The University of Rhode Island football team’s season came to a close on Saturday in the second round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs, falling to the University of California, Davis, 47-26.
After scoring 20 points, all in the second quarter, the Rams led by nine. The Aggies responded with 36 unanswered points to put the game well out of reach.
“The thought of not having another week is tough to bear,” UC Davis Head Coach Tim Plough said. “Just proud of these guys for working hard and finding a way to get that done. We know Rhode Island is a fantastic team.”
UC Davis moved the chains three times on the opening drive, mainly working on the ground with third-year running back Jordan Fisher and second-year quarterback Caden Pinnick.
A pair of incompletions and a short rush from third-year running back Kai Acia stalled the series, as fourth-year kicker Hunter Ridley delivered a 37-yard kick to put the Aggies ahead 3-0.
Rhode Island struggled to start on offense, burning a timeout and punting after a three-and-out.
Pinnick picked up 23 yards on the ground before Fisher followed that up with a 19-yard gain. In the red zone, Pinnick dropped back and was picked off by fifth-year defensive back Trey Lubin.
The Rams were quickly forced to punt again, allowing UC Davis to return to the red zone as the first quarter ran out.
Ridley returned for a 33-yard field goal attempt to start the second quarter. His try had plenty of leg but was ruled wide left after fully clearing above the upright despite some disagreement from the Aggies’ kicker and sideline.
Fourth-year quarterback Devin Farrell finally got the Rhode Island offense going with a 23-yard pass to fourth-year receiver Greg Gaines III. Fifth-year running back Antwain Littleton Jr. added 30 yards on the ground before punching in a two-yard touchdown on fourth-and-goal.
The Aggies responded with a four-play drive to jump back in front. Pinnick found fourth-year receiver Samuel Gbatu Jr. for 67 yards before finishing the drive with a three-yard touchdown to third-year receiver Scott Nixon.
A direct snap on the Aggies’ two-point conversion, pushed across by fourth-year tight end Ian Simpson, gave UC Davis an 11-7 lead.
Littleton Jr. exploded out of the backfield again, breaking off a 63-yard touchdown. Rhode Island doubled down on its next drive, with Farrell finding fourth-year receiver Marquis Buchanan on a 75-yard touchdown.
With 2:14 left in the first half, UC Davis traveled 82 yards on a nine-play scoring drive. Third-year receiver Zach Jones brought in a 15-yard touchdown with 18 seconds to go.
The second half was all Aggies on both sides of the ball. Sandwiched between their defense forcing two three-and-outs, Fisher took off for a 50-yard score to take the lead for good.
“We knew we were going against a talented offense, and obviously, they were going to come out with some big plays,” UC Davis fourth-year defensive back Jayden Stanley said. “Going into the second half, we just had to come back to ourselves and figure out a way to have that poise.”
It went from bad to worse for the Rams, with fifth-year tight end Connor Finer having the ball punched free by second-year linebacker Jackson Sievers.
Working with a short field after recovering the fumble, Simpson returned to the end zone for a nine-yard reception.
Rhody entered desperation mode in the fourth quarter, turning the ball over on downs twice with their season slipping away.
Familiar weapons continued to find big plays for UC Davis, turning a once-close game into a blowout. Gbatu Jr. caught a 27-yard touchdown to start the Aggies’ fourth-quarter scoring, while Jones picked up his second touchdown of the game on a 35-yard catch.
Despite dominating the second half, the Aggies allowed the Rams to have the final score against their reserves. Rhode Island had an 11-play drive, capping off with the familiar connection of Farrell to Buchanan for six on a four-yard touchdown.
For the second straight year, Rhode Island was bounced in the second round. After waiting 39 years to play football in December, doing so in back-to-back seasons showed the program’s progress and promise.
Only one team can make the playoffs and not end its season with a loss. It was still a successful year for URI, highlighted by numerous program records and a second straight 11-win season.
