UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - The Richmond Spiders football team returned to the practice field on Monday morning at Robins Stadium. After two strong practices this past weekend, the Spiders went in full pads for two hours this morning.
During the early portion of the 11-on-11 drills, the Richmond defense was getting the best of the offensive unit. The defense wasn't allowing the Spider quarterbacks to develop any rhythm, consistently getting pressure.
Redshirt junior DL Kerry Wynn made a nice tackle in the backfield, while sophomore DL Justin Williamson made a nice move to get free and pressure the quarterback. LB Andrew Brown had a nice practice as well, getting pressure and making a tackle-for-loss.
Redshirt sophomore DB Reggie Barnette had a couple of good plays for the defense, making a tackle behind the line of scrimmage on one snap and then nearly coming away with an interception just two plays later. The defense did get one turnover in the session. After DB Wayne Pettus made a dive to break up a pass, sophomore Aaron Roane made a heads-up play, snatching the deflection for the pick.
Offensively, a pair of running backs made a strong impression in the 11-on-11 drills. Redshirt sophomore James McKinney had three solid runs, including a big gainer up the middle for 15 yards. Redshirt junior Jovan Smith also played well, peeling off runs of nine and 10 yards.
The biggest play of the practice came late in the drill. Working under center, QB John Laub looked off the safety and made a great pass down the right sideline looking for freshman WR Reggie Diggs. Laub's toss hit Diggs perfectly in stride, resulting in a 50-yard touchdown.
The Richmond Spiders football team will have their first two-day practice on Tuesday. The first practice of the day will be at Robins Stadium from 8:45-10:30 a.m. while the second practice will be at the Grass Fields at River Road from 4-5:45 p.m.
This season, all practices during training camp are open to the public. With practices being held at both Robins Stadium and the Grass Practice Fields on River Road, fans attending practice are asked to remain in the bleachers. In Robins Stadium, fans are asked to sit in the stands on the west side of the stadium.
