Oct. 27, 2007

Box Score |  Photo Gallery 

DURHAM, N.H. - The University of New Hampshire defeated the University of Rhode Island 49-36 in CAA Football action Saturday afternoon in front of 6,050 fans at a rainy Cowell Stadium. The No. 8 Wildcats improved to 6-2 (3-2 CAA) while the Rams fell to 1-7 (0-5 CAA).

URI junior running back Jimmy Hughes (Westport, Conn.) scored three rushing touchdowns and finished with 168 yards. Senior Jerell Jones (Yonkers, N.Y.) and junior quarterback Derek Cassidy (Winter Haven, Fla.) added rushing TD's of their own for the Rams, who piled up 430 yards on the ground, including 267 in the first half. Junior Joe Casey (Syracuse, N.Y.), meanwhile, finished with 105 yards - his 12th-career 100-yard game - and moved past Jayson Davis (2002-05) into sole possession of fourth-place on URI's all-time rushing list.

The Rams lost both Cassidy and Casey to injury late in the second and third quarters, respectively. Cassidy was replaced behind center by sophomore D.J. Stefkovich (Westport, Conn.).

Scott Sicko opened the scoring with a seven-yard touchdown run 3:07 into the contest to give UNH a 7-0 lead. After each school went three-and-out on their next possessions, the Rams capped a 10-play, 53-yard drive with a 23-yard field goal by senior Brian Giannecchini (Cranford, N.J.) with 1:53 remaining in the first, cutting the Wildcats' lead to 7-3.

Hughes gave the Rams a 10-7 lead at 12:28 of the second quarter when he capped a eight-play, 69-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown run - his second of the season. Casey accounted for 31 rushing yards on the drive.

Mike Boyle followed with a 21-yard kickoff return, giving the Wildcats good field position. They moved the ball down to the URI 31, but following a pass completion from Santos to Mike Boyle, he was stripped of the ball and sophomore Dave Valley (East Providence, R.I.) pounced on the loose ball for the Rams. Rhode Island capitalized on the turnover, and nine plays later, Jones scampered eight yards for his sixth touchdown of the season at 5:54 of the second to put the Rams in front 17-7.

Just 1:46 after Jones found the endzone, Chad Kackert broke off a career-long 52-yard touchdown run to bring UNH back to within three at 17-14. Santos kept the drive alive with a 22-yard completion to Sicko on a 2nd-and-19 from his own 26-yard line.

URI answered the bell with a touchdown of its own, this one by Cassidy. The junior signal caller capped a four-play, 67-drive with a 37-yard touchdown run to push the lead back to 10 at 24-14. Cassidy's first completion of the afternoon - a 23-yard strike to Jones down the left side - opened the Rams' third scoring drive of the afternoon.

With 2:58 remaining in the half, UNH put together a seven-play, 78-yard drive that Santos' polished off with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Sicko with 1:21 remaining take made it a 24-21 game. Giannecchini missed a 45-yard field goal to close the first half of play.

The Rams moved the ball down to the UNH 24 to start the second half, but came away with no points after Giannecchini's pass to sophomore Shawn Leonard (Stoughton, Mass.) on a fake field goal attempt fell incomplete. The schools traded possessions once again before Santos hooked up with Keith LeVan on a 57-yard touchdown pass that put the Wildcats back in front 28-24.

Following a fumble by Casey on the Rams next possession, Bobby Simpson followed a 30-yard run by Santos with a two-yard touchdown run that gave UNH a 35-24 advantage with 31 seconds left in the third quarter.

The Rams got a break early in the fourth when Boyle fumbled a punt at the UNH 22 yard line that was recovered by Jones. Two plays later, Hughes ran 21 yards down the left side for his second touchdown of the afternoon at 13:31 to bring the Rams within five at 35-30 following a failed two-point conversion.

Santos scored his fourth touchdown of the game with 11:04 remaining in the fourth on a one-yard run that gave the Wildcats a 42-30 lead. The run capped a six-play, 56-yard drive that ate up two minutes on the clock. The Rams failed to convert a pair of fourth downs in the final stanza, and Santos capped the scoring for UNH with a 38-yard touchdown pass to Boyle with five minutes remaining. Hughes' third touchdown run came from a yard out with 36 seconds remaining in the fourth, closing the scoring at 49-36 after the URI two-point conversion failed.

Cassidy finished with 72 yards on the ground and 3-of-4 for 52 yards through the air while Stefkovich was 5-14 for 55 yards. Santos, meanwhile, completed 24-of-30 for 419 yards and five touchdowns to go along with one rushing score. Leonard led the Rams with four catches for 57 yards while Boyle hauled in seven passes for 116 yards and one touchdown.

The Rams return to action next Saturday when they host No. 4 Massachusetts in CAA Football action at noon on Parent's Weekend.