With major plays in all three facets of the game, the University of Rhode Island football team defeated the University of New Hampshire 26-9 on Saturday, claiming its first win in Durham since 1995.
The Rams and Wildcats both went into this game undefeated in conference play and at the top of the Coastal Athletic Association standings. Because Rhode Island hadn’t won at Wildcat Stadium in 29 years, Saturday’s game had a little extra juice for URI Head Coach Jim Fleming and his team.
“We had a little chip on our shoulder,” Fleming said. “New Hampshire, in my mind, is at the standard of championship-level football in the northeast.”
The first scoring play of the day came from the Rhode Island special teams unit, which would be a common theme throughout the game. With 9:27 left in the first half, second-year linebacker Moses Meus got through to block a UNH punt, and the ball trickled into the end zone. The Rams had a chance to scoop it up for a touchdown, but ultimately the Wildcats fell on the ball in their own end zone which resulted in a safety and a 2-0 URI lead.
“The piece that will be interesting to watch on tape is the contributions to special teams and those things were significant,” Fleming said. “I thought Troy Gilmer, our special teams coordinator, did a good job of lining up, particularly on that punt block.”
The defense for Rhode Island was relentless through the first half, allowing zero first downs until the Wildcats’ final drive of the half. New Hampshire was able to convert three points on that drive with a 44-yard field goal to take a 3-2 lead into the locker room.
“If this team is trained for anything, it’s second half performances, particularly fourth quarter,” Fleming said. “There was no panic, the coaches were good and made their adjustments, decided on which way we wanted to attack them on both sides of the ball.”
These adjustments were evident on the first drive of the second half when third-year linebacker AJ Pena applied pressure that forced an interception by fourth-year defensive back and CAA Co-Defensive Player of the Week Fredrick Mallay. The Rams turned this into three points on a field goal from second-year kicker Ty Groff and regained a 5-3 lead.
The special teams for Rhode Island weren’t done making momentum-swinging plays, as UNH muffed a line-drive punt from second-year punter Devin Walter with six minutes left in the third quarter. Second-year defensive back Freddie Camp was able to scoop up the loose ball in the end zone for the touchdown to extend the URI lead to 12-3.
UNH continued to search for an answer on offense throughout the second half, making multiple switches at quarterback between fourth-year Seth Morgan and second-year Matt Vezza. The Rams defense stayed strong, however, with a pair of fourth-down stops late in the game and four sacks.
“I think you’re starting to see an inkling of a championship-level defense,” Fleming said. “We were able to just keep a lid on it defensively and much credit to the players.”
The final of the three phases, the offensive side, got going for Rhode Island late in the third quarter when Farrell delivered a pass right into the breadbasket of third-year wide receiver Marquis Buchanan for a 57-yard touchdown.
A second half explosion, where the Rams outscored the Wildcats 24-6, allowed Rhode Island to coast to their biggest margin of victory of the year as they secured the 26-9 win. Following the win, the Rams are 6-1, have a winning streak of five games and are one of just two teams left in the CAA undefeated in conference play, along with the University of Richmond.
“When you start looking at the three phases to contribute to the victory, it was an outstanding, outstanding win for us,” Fleming said. “I’m just pleased with the progress of our football team and the belief that they have.”
Next up, Rhode Island will look to keep their winning streak going as it returns home to Meade Stadium to take on the University of Maine at 1 p.m. on Saturday. The game can be streamed on FloFootball, and a radio broadcast is available on WRIU 90.3 FM or The Varsity Network.