More heartbreak for Rams
URI rallies back from 14-point deficit in fourth quarter, but Stony Brook proves one play better in last-second 31-27 victory
KINGSTON — The third consecutive heartbreaker was the most painful yet for the University of Rhode Island football team.
The Rams rallied from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter and took the lead with just over a minute left Saturday night at Meade Stadium, only to see Stony Brook score on a 50-yard quarterback scramble with 11 seconds left for the go-ahead touchdown in a 31-27 stunner.
“Speechless,” URI head coach Jim Fleming said.
The Rams fell to 0-4. After a loss to Ohio by three scores in the season opener, it’s been all near-misses and brutal finishes in Colonial Athletic Association play. Delaware beat URI in triple overtime. New Hampshire won last week on a last-second field goal. Somehow, there was more to come. “It’s three tough conference losses that we’ve had,” Fleming said. “All probably winnable football games. We’ve got to find a way to get it done.”
URI had seemingly turned some of its familiar late-game struggles around last season, when it won three games by seven points or less. So far this year, the Rams have fallen back to their snake-bitten ways. The three conference losses have been by a total of 15 points.
“Not enough from me through close games. Put to get them it on coaching,” Fleming said. “Since I’ve been here, there’s been about six of them, right down to the wire like that. It’s nuts.”
The latest crusher initially looked to be less dramatic. Stony Brook led 7-0 at halftime and made it 14-0 early in the second. After URI finally broke through, Stony Brook answered with a quick score to go up 21-7.
Ahmere Dorsey started the comeback in a flash, returning the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown. The Seawolves came back with a field goal and URI lost a fumble on its next trip, but kept pushing. After a defensive stop, the Rams drove 92 yards and scored on a touchdown pass from Vito Priore to Isaiah Coulter, making it 2421 with 1:42 left. Coulter then made a leaping recovery of a perfect onside kick by C.J. Carrick. Three plays later, Priore found Aaron Parker in the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown.
“Offensively, we’ve been extremely resilient and continued to bang away,” Fleming said. “We made some incredible plays to put the game in a very winnable area.”
Carrick missed the extra point on Parker’s touchdown, which had an impact on the type of defense URI played. It seemed like it wouldn’t matter when URI put the Seawolves into fourth-and-six at midfield with just 22 seconds remaining. The Rams were on the brink of a season-saving win.
That’s when quarterback Tyquell Fields dropped back, stepped up into Photo by Michael Derr The Independent
/ the pocket and took off. He broke free up the middle as the Rams lost contain, followed a block to the left and out-raced the only defenders in range on his way to the end zone.
“I pushed a four-man rush in that situation, with coverage behind it,” Fleming said. “Knowing if they complete a ball, just reset the chains. The clock was on our side, they had no timeouts. It was a tough out for them to be able to accomplish the task of getting into field goal range. To have bodies in coverage but for it to run out like that and not be able to get it down is a little bit shocking.”
URI got the ball near midfield after a celebration penalty on the Seawolves, but Coulter was stopped on the final play of the game after catching a pass from Priore.
The finish left the Rams dejected, again. They’ll return to action next weekend for the annual Governor’s Cup game against Brown, but will have to nurse their wounds first.
“You say what you say to family members when you have tough things happen - keep your head up, be proud of who you are,” Fleming said. “Understand that the definition of any man is to be able to get knocked down and get back up. These guys will continue to do that. There’s no quit in these guys. We’ve just got to play better to close games out. That was a heart-wrenching one. But you couldn’t pick a better time to have an in-state rival and go get ourselves ready for that one.”