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Cavaliers Manage To Sneak Past Spiders, 17-16
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Sept 1, 2001
By MATTHEW BARAKAT
Associated Press Writer
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) – A missed extra point cost Division I-AA Richmonda chance at an upset as the Spiders fell to Virginia 17-16 on Saturday.
The Spiders (0-1) could have tied it 17 with 8:50 remaining following ClaudeDiggs’ 5-yard TD run, but Doug Kirchner’s extra-point attempt sailed wide left.
Richmond had two other opportunities to take the lead, but receiver RyanTolhurst fumbled on the Virginia 20, with Earl Sims recovering the Ball with4:20 remaining.
Then, with less than two minutes to go, Sims intercepted a desperationfourth-down pass, allowing the Cavaliers (1-1) to run out the clock.
Billy McMullen caught two 1-yard touchdown passes to provide most of theCavaliers’ offense.
The game remained scoreless late into the second quarter. Unable to sustaindrive with Bryson Spinner at quarterback, Matt Schaub entered the game with2:16 remaining in the half and led a 73-yard touchdown drive, capped by a1-yard pass to McMullen. Schaub ran for two first downs on the drive andcompleted six of seven passes, although the incompletion was a poorly thrownball that should have been intercepted by Walter Blue.
Spinner returned to start the second half and led two successive scoringdrives. The first, an 11-play, 66-yard TD drive, featured four catches byMcMullen, with Spinner completing seven of eight passes. The second driveconcluded with a 36-yard field goal by David Greene to make it 17-0 with 4:30remaining in the third quarter.
The Spiders responded with a 46-yard TD run by Cordell Roane to make it 17-7with 1:49 left in the third. After nearly recovering an onside kick, theSpiders regained possession and launched a 69-yard drive that ended with a30-yard field goal by Doug Kirchner to make it 17-10 with 11:18 remaining inthe game.
Diggs’ TD run to make it 17-16 was set up by a Virginia turnover. TavonMason fumbled the ball three times on a reverse, and the ball was eventuallyrecovered by Maurice Newbill on the Virginia 32.
The game did little to answer the question of who will be Virginia’ startingquarterback. Both Spinner and Schaub led scoring drives and completed a highpercentage of their passes.