Oct. 23, 2004

Box Score

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SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (AP) - Jason Ham's 11-yard touchdown run with 1:22 remaining in the fourth quarter gave Rhode Island a 27-24 win over Massachusetts on Saturday.

Ham's touchdown, the Ram's lone score of the second half capped a six-play, 76-yard drive by Rhode Island (4-3, 2-2 Atlantic 10).

The Rams held a 19-10 halftime advantage over UMass (3-5, 1-4). But UMass closed the deficit to two points at 19-17 in the waning moments of the third quarter on Rich Demers' 1-yard run.

UMass took their only lead when Jason Peebler hauled in a 39-yard scoring pass from Tim Day with 10:13 left in regulation. Day completed 18 of 33 passes for 230 yards.

Rhode Island rushed for 294 yards in the victory. In addition to Ham's 52 yards, the Rams were paced by Chad Campbell (69 yards), Calvin Poole (68 yards) and quarterback Jayson Davis, who finished with 63 yards on 11 carries.

Rhode Island took the lead less than two minutes into the game on a 43-yard touchdown pass from Davis to Jerell Jones.

Following a 32-yard field goal from UMass's Matt Goldstein that made the score 6-3, Jones added to the Rams' lead with a seven-yard touchdown run.

Rhode Island's Virgil Gray scored on a 30-yard interception return of a Day pass with 6:28 remaining in the first half.

UMass finished with 436 yards of total offense to the Rams' 375. UMass running back Steve Baylark rushed for 138 yards on 26 carries.

UMass started a drive with a little more than a minute left and advanced as far as the Rhode Island 33, but Raquan Pride intercepted a Day pass at the 11, dashing the Minutemen's hopes.