Nov. 18, 2006

BROOKLINE, Mass. - Rhode Island sophomore quarterback Derek Cassidy threw for 172 yards and a pair of touchdowns and sophomore wideout Shawn Leonard hauled in six passes for 127 and two scores but it was Northeastern taking down the Rams, 45-31, Saturday in both teams' final game of the season.

Sophomore fullback Joe Casey finished the day with 58 yards rushing and a 5-yard touchdown in the third quarter, while freshman wide receiver Tolbert Evans had four catches for 48 yards and a 25-yard score in the second quarter for Rhode Island, which finishes the season with a 4-7 record, including a 2-6 mark in the Atlantic 10.

Huskie running back Maurice Murray finished the day with 226 yards and three touchdowns rushing.

Northeastern (5-6, 4-4 A-10) took the opening kick-off and scored on Murray's first touchdown after a 10-play, 76-yards drive as the Huskies led, 7-0, with 10:01 on the first-quarter clock.

A 35-yard field goal by senior Colin Gallagher made it a 7-3 game with 7:21 to play in the first quarter, before NU converted a 35-yard field goal of its own to make the score 10-3 after the first quarter.

Northeastern scored 14 unanswered points in the second quarter to take a 24-3 lead with 7:44 to play in the half. Murray found the endzone for the second time with a 1-yard dive after a seven-play, 54-yard drive at 13:06 and, after a Cassidy interception on the Huskie 32, John Sperrazza hit Kendrick Ballantyne with a 41-yard touchdown pass to finish off a five-play, 57 yard scoring drive.

The two teams combined for 21 points to finish the half. URI sophomore Rodney Mitchell hooked up with Leonard on a 33-yard halfback pass after an eight-play, 54 yard drive with 3:54 to play in the half. Sperrazza hit Ballantyne again for a nine-yard score after a five-play, 2:54 drive that started on the URI 29 setup by a 63-yard kick-off return by Parks. Cassidy would complete three-straight passes, including a 43-yard completion to Leonard, followed by Tolbert's 25-yard score as the Rams trailed, 31-17 at halftime.

Casey capped a 17-play 78-yard drive with his sixth touchdown of the year to pull URI within seven, 31-24, with 8:18 on the clock for the only points of the third quarter.

NU would go up 38-24 with 11:38 to play in the game on a 5-yard scoring rush by Anthony Orio after a 12-play, 71-yard drive. Leonard's second touchdown of the day would come on an 18-yard pass from Cassidy after a 10-play 73-yard drive to make it 38-31 with 3:15 to go in the game.

Murray's third touchdown of the day came from 23 yards out after a six-play, 49-yard drive that put the Huskies up, 45-31, with :23 second to play.