NORMAL — The tone was set on Richmond's first possession Friday at Hancock Stadium.
Third down and long yardage was no problem for the Spiders. It was a trap — an inescapable web — for Illinois State.
Rendering the Redbird pass defense ineffectual early and often, Richmond piled up 399 passing yards and 562 yards of total offense in a 39-27 victory over ISU in an FCS quarterfinal playoff game.
"They executed very, very well," Redbirds coach Brock Spack said. "Their quarterback was very accurate, and their receivers were strong and went up and caught the ball.