The University of Rhode Island football team suffered a heart-wrenching defeat at the hands of the University of New Hampshire, falling 20-17 after squandering a three-possession advantage on Saturday.
URI came into Durham – not an easy place to play in – and after taking the bye week to continue to groom and prep its freshman quarterback, Wesley McKoy, it would have a more balanced offensive attack.
The Rams applied pressure early, after sophomore defensive back Isaiah Hill forced a fumble, which he then recovered on UNH’s 18-yard line. The defense has started to become an important tool for generating a decent amount of offense, and did so again when freshman Justin Rohrwasser kicked a 37-yard field goal to give the Rams the early lead.
Sophomore running back Harold Cooper once again was the offensive focal point, both on the ground and in the air. In the second quarter, he took a swing pass from McKoy for a 31-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 10-0. The offense then ended the half with a lengthy drive in which Cooper and McKoy both ran the ball several times to march into enemy territory, eating up more than four minutes of clock in the process. The Rams, faced with second-and-goal on the 1-yard line and three seconds remaining in the half, opted to go for the score. The end result was another Cooper touchdown and a comfortable 17-0 Rhody lead at halftime.
The game seemed to be trending towards the same outcome as the Rams’ win against Delaware a few weeks back, but the Wildcats had other ideas. They wasted little time in eliminating the possibility of a second URI shutout in a month, when, in less than one minute, they drove 82 yards for the score when quarterback Sean Goldrich connected with wide out Daltan Crossan for a 52-yard touchdown. UNH made it two consecutive scores and cut into the lead further following a 12-yard rushing touchdown by Crossan.  Despite being just a few minutes into the third quarter, URI’s seemingly large lead at the end of the half was now a distant memory.
“It was a tale of two halves,†head coach Jim Fleming said. “They couldn’t control the clock in the first half. We kept them off the field. They flipped it around on us in the second half. We couldn’t get the final knockout blow.”
Rhode Island was especially vulnerable after the Wildcats figured out how to minimize the Rams’ rushing attack. Cooper, the cog in the offensive machine, was able to muster 97 yards on the ground, but only averaged 3.1 yards per carry. McKoy, still learning the offense, fulfilled the role of a game manager who did not make any mistakes, but also did not make many big plays either.
UNH’s scrambler, Crossan, continued to elude contact as he ran one from 30 yards out to score his second rushing touchdown of the afternoon to give UNH their first lead of the game. A missed extra point meant that URI needed just a field goal to tie, and with 5:37 left on the clock, they had plenty of time. They did not, however, have an answer for the defensive line which stifled a Cooper rush attempt and reception before sacking Mckoy for a 16-yard loss. The Rams were not dead yet, as they once again put their faith in the defense to give young McKoy a chance to mount a comeback drive. The task would again be thwarted by Crossan’s mobility as he helped his team secure a couple of first downs and run out the clock for the victory.
“We had certain pass opportunities, but we weren’t able to get them. We were still really in a tight game and I thought we just needed to keep the sticks moving,†Fleming said.
The loss was debilitating for Rhode Island team that has been progressing, especially on the defensive end, but still has just one win to show for all their hard work.
“It was a devastating loss,†Fleming said. “You’re on the road against a team that has had a lot of success at home, it was a crushing loss when you’re trying to turn a program around. But you work hard and prepare for the next one.â€
URI (1-7) proved themselves to be a formidable opponent on the road, but are still trying to find a balance in their offensive scheme. Villanova (4-4) comes into town for what should be a well-attended game for family weekend this Saturday at 12:30 p.m.