Richmond goes on the road in three of the next four CAA matchups, starting with our first (and likely only) game against CAA newcomer Bryant.

Bryant Bulldogs

Not a lot of positives for the Bulldogs in 2024. 2-5 on the season, with only one D-I victory. A Big South member in years prior, Bryant is adjusting to life in the CAA and will need a few years to get caught up. Truthfully, they seem to be a good addition for the northern schools when they likely break off in the near future, but for now this game won’t help our rankings. We’ve been shaky against lesser opponents so far this season, so this will be a good game to see if we can avoid playing down to the level of our competition.

Betting

Spiders will be roughly two TD favorites, with an O/U near 54. Projected score of 34-20. Richmond has been double digit road favorites once in 2024 (Delaware State) and once in 2023 (Stony Brook), failing to cover both times.

Spiders on Offense

Plenty of holes in the Bryant defense. The Bulldogs allow over 40 PPG against FCS competition, give up 50% of their 3rd downs (last in the CAA), and over 400 yards of offense per game. They’ve allowed the 2nd most rushing TDs in the CAA (19) and the most passing TDs (16). Against three CAA opponents they’ve allowed 24, 38, and 55 points, so if the Spiders can keep things rolling they shouldn’t have any issues moving the ball and finding the endzone often.

Continue to raise the bar – We got to see 30 minutes of just how good this 2024 offense can be. It was a great first step, but nothing more if we don’t build on it. In these upcoming weeks I feel it’s imperative that the Spiders continue that approach rather than store it away for our next big game.

We’ve played to the level of our competition so far – less than spectacular against Wofford, Delaware State, and A&T, yet rising to the occasion against Elon and Delaware. Bryant obviously falls in the lesser category, and after our best game of the season our approach against them will be very telling. Being able to flip the switch in big moments is great – this program has shown an ability to do it the past few seasons, and while it’s led to a bunch of success there’s no reason we can’t bring the same attitude each and every week.

Scoring 27 against Elon and 28 against Delaware are both solid outings. Good enough to win games, but nowhere near our ceiling. You don’t want to peak in week 8, but you also don’t want to miss opportunities to build on your best game as the playoffs approach.

Look at that Delaware team – averaging over 40 PPG and nowhere near our level. While it shows putting up big numbers against lesser teams doesn’t magically make you a good team, I think it also proves we could all be underestimating just how explosive this offense could be. I hope we use the upcoming games to not only put lesser opponents away early, but also show ourselves just how efficient and dominant this offense can be.

Like most, I view this team not as one that is playing solely to get to December – this is about winning a second straight CAA title, winning a December playoff game, and at least reaching the quarterfinals for the first time eight years. I’m hoping our approach these next few weeks mirrors that mindset.

Redzone – Another week with some staggering redzone numbers. Bryant has allowed TDs on 29 of 36 redzone trips, which ranks 117th in the FCS (8th worst). Monmouth went 7/8 on TDs in the redzone last weekend, so while I’m sure that’s a point of emphasis this week it’s clearly an area we need to continue to exploit. Bryant’s 36 redzone trips allowed (roughly 5/game) is also 4th worst in the FCS. Richmond has five offensive trips to the redzone in a game only once this season, so I’d love to see us continually move the ball and keep the game in Bryant’s half of the field.

Blitzes – Elon didn’t blitz much, neither did A&T. While neither result was overly impressive from our perspective, we racked up 400+ yards of offense in each. Delaware opted for a different approach, blitzing on 41% of our drop backs, and let’s just say it didn’t work.

When he was blitzed, Coleman completed 9/11 passes for 135 yards and 2 TDs. His average YPA was over 12 and no matter what direction the blitz came from, the Spiders were ready. We know how good our O-line has been, but these numbers really illustrate it. Through eight weeks, Tom Elia is t-4th in the FCS of qualified centers in pass block rating (per PFF). To his right, Cade Salyers ranks 7th in the same category. They’ve been good their entire careers but having two starters return for a sixth season and play this well is as good as it gets. Add in our success running the ball inside, and All-CAA honors await #56 and #74 at the end of November.

Injuries – On Thursday’s Behind the Web, Coach Huesman stated both Matt Robbert and Ja’Vion Griffin will be out Saturday. Sean Clarke will get the start at tight end, with Landon Ellis getting more snaps at receiver. Ellis had 12 catches for 195 yards against Delaware State and Elon but has only one reception the past two games. Expect #1 to see increased targets and get back on track tomorrow.

Spiders on Defense

Linebackers – Lots of attention on the D-line and secondary recently, with the linebackers flying under the radar. As a whole this group was a step behind early on but I feel they’ve really improved in recent weeks. Glassmyer was the leading tackler again, QMW continues to utilize his versatility in both run defense and coverage, while Galloway tallied another 1/2 sack and a QB hurry. It was never going to be easy replacing Tristan Wheeler, but this veteran group alongside coach Justin Wood have rounded into form at the right time.

Jeremiah Grant – Eight weeks in and Jeremiah Grant remains atop the leaders for sacks in the FCS with 8.5. His production has the Spiders as the highest sacking CAA team, good for 9th in the FCS. Grant has been developing into a #1 pass rusher since his huge impacts for the team in 2022, but to be atop the FCS given our circumstances is remarkable. Our injuries have increased his snap count, however you can tell there are times he’s completely exhausted as he comes off the field. The fact he can continually play 85%+ of the snaps at that high of level speaks to his toughness, heart, and love of the game.

He’s a great postgame/post-practice interview, as his passion for Richmond and his teammates really comes out in his answers. He also doing this while not be an edge rusher 100% of the time. More than 15% of his snaps have him aligning inside as a defensive tackle, so while many great pass rushers get the benefit of rushing the edge on 3rd down, Grant doesn’t always have that luxury.

Only five different Spiders have hit double-digit sacks in a single season, and I’m hoping it won’t take #2 much longer to join that list. Bryant gives up roughly three sacks/game, so expect Grant (and the entire D-line) to keep the disruption high over the weekend.

Bulldogs can throw it – Bryant throws for the third most yards in the CAA, just behind Delaware. Our secondary has a chance to follow up a fantastic game with another strong performance. The Bryant offense isn’t good, running for just 93 YPG and scoring 18 PPG, but throwing for over 250 yards in their first five games shows our corners/safeties will be tested once again. 65% of Bryant’s 1st downs come via the pass, so their comfort in throwing the ball combined with their issues on the ground mean we’ll likely see plenty of pass attempts from the Bulldogs. Coach Huesman said Jabril Hayes is TBD during Thursday’s lunch, and if #21 can’t go the pressure swings back to Jordan Allen to fill that safety role.

Redzone – Poor redzone offense from Bryant, especially in recent weeks. 115th in the FCS in TD scoring %, with just two TDs in nine trips across their three CAA games. Richmond is allowing TDs on 55% of redzone trips, so not bad but clearly some room to improve. Only one redzone TD allowed in each of our last three games, a trend I’d like to see continue into November. Bryant is similar to Delaware in their aggressiveness on 4th down, with the eighth most 4th down attempts in the FCS. Plenty of those come in the redzone, and with the Bulldogs at 2-5 they don’t have a lot of incentive to kick field goals.

Quarterback Jared Guest – #7 left the game last weekend with a neck/arm injury, going through the protocols this week (per Coach Merritt on the weekly CAA conference call). If he can’t go, freshman Brennan Myer will be the starter. He attempted 12 passes last week, throwing a TD and two INTs. Richmond should win this game no matter who’s at QB, but the potential absence of Guest would really curb Bryant’s passing capabilities.

Special Teams

Keylijah Williams recorded a school record 279 return yards against Monmouth (albeit on nine returns). His 86-yard TD return was a spark, and he has a handful for 35+ yard returns on the season. In the kicking department, the Bulldogs have blocked three kicks this year (1 punt, 2 FGs), while also allowing three (1 punt, 1 FG, 1 PAT), so it should be an active day for our kicking and coverage units.

The most shocking stat is that Bryant hasn’t returned a punt all season long. Seven games, and their only “return” was off a blocked punt. They don’t sell out for the block or have a bad returner; they just seem uninterested in returning punts.

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Game 8 – 2024: Bryant recap – Monday, October 28th