Richmond Spiders make it to second round of FCS playoffs, fall to SUNY-Albany
RICHMOND, Va. — The University of Richmond Spiders football team wrapped up their season Saturday, December 2 with a tough loss against the University in Albany Great Danes in the second round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs, losing 13-41. While certainly a disappointing conclusion, the Spiders still enjoyed one of their most successful seasons to date with an overall record of 9-4. The Spiders did not lose a single game through the months of October and November and rode a hot streak into the bitter rivalry match-up, known as “The Oldest Rivalry in the South”, against The College of William and Mary in the Capital Cup.
In a battle for the ages, the Spiders ground out a tough, smash-mouth victory with a hard run game and well-timed passing. The Spiders appeared to be in control of the game coming into the fourth quarter with a ten point lead, but a Tribe field goal and touchdown as the clock expired put the Spiders in a do or die situation. With no time left on the clock, down by one point, William and Mary elected to go for the two-point conversion in hopes of ending the game. The risk did not pay off for the tribe and the Spiders survived, 27-26, to reclaim the Capital Cup for the first time since 2015 and take a share of the Coastal Athletic Association conference title. With that victory and a successful season, the Spiders put themselves into position to compete for the FCS national title for the second year in a row.
The opening round of the tournament pitted Richmond against the Eagles of North Carolina Central University. The Spid
ers came out slow in the first half and found themselves down, 21-14. The second half, however, was a different story. The Spiders that took to the field of Robins Stadium in the second half were a different team, outscoring North Carolina Central by 28 points. Behind the titanic efforts of sophomore quarterback, Kyle Wickersham, and a balanced run game, the Richmond Spiders knocked off the Eagles, 49-27, to advance to the second round where they would face conference rival, the SUNY-Albany.
From start to finish, the Great Danes of Albany had Richmond’s number. Albany stifled the Spiders run game, holding them to just 38 rushing yards. Defensive pressure propelled the Danes to a 27-0 lead, but Wickersham flipped the ball into the endzone at the end of the second half to put Richmond on the board. Despite Nick DeGennaro’s career-high 13 receptions and his third 100-yard receiving of the season, the Spiders would only score one more time in the game and fell to Albany, 41-13.
While a loss in the second round is not how Richmond wanted their season to end, they can look back on a brilliant effort to salvage what could have been an entire season of disappointment. Having started 2-3, the Spiders rattled off seven wins in a row to finish the 2023 season with an overall record of 10-4.
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