Richmond Outmatched in 41–6 Loss at North Carolina

Saturday, September 13

Chapel Hill, N.C.

3:30 p.m.

University of Richmond

1-2 , 0-1

North Carolina

2-1 , 0-0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Richmond

North Carolina

09/13/2025 | Football

Box Score

Chapel Hill, N.C.— The University of Richmond football team couldn't keep up with FBS opponent North Carolina, falling 41–6 in front of a crowd of 50,500 at Kenan Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

"When you play a Power 4 school and you turn the ball over, that's how you get a 41–6 game," said Head Coach Russ Huesman. "That's what happens in these kinds of games if you turn it over, if you make those kinds of mistakes."

The Spiders struggled offensively as North Carolina controlled the game and limited Richmond to just 199 total yards. Richmond fumbled twice — including a strip fumble returned for a touchdown — turned the ball over on downs twice, and threw one interception.

Injuries coming out of the Wofford game forced multiple lineup changes, with Aidan Steinfeldt, Devin Geronomi, and Blake Houser each making their first career starts. Geronomi, typically a safety, started at cornerback, while Houser went on to finish as the Spiders second-leading tackler.

North Carolina opened the scoring on its first possession, set up by a 50-yard run that brought the ball inside the Richmond 10. On third down, Daniel Sellers and TJ Baldwin combined for a sack and a loss of one yard, forcing a short field goal to make it 3–0.

On their second drive, North Carolina lined up to punt on fourth down, but a Richmond player jumped offsides, giving the home team a fresh set of downs. The mistake proved costly, leading to a touchdown and a 10–0 deficit late in the first quarter.

Richmond attempted a fake punt on its next drive but came up short, turning the ball over on downs. North Carolina took advantage of the favorable field position and added a 22-yard field goal.

Quarterback Ashten Snelsire entered midway through the second quarter in an effort to spark the Richmond offense. The Spiders earned their first first down of the game after three penalties on a single play. From there, the offense strung together four more first downs, fueled by strong runs from Aziz Foster-Powell, Jamaal Brown, and Andrew King.

The drive reached the 7-yard line, where Jayden Alsheskie knocked through a 25-yard field goal. At that point, Richmond had run 26 offensive plays — 14 of them coming on that one drive. The 14-play, 76-yard possession consumed 8:42 of game time.

To open the second half, Will McManus executed a successful onside kick, recovered by Houser at the Richmond 46. The Spiders again drove deep into scoring territory, highlighted by a career-long, one-handed 28-yard catch from Isaiah Dawson on a throw by Kyle Wickersham. The Spiders reached the one-yard line and went for it on fourth down but were stopped short.

Wickersham fumbled on Richmond's next possession, setting up a short touchdown drive that pushed the lead to 27–3.

Wickersham finished the day 6-of-8 passing for 47 yards and was sacked three times. Snelsire went 3-of-7 with an interception and added 33 yards on eight carries.

Late in the game, Richmond's defense came up with a takeaway of its own as Jordan Allen grabbed his first career interception. The Spiders final drive ended with a 28-yard field goal from Alsheskie — his second of the afternoon.

Peyton Seelman led the Richmond defense with nine tackles. Houser followed with seven stops, two quarterback hurries, and the onside kick recovery. Camden Byrd added three tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble, while Allen contributed five tackles and the interception.

The Spiders, who opened their season with three consecutive road games for the first time since 2007, return to Robins Stadium next Saturday, Sept. 20, for their 2025 home opener against in-state rival VMI. Kickoff is set for 2:00 p.m.