Richmond outbattled North Carolina Central on Saturday afternoon by a final score of 49-27 in the first round of the FCS playoffs.
NCCU led 20-7 late in the second quarter before Richmond stormed back, scoring 21 unanswered points to take a 28-20 lead in the third quarter and never looked back.
Kyle Wickersham led Richmond with an impressive performance. He dissected the Eagles’ defense over and over, accumulating 291 yards through the air and 69 on the ground. In the ground game, tailback Jerry Garcia Jr. was the Spiders’ main contributor, rushing for 6 yards. The Spiders piled up 506 yards in an efficient offensive performance.
Davius Richard found the endzone multiple times in North Carolina Central’s loss. He threw for one touchdown and rushed for another three. Richard leaned on receiver Devin Smith, who recorded 202 yards on six receptions.
Key Metrics to Victory: Richmond
- Play selection – leaned on the run game, with a 60-40 run-pass split with 36 rushing attempts and 24 passing attempts
- Possession – controlled the ball for 28:29 (47% of the game)
- Penalties – recorded one penalty for 10 yards while North Carolina Central had three penalties for 17 yards
Richmond earns its ninth win of the season. The team will look to keep it going against Coastal Athletic Association foe UAlbany in the second round of the FCS Playoffs. Meanwhile, North Carolina Central’s season finishes with a record of 9-3.
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