UR fails to finish drives and falls to Lehigh

The University of Richmond was reminded of that Saturday when its failure to score touchdowns in the red zone left the door open for Lehigh in the first round of the FCS playoffs at Robins Stadium. The Mountain Hawks scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and eliminated the Spiders 20-16.

“The goal is to get into the end zone and we didn’t do that today. That’s up to us. We just have to be better,” UR quarterback Cam Coleman said.

Unseeded Lehigh (9-3) ended ninth-seeded Richmond (10-3)’s 10-game winning streak and advanced to Idaho (9-3). Lehigh’s fans celebrated the victory with chants of “Idaho” as the Mountain Hawks left the field.

“We had a lot of opportunities on offense to make plays and we didn’t make them. We had a lot of opportunities to make plays defensively and we didn’t make them,” UR coach Russ Huesman said. “And when that happens in a playoff game, you usually lose the football game.”

Richmond scored a touchdown. This occurred on fourth down (seven yards, Coleman to tight end Sean Clarke) in the fourth quarter, giving UR a 16-7 lead with 10:36 left.

“We moved the ball really well offensively. We got first downs,” Huesman said. “We had seven or eight opportunities to make big plays and you don’t get them. We can sit here and blame the red zone all we want, but when you drop balls, or you (have bad passes) or something like that in.” Games like this are where it comes out.

Lehigh rallied after Richmond’s touchdown with a 65-yard TD run by Jaden Green to make it 16-14.

“Everyone on our sideline erupted,” Lehigh quarterback Hayden Johnson said. “It gave us so much energy.”

The Mountain Hawks took a 20-16 lead when Johnson rolled right and threw back across the middle, a short pass to Geoffrey Jamiel, who outran the UR defenders in the opposite direction for a 54-yard TD completion.

“It comes to a crisis in the fourth quarter,” said UR safety Jabril Hayes (two interceptions). “It can be those one or two plays that really set the game back and not go in your favor.”

Richmond appeared to gain possession of the ball with about 1:07 left. UR’s Quanye Veney dropped the fumbled ball, the Mountain Hawks recovered and ran out of time.

Twice in the first half, Richmond advanced inside Lehigh’s ten with great setups. Twice the Spiders were satisfied with short field goals from Sean O’Haire (25 and 27 yards). Two false start penalties botched the first drive (second-and-goal at the 1) and unsuccessful plays wiped out the second drive (first-and-goal at the 7).

On UR’s third trip of the first half inside the Lehigh 10 (first-and-goal at the 6), the remaining time was an issue. O’Haire hit another short FG (21 yards) on the final play of the second quarter. At halftime the Spiders led 9-7.

Before halftime, Richmond outgained Lehigh by 249 yards to 110 and had 14 first downs to Lehigh’s six.

CAA Football champions Richmond made it to the 24-team FCS playoffs for the third straight year. The Spiders won home games in the first round and lost away games in the second round each of the last two years.

Lehigh, the Patriot League champion, last reached the FCS playoff field in 2017. The Mountain Hawks last won a playoff game in 2011.