REDEMPTION ARC COMPLETE: Kyle Bitsko’s Clutch Kick Saves Richmond After Four Misses (9-19-26)
By: Xavier Jones
Headline Photo Credit: Richmond Spiders Athletics
RICHMOND, Va. — Freshman kicker Kyle Bitsko had already missed four field-goal attempts Saturday afternoon. With the game on the line and the clock hitting zero, he finally got one right.
Bitsko drilled a 49-yard field goal as time expired, lifting the Richmond Spiders to a dramatic 24-21 Patriot League victory over Georgetown at Robins Stadium. The win improved Richmond to 3-1 overall and 2-0 in conference play for the first time since joining the Patriot League in 2025. Georgetown fell to 0-2.
It was the perfect ending to a roller-coaster afternoon for the Spiders, who left multiple scoring opportunities on the field before delivering when it mattered most.
Aziz Foster-Powell stole the show early. The running back accounted for all three of Richmond’s first-half touchdowns. He opened the scoring with a 33-yard burst with 2:55 left in the first quarter, then punched in a 4-yard run early in the second to make it 14-0. After Georgetown answered with a 71-yard Jack Johnson-to-Hassan Mahasin strike, Foster-Powell capped a 10-play drive with a 12-yard touchdown catch from Ashten Snelsire, pushing the lead to 21-7 at the break. That was all the offense Richmond would get until the final play.
Georgetown clawed back in the second half. Johnson found Isaiah Grimes for a 2-yard score in the third, then completed a 15-play, 96-yard marathon drive with a 2-yard toss to Burke Carroll that tied the game at 21-21 with 5:20 remaining.
Richmond’s defense, led by Devin Geronomi and Blake Houser (nine tackles each), kept the Spiders alive. Houser added 1.5 sacks. The unit limited Georgetown to 303 total yards and just 12 first downs while forcing the Hoyas into long, grinding drives.
With 2:16 left and the ball at their own 28, the Spiders faced disaster after a holding penalty and delay of game pushed them back to their own 7-yard line (2nd-and-31). Snelsire responded with big throws to Bryce Allen and Andreas Hill, then converted another third down to Allen. A late facemask penalty helped move the chains, and Richmond eventually reached the Georgetown 31.
After a short loss and timeouts, Bitsko stepped up. This time, the kick was pure. The 49-yarder sailed through the uprights as the clock hit 0:00, sparking a celebration at Robins Stadium.
Key Numbers:
• Ashten Snelsire: 29-of-49, career-high 322 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
• Aziz Foster-Powell: 87 rushing yards + 2 TDs, 5 catches for 35 yards + 1 TD
• Richmond: 467 total yards, 27 first downs, 34:48 time of possession, 0 turnovers
• Georgetown: Jack Johnson 14-of-23, 193 yards, 3 TDs
• The Spiders return to Robins Stadium next Saturday for Family Weekend against Furman at 2 p.m.
• One missed kick after another… then the one that counted. That’s how legends (and viral moments) are made.
