Spiders owe Dukes a heartfelt ‘thanks’

When captains meet at midfield before today's University of Richmond game at James Madison, the Spiders should say "Thanks" rather than "Good luck."

About this time last season, UR was 4-3 after a 38-31 loss to JMU, which won in the final seconds on a 69-yard punt return for a touchdown by Scotty McGee. The Spiders congregated in a silent locker room. Coaches, trainers and all other nonplayer personnel were asked to leave. More silence.

"Then somebody said, 'Well, what are we going to do?'" recalled UR linebacker Patrick Weldon.

Spiders agreed to rededicate themselves, pay closer attention to detail, play for the entirety of four quarters. They won nine consecutive on the way to the Football Championship Subdivision title, and are 4-0 and ranked first in the FCS heading into today's Colonial Athletic Association meeting with the last opponent to beat them.

"Any time you suffer a loss like that, you never want to feel that feeling again," said UR receiver Kevin Grayson. "A rivalry type of game, losing like that, it's going to leave a mark on you. It's going to leave a mark on your team."

The Spiders understood following that defeat that they probably could not fall again during the regular season and make the 16-team, FCS playoffs. And that sense of urgency seems to have made all the difference.

"The mentality did switch a little bit after that game, realizing that if we're not perfect throughout the rest of the season, then everything is kind of lost," Weldon said. "And I think that mentality has carried over into this season, knowing that every week, we need to come in and play our best if we're going to have the success our team wants to have."

That approach could be equated to maturity, of which the Spiders have loads. "Everywhere on their two-deep, you see three letters. You see R and then SR. Redshirt senior," JMU coach Mickey Matthews said. Richmond starts 15 of them.

Four redshirt seniors start for the Dukes, who will try to rebound from last Saturday's surprising 24-17 defeat at Hofstra. Matthews spent part of his week explaining why he believes UR has won 13 straight, but capped those remarks with "To be honest with you, the least of our problems is Richmond. We need to worry about what James Madison can do. We need to execute better. We need to play harder. And we need to grow up."

Bridgeforth Stadium will be full (15,500). The game, on JMU's Family Weekend, will be televised.

"It's what college football is all about, the chance to play another really good team and get after it," Richmond coach Mike London said.

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