No. 23 Spiders Hold Off Howard, 28-21, to Improve to 2-0

Saturday, September 5

Washington, D.C.

6:00 PM

University of Richmond

2-0 , 1-0

Howard

1-1 , 0-0

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Richmond	13	7	8	0	28
Howard	0	0	14	7	21

Sean Clarke scores a touchdown against Howard on Sept. 5, 2026

No. 23 Spiders Hold Off Howard, 28-21, to Improve to 2-0

09/05/2026 | Football

Box Score

WASHINGTON— No. 23 Richmond built a 20-point halftime lead, weathered a second-half push from Howard and made the plays it needed late to earn a 28-21 victory Saturday at Greene Stadium.

The Spiders (2-0) scored on three of their first four possessions and held Howard off the scoreboard through the opening 30 minutes before the Bison cut the advantage to six midway through the third quarter. Richmond answered with a touchdown of its own, then leaned on its defense down the stretch to secure its first 2-0 start since 2021 and improve to 4-0 all-time against Howard.

"We hung in there," said Head Coach Russ Huesman. "I'm proud of our guys. Tough conditions, and our guys fought through and got a W."

Richmond's defense helped set the tone almost immediately. On Howard's opening possession, sophomore Jackson Thorne dropped quarterback Ja'Shawn Scroggins for a three-yard loss before Kyree Richardson intercepted Scroggins on third-and-13 and returned the ball 39 yards to the Howard 6. A personal foul against Richmond moved the Spiders back to the 20, but the offense needed just two plays to capitalize. Aziz Foster-Powell gained five yards before Ashten Snelsire connected with freshman Bryce Allen for a 15-yard touchdown and a 6-0 lead after the extra point was blocked.

The touchdown continued Allen's quick start to his college career. After catching four passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns in his debut against Bucknell, Allen scored again on his first reception Saturday. Through his first two collegiate games, the freshman has seven receptions for 143 yards and three touchdowns. He finished Saturday with three catches for 37 yards.

Richmond stretched its advantage to 13-0 later in the first quarter when Foster-Powell finished a seven-play, 63-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run. The Spiders then added an explosive play early in the second. Snelsire found Quanye Veney for a 42-yard touchdown with 12:25 remaining before halftime, pushing the lead to 20-0. Veney finished with three catches for 73 yards and the score, establishing a new career high in receiving yards.

Richmond controlled most of the first half despite finding limited room on the ground. The Spiders held Howard to only nine yards of total offense in the second quarter and did not allow the Bison to convert any of their seven third-down attempts before halftime. Richmond, meanwhile, converted four of six third downs in the second quarter and went into the break with a 20-point cushion.

The game shifted after halftime as Richmond hit its first sustained lull of the afternoon. The Spiders went three-and-out to begin the third quarter, and their next possession began at their own 3 after the defense forced another Howard punt. On the first play, a fumble in the end zone was recovered by Howard for its first touchdown. Richmond went three-and-out again on the ensuing series, and the Bison followed with an 84-yard touchdown drive, cutting a 20-0 deficit to 20-14 with seven minutes remaining in the third.

Special teams helped Richmond answer the Bison's third-quarter surge. Ned Gray, who averaged a career-best 44.9 yards per punt in the opener, sent a 44-yard punt toward Howard's Antonio Hunter late in the third. Hunter muffed the kick and Devin Geronomi recovered the ball at the Howard 29. Two plays later, Snelsire found graduate tight end Sean Clarke for a 29-yard touchdown before running in the two-point conversion himself to restore a two-score lead at 28-14.

Clarke turned in the most productive receiving game of his career, catching seven passes for a team-high 80 yards and the touchdown. He entered Saturday with single-game career highs of four receptions, 31 receiving yards and a 20-yard reception, surpassing all three marks against the Bison.

"It feels great," said Clarke. "I'm just happy to be part of a winning team. We're 2-0 and that's the most important thing. Whatever I can do to help, I'm happy to do."

Howard continued to inch closer, carrying a drive that began late in the third quarter into the fourth and scoring on Billy Roberson II's one-yard run with 11:35 remaining. The 14-play, 75-yard drive made it 28-21 and brought the Bison within one score for the first time since the opening quarter.

Richmond could not put the game away immediately. After Gray's 52-yard punt helped flip the field, the defense forced Howard to punt, and the Spiders moved back into scoring range with completions to Allen and Veney. A 32-yard field goal attempt missed with 4:15 remaining, however, leaving Howard within a touchdown.

The defense closed the door from there. Daniel Sellers sacked Scroggins for an 11-yard loss on third down to force Howard's final punt with two minutes remaining. The Spiders then converted the game's final meaningful third down when Jamaal Brown broke an 18-yard run on third-and-11, allowing Snelsire to take a knee and finish the victory.

Richmond held Howard to 240 total yards, including just 109 through the air, and limited Scroggins to nine completions on 28 attempts. The Spiders recorded four sacks, six tackles for loss, five pass breakups and six quarterback hurries while forcing two turnovers. Sellers led the pass rush with two sacks, while Camden Byrd and TJ Baldwin added one apiece. Richmond also held Howard to 4-of-16 on third down.

Junior linebacker Blake Houser led Richmond with 12 tackles, including seven solo stops, and added a pass breakup. The 12 tackles matched his single-game career high.

"It was definitely a grind, said Houser. "We made some great stops for sure, but I feel like we just need to play even better next game and continue to improve."

Offensively, Snelsire finished 19-of-35 for 261 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions, completing passes to eight different receivers. He was sacked four times.

Richmond returns to the road Friday, Sept. 11, when the Spiders travel to NC State for a 7 p.m. kickoff.