After a season filled to the brim with records and a revolution of program identity, the 2024 season for the University of Rhode Island football team came to an end with a 17-10 loss to Mercer University on Saturday in the second round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
“We had a tremendous run, a tremendous season, [it was] historic,” URI Head Coach Jim Fleming said. “There are kids in [our] locker room that have done things that haven’t been done at the University of Rhode Island for 39 years. So when we have a chance to get over the pain of defeat, then we will be able to reflect on how special this season was.”
The Rams struggled to score points against the Bears, producing their lowest scoring tally against an FCS opponent all season. However, Rhody had opportunities to move the scoreboard, but failed to execute in several points throughout the game.
At the end of the first half, the Rams had a first and goal from the 1-yard line. After a stuffed run, a spike and an incomplete pass wiped almost all 27 seconds off the clock, the Rams were forced to settle for three points going into halftime.
Rhode Island also saw a late game scenario end in the same fate on a different part of the field. On the Rams’ final offensive drive of the game, Rhody set up on the Mercer 32-yard line in a third and two situation. On third down, fifth-year quarterback Hunter Helms kept the ball on a run-pass-option but slid before contact for a gain of no yards. On the following play, Helms threw a pass into the turf in between two receivers, ending the drive and the season.
While the Rams offense was not up to par on Saturday afternoon, the impact that their defense played was evident on the statsheet. Rhode Island held Mercer to their second-lowest offensive tally of the season against an FCS opponent, while sacking quarterbacks first-year Whitt Newbauer and third-year DJ Smith a collective five times.
Third-year wide receiver Marquis Buchanan had the lone touchdown for Rhode Island in the contest, reeling in a 56-yard pass from Helms down the left sideline with under three minutes left in the third quarter, giving Rhode Island their only lead of the game, 10-7.
“Offensively we just didn’t make enough plays,” Buchanan said. “We got too many false start penalties, holding calls, we left a lot of plays on the field… [The] defense put us in a position to put up points and we just aren’t executing well enough.”
With the 2024 season now over and the transfer portal open, the time to rebuild and get better starts now for Rhody, even with pieces already starting to drift off.
“[The playoffs were] too short,” Fleming said. “Our whole program is about ‘three more feet’ and now you’ve got to think about all the BS we got to do right now to get over this one, and then it starts right now. Next year, with kids, all of the rest of this stuff that goes into college football this time, you try to delay that as long as you possibly can because the rest of it is crap. You just want to play.”
Helms became one of the first players to declare a location change, announcing his activity in the transfer portal via social media shortly after it opened on Monday afternoon. Other offensive players, like fourth-year offensive lineman Jacob Otts and third-year running back Jaden Griffin, have also declared their intention to transfer.
The Rams will now search for pieces as playoff football continues across the country, trying to find a difference-making player to bring Rhody even further in 2025.