2021 Rhode Island Rams football team
American college football season
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The 2021 Rhode Island Rams football team represented the University of Rhode Island as a member of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) in the 2021 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Rams, led by eighth-year head coach Jim Fleming, played their home games at Meade Stadium.
ConferenceColonial Athletic Association
Record7–4 (4–4 CAA)
Headcoach
- Jim Fleming (8th season)
OffensivecoordinatorPatrick Murphy (2nd season)
| 2021 Rhode Island Rams football | |
|---|---|
| Conference | Colonial Athletic Association |
| Record | 7–4 (4–4 CAA) |
| Head coach |
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| Offensive coordinator | Patrick Murphy (2nd season) |
| Defensive coordinator | Jack Cooper (2nd season) |
| Home stadium | Meade Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 3 James Madison +^ | 7 | – | 1 | 12 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 8 Villanova +^ | 7 | – | 1 | 10 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Elon | 5 | – | 3 | 6 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rhode Island | 4 | – | 4 | 7 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Maine | 4 | – | 4 | 6 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Richmond | 4 | – | 4 | 6 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| William & Mary | 4 | – | 4 | 6 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stony Brook | 4 | – | 4 | 5 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Delaware | 3 | – | 5 | 5 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Towson | 3 | – | 5 | 4 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Hampshire | 2 | – | 6 | 3 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Albany | 1 | – | 7 | 2 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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On October 11, the Rams were named 12th in national FCS polls, the highest they have been ranked in 20 years.[1] Andre Bibeault was named the Special Teams Player of the Week by the CAA.[1]
Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 4 | 6:00 p.m. | Bryant* | FloFootball | W 45–21 | 5,735 | ||||
| September 11 | 7:00 p.m. | at Albany | FloFootball | W 16–14 | 8,144 | ||||
| September 18 | 12:30 p.m. | at Brown* | ESPN+ | W 45–24 | 5,243 | ||||
| October 2 | 12:00 p.m. | Stony Brook | No. 21 |
| FloFootball | W 27–20 OT | 5,778 | ||
| October 9 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 9 Delaware | No. 18 |
| FloFootball | W 22–15 | 4,917 | ||
| October 16 | 4:00 p.m. | at Towson | No. 12 | FloFootball | L 7–28 | 3,375 | |||
| October 23 | 3:30 p.m. | at No. 5 Villanova | No. 18 | FloFootball | L 0–44 | 7,341 | |||
| October 30 | 1:00 p.m. | Maine | No. 24 |
| FloFootball | L 24–45 | 3,368 | ||
| November 6 | 3:30 p.m. | at UMass* | FloFootball/NESN | W 35–22 | 7,284 | ||||
| November 13 | 1:00 p.m. | New Hampshire |
| FloFootball | W 28–3 | 4,661 | |||
| November 20 | 2:00 p.m. | at Elon | No. 25 | FloFootball | L 28–43 | 5,672 | |||
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Game summaries
Bryant
Game One – Rhode Island Rams (0–0) vs Bryant Bulldogs (0–0)
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryant | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
| Rhode Island | 7 | 24 | 7 | 7 | 45 |
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | BRY | URI |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 19 | 26 |
| Plays–yards | 63-262 | 68 |
| Rushes–yards | 115 | 235 |
| Passing yards | 147 | 273 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 18-32-1 | 15-23-0 |
| Time of possession | 29:01 | 30:59 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bryant | Passing | Zevi Eckhaus | 9/17, 55 yards |
| Rushing | Daniel Adeboboye | 17 carries, 68 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Gary Cooper | 3 receptions, 39 yards | |
| Rhode Island | Passing | Kasim Hill | 12/18, 249 yards, 2 TD |
| Rushing | Justice Antrum | 18 carry, 96 yards, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Paul Woods | 2 receptions, 73 yards |
At Albany
Game Two – Rhode Island Rams (1–0) vs Albany Great Danes (0–1)
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | 6 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 16 |
| Albany | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | URI | ALB |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 16 | 16 |
| Plays–yards | 61-288 | 74-215 |
| Rushes–yards | 141 | 49 |
| Passing yards | 147 | 166 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 15-30-1 | 19-36-1 |
| Time of possession | 26:39 | 33:21 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | Passing | Kasim Hill | 15/29, 147 yards, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Justice Antrum | 14 carries, 84 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Ivory Frimpong | 8 receptions, 94 yards | |
| Albany | Passing | Jeff Undercuffler Jr. | 19/25, 166 yards, 1 TD |
| Rushing | Karl Mofor | 26 carries, 75 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Roy Alexander | 4 receptions, 54 yards |
At Brown
Game Three – Rhode Island Rams (2–0) vs Brown Bears (1–1)
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | 17 | 0 | 21 | 7 | 45 |
| Brown | 7 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 24 |
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | URI | BRWN |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 17 | 30 |
| Plays–yards | 55-435 | 100-535 |
| Rushes–yards | 111 | 190 |
| Passing yards | 324 | 345 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 14-23-0 | 38-62-2 |
| Time of possession | 23:46 | 36:14 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | Passing | Kasim Hill | 13/19, 320 yards, 3 TD |
| Rushing | Justice Antrum | 13 carries, 47 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Caleb Warren | 5 receptions, 105 yards, 1 TD | |
| Brown | Passing | E.J. Perry | 38/62, 345 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Allen Smith | 15 carries, 65 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Hayes Sutton | 7 receptions, 78 yards, 1 TD |
Stony Brook
Game Four – No. 21 Rhode Island Rams (3–0) vs Stony Brook Seawolves (1–3)
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stony Brook | 7 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 20 |
| Rhode Island | 0 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 27 |
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | STBK | URI |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 17 | 22 |
| Plays–yards | 62-293 | 79-414 |
| Rushes–yards | 192 | 188 |
| Passing yards | 101 | 226 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 9-19-1 | 21-37-0 |
| Time of possession | 27:58 | 32:02 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stony Brook | Passing | Tyquell Fields | 9/19, 101 yards, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Ty Son Lawton | 28 carries, 154 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Delante Hellams Jr. | 4 receptions, 66 yards | |
| Rhode Island | Passing | Kasim Hill | 21/37, 226 yards, 1 TD |
| Rushing | Justice Antrum | 25 carries, 104 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Ivory Frimpong | 6 receptions, 87 yards |
No. 9 Delaware
Game Five – No. 18 Rhode Island Rams (4–0) vs No. 9 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens (3–1)
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | 0 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 15 |
| Rhode Island | 3 | 9 | 0 | 10 | 22 |
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | DEL | URI |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 18 | 20 |
| Plays–yards | 63-303 | 71-340 |
| Rushes–yards | 186 | 185 |
| Passing yards | 117 | 155 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 9-18-3 | 13-22-1 |
| Time of possession | 29:22 | 30:38 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | Passing | Zach Gwynn | 9/17, 117 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT |
| Rushing | Dejoun Lee | 19 carries, 115 yards | |
| Receiving | Thyrick Pitts | 5 receptions, 61 yards, 1 TD | |
| Rhode Island | Passing | Kasim Hill | 13/22, 155 yards, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Justice Antrum | 30 carries, 122 yards | |
| Receiving | Caleb Warren | 4 receptions, 88 yards |
At Towson
Game Six – No. 12 Rhode Island Rams (5–0) vs Towson Tigers (2–3)
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Towson | 14 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| Game information |
|---|
no scoring
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| Statistics | URI | TOW |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 15 | 19 |
| Plays–yards | 59-162 | 73-338 |
| Rushes–yards | 72 | 147 |
| Passing yards | 90 | 191 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 7-26-1 | 16-25-0 |
| Time of possession | 22:30 | 37:30 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | Passing | Kasim Hill | 7/26, 90 yards, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Justice Antrum | 15 carries, 62 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Caleb Warren | 1 reception, 25 yards | |
| Towson | Passing | Chris Ferguson | 16/25, 191 yards, 1 TD |
| Rushing | Jerry Howard Jr. | 27 carries, 106 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Caleb Smith | 4 receptions, 57 yards |
At No. 5 Villanova
Game Seven – No. 18 Rhode Island Rams (5–1) vs No. 5 Villanova Wildcats (5–1)
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Villanova | 14 | 10 | 7 | 13 | 44 |
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | URI | VILL |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 9 | 24 |
| Plays–yards | 57-165 | 70-511 |
| Rushes–yards | 107 | 297 |
| Passing yards | 58 | 214 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 10-23-1 | 14-25-0 |
| Time of possession | 24:49 | 35:11 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | Passing | Brandon Robinson | 6/10, 36 yards |
| Rushing | Justice Antrum | 9 carries, 60 yards | |
| Receiving | Ed Lee | 2 receptions, 14 yards | |
| Villanova | Passing | Daniel Smith | 14/24, 214 yards, 2 TD |
| Rushing | Jalen Jackson | 12 carries, 104 yards, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Rayjoun Pringle | 3 receptions, 91 yards, 1 TD |
Maine
Game Eight – No. 24 Rhode Island Rams (5–2) vs Maine Black Bears (3–4)
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maine | 14 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 45 |
| Rhode Island | 3 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 24 |
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | ME | URI |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 27 | 10 |
| Plays–yards | 81-528 | 51-298 |
| Rushes–yards | 264 | 68 |
| Passing yards | 264 | 230 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 18-37-1 | 16-29-0 |
| Time of possession | 36:59 | 23:01 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maine | Passing | Derek Robertson | 18/37, 264 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Freddie Brock | 20 carries, 140 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Andre Miller | 4 receptions, 90 yards, 1 TD | |
| Rhode Island | Passing | Kasim Hill | 11/22, 177 yards, 3 TD |
| Rushing | Jaylen Smith | 11 carries, 46 yards | |
| Receiving | Paul Woods | 4 receptions, 102 yards, 1 TD |
At UMass
Game Nine – Rhode Island Rams (5–3) vs UMass Minutemen (1-7)
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | 7 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 35 |
| UMass | 6 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 22 |
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | URI | MASS |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 16 | 21 |
| Plays–yards | 56-337 | 64-335 |
| Rushes–yards | 168 | 108 |
| Passing yards | 169 | 227 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 11-20-0 | 15-28-1 |
| Time of possession | 30:38 | 29:22 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | Passing | Kasim Hill | 11/20, 169 yards, 2 TD |
| Rushing | Jaylen Smith | 16 carries, 111 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Paul Woods | 3 receptions, 55 yards | |
| UMass | Passing | Tyler Lytle | 15/28, 227 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Ellis Merriweather | 30 carries, 118 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Rico Arnold | 6 receptions, 99 yards |
New Hampshire
Game Ten – Rhode Island Rams (6–3) vs New Hampshire Wildcats (3–6)
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Rhode Island | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | UNH | URI |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 10 | 20 |
| Plays–yards | 56-159 | 68-379 |
| Rushes–yards | 24 | 150 |
| Passing yards | 135 | 229 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 15-31-1 | 13-24-0 |
| Time of possession | 27:42 | 32:18 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | Passing | Bret Edwards | 10/16, 85 yards |
| Rushing | Dylan Laube | 8 carries, 23 yards | |
| Receiving | Brian Espanet | 6 receptions, 69 yards | |
| Rhode Island | Passing | Kasim Hill | 12/23, 221 yards, 4 TD |
| Rushing | Jaylen Smith | 18 carries, 117 yards | |
| Receiving | Jaylen Smith | 3 receptions, 88 yards, 2 TD |
At Elon
Game Eleven – No. 25 Rhode Island Rams (7–3) vs Elon Phoenix (5-5)
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | 7 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 28 |
| Elon | 14 | 13 | 3 | 13 | 43 |
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | URI | ELON |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 24 | 20 |
| Plays–yards | 77-447 | 65 |
| Rushes–yards | 53 | 148 |
| Passing yards | 394 | 284 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 31-56-2 | 23-32-0 |
| Time of possession | 28:04 | 31:56 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | Passing | Kasim Hill | 31/55, 394 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Jaylen Smith | 9 carries, 36 yards | |
| Receiving | Matt Pires | 8 receptions, 138 yards, 2 TD | |
| Elon | Passing | Davis Cheek | 23/32, 284 yards, 1 TD |
| Rushing | Jaylan Thomas | 22 carries, 135 yards, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Jackson Parham | 6 receptions, 91 yards |
Ranking
Personnel
Coaching staff
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| Jim Fleming | Head coach |
| Jack Cooper | Defensive coordinator/defensive back coach |
| Umberto Di Meo | Defensive line coach |
| Mike Flanagan | Associate head coach/Running backs coach/Recruiting coordinator |
| Connor Floden | Offensive quality control coach |
| Troy Gilmer | Outside linebackers coach/special teams coordinator |
| Tyler Loftus | Tight ends coach |
| Chris Lorenti | Inside linebackers coach |
| Clayton McGrath | Defensive quality control coach |
| Patrick Murphy | Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach |
| Chris Satoh | Assistant defensive backs coach/director of video & social media |
| Donovan Varner | Wide receivers coach/pro liaison |
| Stefon Wheeler | Offensive line coach |
| Matt Boyle | Director of football operations |
| Donnie Smith | Director of player development |
| Robert Izzi | Team chaplain |
Roster
| 2022 Rhode Island Rams Football | ||||||||||
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Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
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Tight ends
Offensive linemen
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Defensive linemen
Linebackers
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Defensive backs
Placekickers
Punters Long snapper
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Source and player details, 2021 Rhode Island Rams (10/18/2022):[3] | ||||||||||