University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
Howard
Fourth Quarter Heroics Lift Spiders To 13-12 Win Over Howard
09/27/2025 | Football
Richmond, Va. – Down by two scores with 12 minutes left to play, a pair of back-to-back fourth-quarter interceptions and two quick touchdowns right after gave the University of Richmond football team what it needed to rally past Howard, 13-12, during Family Weekend Presented by Sheehy Lexus of Richmond Saturday.
"We've got a resilient bunch," said Head Coach Russ Huesman after the win.
For three quarters, Howard had firm control. The Bison defense smothered Richmond's offense, forcing punts, recording a sack, and even notching a safety late in the second quarter. Running back Anthony Reagan Jr. led the Bison charge with a 52-yard touchdown run and finished with over 129 yards rushing. A field goal late in the third quarter extended Howard's lead to 12-0.
With Howard holding onto a commanding lead and threatening to score again in Spider territory, CJ Fraser came up with a massive play, intercepting Howard quarterback Tyriq Starks at the Richmond 3-yard line and returning it 55 yards to the Howard 42 to give the Spiders the spark they needed.
On the very next play, Isaiah Dawson took a reverse to the left and raced 42 yards down the sideline for a touchdown, igniting the comeback and putting Richmond on the board for the first time. The extra point cut the deficit to 12-7.
Disaster struck Howard again on their next drive. Deep in their own territory, Starks threw his second interception in a row— this time to Matei Fitz, who grabbed it inside the 10-yard line at the Howard 7. One play later, quarterback Ashten Snelsire, in relief of Kyle Wickersham, who left in the first quarter with a leg injury, connected with Aziz Foster-Powell for the go-ahead touchdown that would prove to be the game-winner.
On its next drive, Howard made one last push, reaching the red zone and facing 4th-and-short from the Richmond 21. Electing to kick rather than of go for it, Bison kicker Matt Conord's 38-yard field goal attempt bounced off the upright for his second miss of the game. Earlier in the day, Donovan Hoilette blocked a 34-yard Howard field goal attempt with 1:55 remaining in the first quarter, a play that loomed large in the one-point final margin.
Saturday's game was Richmond's first one-point game since the Nov. 18, 2023 win at William & Mary, where the Spiders came out on top 27-26, and the first one-point game at home since the Spiders fell 28-27 against Yale on Oct. 19, 2019. It was the first one-point home win for the Spiders in over a decade, the last coming on Nov. 1, 2014 when the Spiders upset No. 3 Villanova, 10-9.
As it has all season, the Richmond defense delivered a solid performance with two interceptions, four sacks for a loss of 38 yards, and one blocked field goal, holding strong when it mattered most.
Linebacker Peyton Seelmann led the Spiders with a career-high 16 tackles including eight solo and a quarterback hurry, while safety Jordan Allen came up with 14 tackles– another career high. Fitz's standout day included seven tackles, two tackles for loss including a sack (13-yard loss), and a game-defining interception.
"We played with perseverance with what we did in the second half. What that scoreboard said was earned," said Fitz.
The Spiders now close out their early-season non-conference schedule and turn to an uninterrupted Patriot League slate for the next six games, starting with next weekend's matchup at Bucknell. Kickoff is set for noon in Lewisburg, Pa.
