What felt like a very different UR/VMI matchup ended up like all the ones I remember. The Spiders wore down the Keydets and pulled away in the 2nd half, coasting to a 38-14 victory and ending our home opener losing streak.

Drives

1st half on the left, 2nd half on the right

Game thoughts

I’d call that game a stress-free challenge. VMI has some good pieces but you could tell they weren’t going to compete for four quarters. I won’t draw many conclusions because that’s what UR/VMI is supposed to look like. We had the more complete roster and dominated the way we should. It’s not a win that will boost the resume and we’ll surely face better teams from here on out, however finding that one game where everything jibes can sometimes be enough to reset the course.

Lightning delay – Four games in and we’ve sat through nearly 5 hours of lightning delays. The team handled both delays well but I’d like the 2025 season to find a new theme. Based on the tweets/messages I received, I’m guessing RMC Events and their emergency “planning” feel the same way.

Injuries – Carter Glassmyer returned with seemingly no limitations however D’Angelo Stocker remained out. Still walking around the sidelines but he’s sadly missed a lot of time the past two years. Michael Creamer hobbled off late, and since he’s only played in three games the severity will probably determine if he redshirts or not. Biggest injury news was Gabe Carbajal walking rather than using the scooter crutch. The sooner #52 returns the better we are and clearly he’s getting closer.

Offense

11 drives | 66 snaps – 5 TDs, 4 punts, 1 FG, 1 turnover

That’s the kind of game that could get a struggled group back on track. It’s not about the quality of the opponent, it’s seeing all aspects of the offense click at some point. When you run the ball for over 300 yards it’s bound to be a rush heavy day, so I’m happy we at least got to see a more balanced game plan in the 1st half. So far we’ve only seen it in spurts however it was a promising step compared to the last couple weeks. Now it’s about building on that approach for the rest of the year.

Offensive line – Why not mix things up again? Kade Capristo was back at center, with Trey Gray sliding back to right tackle and Jason Smith controlling right guard. Difficult to say that’s our best lineup based on one game but it would be wild to bench Capristo after week 1 only to end up back there a month later. Based on how we played against UNC and VMI, I would imagine Jason Smith is a starter until further notice. It’s been nice to see both he and Bo Fowler do well when called upon, as we’re starting to build some depth at guard. I’ll tip my cap to Trey Gray for moving around yet again. We look to be at our best with #73 playing tackle so I’m hopeful he can stay there.

Running backs – The entire running back trio was on display over the weekend. A touchdown for Foster-Powell, and touchdown and 100 yards for King, plus a career day for Jamaal Brown. Richmond was run heavy on 1st down because it was working, averaging 9 YPC.

Two things stood out in our running game. First was our yards after contact. Brown, King, and Foster-Powell combined for over 200 yards after contact. We opened up rushing lanes for these guys but the big yardage came by not going down easily.

Second, the Spiders got wide with ease. King and Brown combined for 180 yards outside of the tackles, as our team speed was too much for VMI to handle. The blocking from our receivers was better and the O-line got much better push. We showed what we want to be on offense, now it’s about doing it against better Patriot League competition down the road.

1st half offense – The decision to win the toss and receive was shocking given our struggles but I love the plan we had ready. First play we went for a homerun with a double move – although VMI didn’t bite we still picked up a chunk play and eventually took an early 7-0 lead. We got our chance on the second drive and Wickersham was on point, connecting with Dawson deep for two early scores. We sent a message with the early play calling and it set the tone for the game. I’ve been critical of Wickersham getting through progressions and getting stuck in the pocket, which is partially the product of what we’re giving him. This week we tweaked our passing attack by using more play action it looked to create a much better flow.

Getting #16 into a rhythm is a must. It’s easy to turn to play action more when you’re running the ball well however you could see those rhythm throws really got Wickersham into an early groove. He got the ball out with better timing and it showed in his numbers. Wickersham was 5/6 for 110 yards w/ 2 TDs on play action throws. Through three weeks he had just eight pass attempts on play action looks – against VMI he had six (on only 13 pass attempts). That was a nice adjustment we made to put #16 in better spots and he executed nicely. Looking forward to see how this develops in the coming weeks.

Isaiah Dawson – We’re entering Matthew Traynor territory with Dawson. With Jaiden Fair still out Dawson continues to make the most of his opportunity in his R-Fr. season. Four catches, 99 yards, 2 TDs, and a 27-yard rush. I love that we got him involved in an RPO, as that’s not someone you want to try and tackle in space.

A perfectly executed RPO on the opening drive – Wickersham correctly sees the circled VMI defender crashing on the run action and gets the ball out to Dawson. A good block from Andreas Hill means it’s Dawson 1-on-1 against a corner – we’ll take that every time. #10 keeps generating chunk plays for the offense and we’re sure to keep feeding him the football.

Defense

12 drives | 59 snaps – 9 punts, 2 TDs, 1 turnover

The Keydets gave us a good challenge early but couldn’t hang for all 60 minutes. They have some weapons on offense but still need an O-line to put everything together. Forcing nine punts and a turnover on 12 drives will win you a lot of games, and if Jordan Allen makes a tackle on VMI’s first play we potentially hold a high powered Keydets offense to just 7 points. All things considered it was good to play an opponent that could really throw the ball before we face similar style Patriot League opposition.

2nd half – The UR offense was able to put the game on ice by running the football because the Keydets had nothing going the final 30 minutes. VMI’s 2nd half offense was as boring as the lightning delay, with the Spiders suffocating them each drive.

A staggering 1st half/2nd half split. Nothing they did worked as the Keydets ran out of gas against a better and deeper Richmond defense. We all expected to win the 2nd half but I can’t say I saw it coming to that degree.

Defensive line – The biggest reason VMI couldn’t throw the ball in the 2nd half wasn’t our coverage, it was our pressure. The Spiders finished with just two sacks however the pocket continually collapsed. Matei Fitz was UR’s highest rated defender, recording a sack, multiple QB hits, and completing clogging any inside rushing lanes. Their tackles did hold up well against Byrd and Hoilette in protection but they were no match for the physicality of both in the run game. We quickly made them one dimensional, allowing less than 2 YPC with plenty of negative plays.

Secondary – Not bad from the UR secondary. I expected VMI would give us trouble and there’s definitely a lot to clean up from the 1st half. The Keydets got our safeties a few times over the middle and ultimately I’m glad we were challenged. True freshman Devin Geronomi was back at boundary corner in place of Stocker and #22 was in fairly good position throughout. Geronomi faced four targets and only allowed one reception for seven yards. Tayshaun Burney continued his strong play, holding VMI’s second leading receiver to just three catches and 25 yards. Like the offense, holding VMI to a low total won’t draw many conclusions but it was a good building block for a unit now playing three freshmen and a sophomore.

Carter Glassmyer – Six tackles, one sack, and 1.5 TFLs in Glassmyer’s return after not playing against UNC. The defense was glad to have one of their captains back and he was impactful in all phases. He had to run the seam twice in pass coverage and contain their QB on plenty of rollouts, so his range was tested throughout. The VMI quarterback did a nice job of escaping and moving the pocket, but with both Glassmyer and Seelmann (seven tackles, two QB hurries) breathing down his neck it didn’t lead to much.

Special Teams

The punt team botched a golden opportunity to down a Ned Gray punt inside the 5-yard line, however they did get one right in the 4th quarter. Aside from that it was a clean special teams day. VMI had a tremendous punter, hitting four of 50+ yards, but Quanye Veney comfortably fielded everything. Very pleased with how he’s done in Fair’s absence.

And how about Jayden Alsheskie? Now 8/8 on PATs and 3/3 on FGs this season, including a 41 yarder on Saturday. For a 5th year player who only had two career PATs four weeks ago he’s done everything we’ve needed. Love to see another local Spider stepping up at a position that was supposedly lost exiting camp.

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Game 5 – 2025: Howard preview – Friday, September 26th