Quarter: RB Josh Vaughan powered in for a rushing touchdown, followed by another TD pass from Ward to extend the lead to 21–0.
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• Third Quarter: Defensive battle—neither team scored.
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• Fourth Quarter: Richmond added a field goal to make it 24–0. Montana finally scored late on a Chase Reynolds rushing TD, but it was too little, too late.

Game Stars

• Josh Vaughan (RB, Richmond): 23 carries, 162 yards, 1 TD. He was the offensive workhorse.
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• Eric Ward (QB, Richmond): Efficient passing—12/18 for 96 yards, 1 TD, plus a rushing TD.
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• Lawrence Sidbury (DE, Richmond): Anchored the defense with relentless pressure, helping hold Montana scoreless until the final minutes.
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• Marc Mariani (WR, Montana): Despite the loss, he had 7 catches for 172 yards.

Richmond’s dominant rushing attack and stout defense were decisive. Montana’s offense was largely shut down until the fourth quarter.

Context

• Favored Team: Richmond by 1.5 points.
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• Attendance: 17,823 at Finley Stadium.
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• Significance: Richmond captured its first-ever national championship in football, cementing its place in FCS history.

Links

• Box Score: ESPN Box Score

Go Spiders!

 

[Arachnid]

Thanks Mo.

 

[Wood Hall]

Imagine if Dave Clawson would have pulled a Jimmye Laycock and stayed for 30 years.

 

[Mojo-Spider]

Imagine if Dave Clawson would have pulled a Jimmye Laycock and stayed for 30 years.

That's what dreams are made of! Now that he's exited Wake to get away from the P4 NCAA chaos you think he'd come back?

Go Spiders!

 

[Sections 204and5]

Nowhere obvious to put this, but tonight Kobe Turner just intercepted a Sam Darnold pass.
.

 

[carolinaspider]

I was there with my best buds, all of us 76ers. What I remembered at end of game, was
Ed Ayers standing in the stands with a huge smile on his face and tear rolling down his cheek.
Before leaving next morning we bought several newspapers with front page picture of Spiders
Victory. The other memory was that it was in the 40s and chilly, and all the Montana fans walking around
in shorts and T-shirts.

 

[Mojo-Spider]

I was there with my best buds, all of us 76ers. What I remembered at end of game, was
Ed Ayers standing in the stands with a huge smile on his face and tear rolling down his cheek.
Before leaving next morning we bought several newspapers with front page picture of Spiders
Victory. The other memory was that it was in the 40s and chilly, and all the Montana fans walking around
in shorts and T-shirts.

Great memory! What made the win even more special was the shock of the Montana fans. They were very over confident as a whole, and not used to getting pushed around on the field.

I was a lot younger back then. One of my finest memories from the weekend was in a watering hole Friday night. It was filled mostly with Grizzlies fans. They probably outnumbered Spiders at least 3-1.

The bar called out for Contestants in a UR v MT trivia Contest. Somehow I got the nod to represent the Spiders. The generally younger, louder and extremely confident Grizzlies found a guy who stepped forward. The MT crowd was howling and ready to embarrass a Spider. Long story short, about five questions later I was standing at the bar being comped for winning the contest. Got my picture taken with some young ladies too (my wife wasn’t too happy about that!). That picture is probably still on the wall down there. I saw the Friday night trivia win as a sign of things to come, and it was!

Go Spiders!

 

[KE Spider]

Was there with my youngest son. At game end he said astonished, "Dad, I've never see you cry before." Tears of pure, absolute joy. Couldn't believe "Little Ole Richmond" had won a National Championship. Among my fondest memories and, at my age, I have a lot including Breakfast with Santa and all the grandkids this morning.

Logan and Sidbury were Merry Christmas and Happy New Year that night. Same salutations to all of you, posters and lurkers, as well as Happy Hanukkah too.