URI football opens season with dominant performance in NY; Bryant falls in OT in Miami
A dominant second half led the University of Rhode Island football team to a 35-14 season-opening win Thursday night at Stony Brook.
"A good overall team victory, it gives us a foundation we've got to build from," said URI coach Jim Fleming.
Quarterback Kasim Hill was 17-for-32 for 236 yards and two touchdowns, his fifth straight game with two or more TD passes. Stony Brook scored first when Carthell Flowers-Lloyd recorded a strip sack of Hill and returned the fumble for a score. The Rams (1-0, 1-0 CAA) responded with a touchdown drive on the next possession, as Hill found Paul Woods for a 7-yard strike.
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Early in the second quarter, Jordan Jones gave Rhody its first lead with a 42-yard interception return for a touchdown. The Seawolves (0-1, 0-1 CAA) got a 2-yard plunge from Ty Son Lawton to knot the score again just before the break.
In the second half, Ed Lee (six catches for 87 yards) caught a 32-yard touchdown pass from Hill late in the third quarter. Hill added a 10-yard scoring run in the fourth, and Marques DeShields iced the game with a 2-yard score for the Rams.
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URI cornerback Jordan Jones had two interceptions in a game for the second time in his career. His 42-yard touchdown return was his second career pick-6.
The victory marked the No. 22/24 Rams' first win at Stony Brook in four visits and their fourth season-opening win in five years.
Bryant football edged by FIU in OT
Grayson James came on to throw three fourth-quarter touchdowns, then added another in overtime plus a 2-point conversion, to give Florida International a 38-37 win over Bryant on Thursday night.
After Bryant scored on the first possession of overtime on Zevi Eckhaus' pass to Anthony Frederick, James connected with Tyrese Chambers on a 5-yard score. New FIU coach Mike MacIntyre decided to go for two and James found EJ Wilson Jr. for the win.
Bryant took a 30-27 lead on Ishod Byarm's 1-yarder with 43 seconds left in regulation and it looked as if the Bulldogs would get their first win over an FBS opponent. But a targeting call on fourth down kept the Panthers alive and James covered 48 yards on three passes to set up Chase Gabriel's 29-yard field goal as time ran out.
FIU won after losing its final 11 games last season.
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Gunnar Holmberg, Duke's starter last year, threw for a touchdown before James took over in the third quarter. James finished 16 of 31 for 207 yards and Holmberg was 14-for-20 for 103. Chambers and Kris Mitchell each had two TD catches.
Eckhaus was 18-for-22 passing for 243 yards. Gage Moloney added 106 yards passing with a score. Byarm had two touchdowns. Anthony Frederick had 101 yards receiving with a score.
It was Bryant's first game in Florida where Chris Merritt, the Bulldogs' fourth-year coach, was head coach at Christopher Columbus High School for 18 years, just a few miles from FIU.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: URI football tops Stony Brook in season opener; Bryant falls in OT
