North Carolina State University Athletics
Richmond Ready for the Big-Time
8/31/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 31, 2004
By Tony Haynes Raleigh, N.C. - When he was named the University of Richmond's 32nd football coach last February, Dave Clawson was already well aware that his Spiders would be a heavy underdog in his first game. Just a few months before, Richmond had agreed to fill a hole in NC State's schedule, a void that was created when Navy had bought its way out of a contract with the Wolfpack. So before the Spiders can get into their regular schedule against Division 1-AA opponents in the Atlantic 10, they'll test themselves against an opponent that would seem to have a size and speed advantage at most every position. "We're excited about it," Clawson said. "It is what it is. From the day I took the job, I knew we would open with them; I had no input on the schedule. For us to look at it in any other vein than a positive one is a waste of time and energy. We're extremely excited to be able to go down to a school like that and play in front of that many people. It's a great way as a staff for us to find out about our team. We'll find out in a hurry who rises up and steps up to the challenge. We're going to be challenge across the board. From top to bottom, this will probably be the most talented team that we'll ever play. Not only are we a 1-AA that's playing a 1-A, we're playing a 1-A that has been one of the top 1-A programs in the country the last three or four years." Clawson, a two-time Patriot League Coach of the Year at Fordham, was in the rebuilding mode from the first day he stepped onto the Richmond campus. The Spiders are coming off a 2-9 record under Jim Reid. Obviously, the challenge of facing a Division 1-A opponent under any circumstances is a quite difficult for any 1-AA school, but in this case, it may be even more daunting for a program that's just trying to stagger back to its feet. Still, Clawson hopes his program will have the opportunity to clash with at least one Division 1-A school every year. "I think every year we'd like to play a 1-A team," Clawson said. "Part of that is just being in the Atlantic 10 Conference. I think we're in the best Division 1-AA conference in the country. As a recruiting sell, we want to be able to tell kids that once a year, we're going to rise up and play at the very highest level. I think the schools in this conference, notably Villanova, have knocked off two 1-A teams the last two years. It's something we want to do every year, but I think playing one of those games a year is a good thing. Beyond that, I don't know what the benefit is." Perhaps the biggest benefit for the Richmond program will be the hefty check Athletics Director Jim Miller will be able take back with him to the capital of Virginia. Miller, a former associate athletics director at NC State, will be able to use the money to help fund an athletic program that is not in a position to generate the type of TV revenue and gate receipts that ACC schools bring in on a regular basis. From a football standpoint, Clawson is just eager to see how his players will handle themselves in a very difficult environment against a team with superior talent. "I just think for anyone who plays in the Atlantic 10 and for our players here at Richmond, to have the opportunity to play at a venue like Carter-Finley Stadium in front of a packed house, we look at it as nothing but a great opportunity for our program," he said. "Our kids are very excited about it. It's the one time this year and maybe the one time in their careers they're going to be able to play in front of that many people." Saturday's contest will mark the fourth time since 1990 that Richmond has opened against a 1-A school. The last time it happened, in 2001, an errant extra point proved costly in a 17-16 loss to Virginia in Charlottesville. The Spiders haven't tasted victory against a 1-A opponent since posting a win over Virginia Tech in 1985. All-time against ACC opposition, Richmond is 26-120-10, including a 1-16-1 mark versus NC State.
