The football team fended off a late rally by the University of Richmond to win 35-28 on the road on Saturday, progressing to 6-0 in conference play for the first time in program history.
“This was the first opportunity to go 6-0 before Lehigh, so that was a really good feeling,” senior offensive lineman Brian Baucia said. “But we all know the job’s not finished.”
The No. 24 Leopards (6-0 Patriot League, 8-3 overall) struck first on their third possession of the game after punting twice. Following a missed field goal from the Spiders (3-4 Patriot League, 6-5 overall), senior quarterback Dean DeNobile found junior wide receiver Carson Persing for a 29-yard gain on third down to set them up in Richmond territory. After marching down to the 17-yard line, DeNobile found Persing once again up the seam to take a 7-0 lead.
Richmond fired right back with a 12-play, 71-yard drive to tie the game up in the second quarter.
“We’ve got to do a better job stopping the run,” senior defensive lineman Phillip Peiffer said. “We play fast and physical; I think where we struggle is assignment football. We just have to get the call and do a better job executing it.”
Two minutes was all it took for the Leopard response. Junior running back Kente Edwards picked up 50 yards on four carries before DeNobile connected with freshman wide receiver Nick Bierman wide open in the endzone for a 26-yard touchdown on just his second career reception.
“Bierman was on the scout team this entire season,” senior wide receiver Elijah Steward said. “You can ask any person on that defense, the hardest worker over there is Nick Bierman.”
The Spiders threatened to score again before the two-minute warning, but senior linebacker Ian Langan stuffed Richmond’s ball carrier on fourth-and-one on the Leopards’ nine-yard line to keep the 14-7 lead into halftime.
Another two-minute drive allowed the Maroon and White to extend their lead to open the second half. The Leopards drove 75 yards in six plays, capped off with DeNobile finding Bierman in the endzone for the second time of the day, this time a 21-yard score.
After exchanging punts, Richmond cut into the deficit with a four-minute drive that resulted in a 32-yard touchdown pass. The Leopards’ 14-point lead was restored just two plays later, however, as Edwards hit the hole and was off to the races with a 61-yard touchdown run.
“It all starts with communication up front,” Baucia said. “Kente gives us a boost.”
Chaos ensued in the fourth quarter, as junior defensive lineman Jaylon Joseph tipped a pass that landed in the hands of classmate and positionmate Michael Vaughn. The interception set the Leopards up in the red zone, but DeNobile had a pass of his own batted and picked off just two plays later. The Spiders returned the ball to the Leopards’ 23-yard line to set up another touchdown.
After making the tackle on the interception return, Edwards found another spark with his second home-run rush, breaking free for 70 yards to take a 35-21 lead.
Richmond fought hard until the end, driving 82 yards to make it a one-score game in the final two minutes. The Maroon and White went three-and-out, giving the Spiders a chance to force overtime. Richmond’s offense managed multiple chunk plays to get the ball down to the 16-yard line, but the Leopards’ defense forced three straight incomplete passes — including a fourth-down breakup by junior defensive back Avery Jones — to hang on to the victory.
“We just kept fighting every snap,” Peiffer said. “They did a really good job driving down the field, but at the end of the day, we were able to hold them out of the end zone.”
DeNobile finished with 165 yards passing and three touchdowns. Edwards rushed for a career-high 263 yards, landing him his sixth Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week award of the year.
The Leopards will look to defend Fisher Stadium against No. 4 Lehigh University (6-0 Patriot League, 11-0 overall) in the 161st Rivalry Game on Saturday. The heavyweight bout between two undefeated titans will decide the 2025 Patriot League champions.
“This is everything, the biggest game of my life,” Baucia said. “It’s going to be a great challenge for us.”