RICHMOND, Va. (Interstat) — In a stunning reversal fueled by a dominant defensive performance, the Richmond Spiders scored 13 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to stun the Howard Bison 13-12 on Saturday at Robins Stadium.

The Bison, who had controlled the game for three quarters, saw their offense crumble in the final period with two critical interceptions that the Spiders converted into touchdowns, handing Howard its first loss of the season.

Howard’s offense, which had mustered only 12 points despite moving the ball effectively for much of the contest, was silenced when it mattered most. The Bison fell to 3-1, while Richmond evened its record at 2-2.

For the first 45 minutes, the game belonged to Howard running back Anthony Reagan Jr. The junior from Camden, New Jersey, was the workhorse for the Bison, gashing the Richmond defense for 129 yards on 20 carries. His most explosive play came early in the second quarter, when he broke free for a 52-yard touchdown run to give Howard a 6-0 lead. The Bison failed on the two-point conversion attempt.

Howard’s other points came from a safety and a late second-quarter field goal. The safety occurred when Richmond running back Aziz Foster-Powell was tackled in his own end zone for a 2-yard loss with 3:14 remaining in the first half. Kicker Matt Conord then connected from 36 yards out with 23 seconds left in the half to send the Bison into the locker room with a 12-0 advantage.

The Bison defense was equally responsible for the lead, consistently stifling Richmond’s offensive efforts. Howard defensive back Zuri Watson of St. Petersburg, Florida, intercepted a pass from Richmond quarterback Ashten Snelsire in the third quarter to snuff out a promising Spider drive.

Howard quarterback Tyriq Starks of Carol City, Florida, struggled with efficiency throughout, completing 11 of 24 passes for 84 yards. While he added 18 rushing yards, his day was ultimately defined by two fourth-quarter turnovers.

The momentum shifted irrevocably in Richmond’s favor early in the final period. With Howard driving in Spider territory, Starks’ pass was intercepted by Richmond defensive back CJ Fraser, who returned it 55 yards to the Howard 42. On the very next play, Spider wide receiver Isaiah Dawson took a reverse 42 yards for a touchdown. Kicker Jayden Alsheskie’s extra point cut the Howard lead to 12-7.

The collapse accelerated on Howard’s ensuing possession. Starks’ very next pass was picked off by Richmond defensive lineman Matei Fitz of Leesburg, Virginia, who rumbled to the Howard 7-yard line. Two plays later, Snelsire found Foster-Powell on a 7-yard touchdown pass to give the Spiders their first lead at 13-12. The two-point conversion attempt failed, but the damage was done.

Howard had one final chance to reclaim the lead, mounting a 13-play drive that consumed over six minutes and reached the Richmond 21-yard line. The drive stalled, however, and Conord’s 38-yard field goal attempt with 3:07 remaining sailed wide left.

Richmond’s offense, which had been stagnant for three quarters, managed to run out the remaining clock behind key runs from Snelsire. The quarterback from Berlin, Maryland, finished with 31 rushing yards on seven carries and the game-winning touchdown pass, though he completed just 4 of 14 passes for 35 yards.

Richmond’s victory was also aided by a stellar punting performance from Ned Gray of Melbourne, Australia, who averaged nearly 41 yards on six punts, repeatedly pinning Howard deep in its own territory.

The result defied pregame projections, as Interstat’s game simulator had projected a Richmond victory by a score of 35-24, and its ELO system gave the Spiders a 95.4 percent probability to win. Howard had been installed as a 15-point underdog. The combined score of 25 points fell well under the over/under line of 41.5.

Howard will look to rebound on the road at Sacred Heart on Oct. 11. Richmond travels to face Bucknell on Oct. 4.