Spiders say fundamentals hold the key to success on the road

The University of Richmond's football schedule seems to set up the Spiders for a successful start. Four of the first six games are on the road.

The past two years, UR went 12-3 as visitors against Football Championship Subdivision opposition. The Spiders open Saturday night at Duke, then visit Colonial Athletic Association rival Delaware.

"I think it all boils down to just being fundamentally sound, doing the things that we do all the time," Eric Ward, UR's fourth-year starter at quarterback, said of Richmond's road success. "Knowing that you're going onto another team's home field, knowing the environment and the advantage they may have, you have to be that much sharper on the things that you do.

"I think that [UR's coaches] harp on fundamentals during the week and during the off-season, so once we get in that position, it just becomes second nature to us."

Richmond won at Duke 13-0 in 2006, but that is one of only two UR victories over Football Bowl Subdivision opposition since 2000 (2-8 record, with the other win at Arkansas State in 2000). All of those were road games.

Richmond won the 2008 FCS title in Chattanooga, Tenn., by beating Montana 24-7. Getting through more demanding assignments moved the Spiders into that championship game. It could be argued that they won at the two most difficult places to play in the FCS.

In the quarterfinals, UR visited Appalachian State, which had won 42 of its previous 43 games at Kidd Brewer Stadium. Richmond prevailed 33-13. Then the Spiders headed for a semifinal game at Northern Iowa's UNI-Dome, where the Panthers were 168-41-1. Richmond won 21-20.

Sixteen starters, plus both kickers, are back from that championship team.

"You can't control their crowd, the referees," said Mike London, the coach whose Spiders are ranked No. 2 in the preseason FCS poll. "But you can control the plays that you run and how you execute those things."

Linebacker Eric McBride credits London's habit of playing loud music at practice for some of UR's road focus, suggesting the Spiders aren't rattled by the noise level at visitors' venues.

"Like coach London says, 'It's what happens between the white lines,'" McBride said. "I think our whole team believes that, buys into that."

Contact John O'Connor at (804) 649-6233 or .