Nov. 11, 2006

Box Score

KINGSTON, R.I. - Rhode Island sophomore quarterback Derek Cassidy ran for 89 yards and a pair of touchdowns, but it was No. 13 New Hampshire cruising past the Rams, 63-21, Saturday afternoon in Kingston. UNH cashed in four of URI's five turnovers on the afternoon for touchdowns.

New Hampshire senior quarterback Ricky Santos ran for three touchdowns, while finishing the day completing 23-of-32 passes for 271 yards and two more scores to lead the Wildcat attack. Senior wide receiver David Ball tied a NCAA record (held by NFL great Jerry Rice) with his 23rd-career 100-yard receiving game, hauling in 10 passes for 110 yards. He also moved past URI's own Brian Forester (1983-'87) for first on the Atlantic 10 career reception list, breaking the previous record (284) with 287 to date.

Santos opened the scoring at 10:14 of the first quarter with a 4-yard scoring rush to finish off a seven-play drive that started on the Rhode Island 36 after the Rams failed to convert a fake punt on fourth down. On the ensuing URI possession, sophomore fullback Joe Casey lost a fumble on the Rhody 45 that New Hampshire turned into a four-play scoring drive, finished off by a 6-yard touchdown run by junior running back Chris Ward to put the Wildcats up, 14-0, with 8:30 on first-quarter clock.

On the next URI drive, Cassidy broke free for a 56-yard touchdown to make the score, 14-7, with 6:17 to play in the first quarter. The Rams would get the ball right back as junior defensive back Raji El-Amin intercepted his fourth pass of the season in the URI endzone for a touchback. The UNH defense would force the Rams to go three-and-out and punt with 1:02 in the first quarter.

Santos would hook-up with junior wide receiver Keith Levan for a 18-yard touchdown after an eight-play 56-yard drive to give the Wildcats a 21-7 lead with 12:41 to play in the second quarter.

Casey would finish off an 11-play, 77-yard drive with a 7-yard touchdown rush to make the score, 21-14, with 7:30 to go in the half.

UNH would score three-straight times to end the first half with a 42-14 lead. Ward scored on a 5-yard rush with 7:30 on the clock to finish a three-play, :59 second drive that included a 63-yard run by freshman running back Chad Kackert. After a Cassidy interception, Santos would throw a 13-yard score to Levan to cap a four-play, 48-yard drive that made the score 35-14 with 4:38 on the clock. The Wildcats capitalized on Casey's second fumble of the day on the URI 14, as Santos scored on an 8-yard run to give UNH the 28-point lead at the half.

In the third quarter, a 2-yard Santos run finished off a 14-play, 71-yard drive that made the score, 49-14, with 8:17 on the clock. Cassidy's 1-yard touchdown rush after a 10-play, 63-yard drive, made it a 49-21 ballgame with :48 seconds to play in the third quarter.

New Hampshire would tack on two more scores in the final 15 minutes of play. Sophomore running back Robert Simpson would score on a 4-yard rush at 10:14, and Kackert would run in from 4-yards out after a URI fumble for the final tally.

URI finishes off the season with a 12:00 kick-off at Northeastern on Saturday, Nov. 21, at 12:00 p.m.