McCauley’s 57-yard touchdown lifts Richmond past Blue, 10-3

Joe McCauley broke a possession-heavy stalemate with a 57-yard touchdown scramble in the third quarter, and that play proved to be the difference as Team Red beat Team Blue 10-3 in Richmond’s spring game at Robins Stadium on April 11. The 4:00 p.m. scrimmage finished as a defensive workout, with few sustained drives and the lone explosive offensive play coming from McCauley, a 6-3, 204-pound quarterback on the Richmond roster.

Richmond’s defensive depth showed up all afternoon. First- and second-team defenders stuffed short-yardage looks, second-team players repeatedly held on third down, and pass-rush pressure routinely forced hurried throws; that situational polish was the through-line of a game scripted to emphasize fundamentals and live reps. Defensive end Daniel Sellers was presented with the program’s Gus Lee Winter Warrior Award after the scrimmage, acknowledging the offseason strength and conditioning gains that translated into the physical play seen Saturday.

Offensive evaluation was more mixed. Multiple quarterbacks saw snaps — graduate student Ashten Snelsire, McCauley and freshman Jack Levin all worked in the exhibition — but only McCauley produced a game-changing play. Snelsire, who in 2025 completed 58 of 111 passes for 848 yards and eight touchdowns while adding 188 rushing yards and three scores, appeared the most comfortable under center in periods of the scrimmage, but the offense overall failed to sustain third-down drives or convert consistently in the red zone. Running back Aziz Foster-Powell had a notable run in the first half and wide receiver Andreas Hill continued to carve out a role in the rotation, yet those flashes did not translate into points beyond McCauley’s run.

Following the game the program announced five captains: defensive back Jordan Allen, defensive end Camden Byrd, tight end Sean Clarke, linebacker Carter Glassmyer and quarterback Ashten Snelsire. Those selections skew toward defensive experience and signal where Richmond expects leadership to anchor the 2026 roster as the Spiders transition out of spring practice and into offseason conditioning.

Context sharpens the takeaway: Richmond finished 7-5 in 2025 and ranked first in the Patriot League in passing defense (155.3 yards per game), second in scoring defense (22.7 points per game) and sixth nationally in total defense (290.3 yards per game). The spring game’s defensive dominance reinforces that identity, while the offense’s inconsistency suggests the larger concern entering the offseason. With the regular-season opener set for August 29 at Robins Stadium against Patriot League opponent Bucknell, the Spiders appear positioned to rely on their defense; the bigger question for coaches and fans is whether the offense can close the execution gaps before training camp.