Sept. 22, 2007
Box Score
KINGSTON, R.I. - Quarterback Bryan Savage threw for 291 yards and three touchdowns as No. 15 Hofstra University rallied from a 24-7 halftime deficit to defeat Rhode Island 37-24 in Colonial Athletic Association football action Saturday afternoon at Meade Stadium.
Savage - who threw four interceptions in the first half - threw second-half touchdowns passes to Ottis Lewis and Charles Sullivan to lead the Pride (3-0) to their first-ever CAA win. Junior Joe Casey (Syracuse, N.Y.) rushed for 130 yards - his 11th career 100-yard performance - for the Rams, who slipped to 0-4 (0-2 CAA).
In the first quarter, the Rams capped a five-play, 40-yard drive with a 40-yard field goal by redshirt freshman Pedro Belinchon (Maspalomas, Carney Islands) - his first-career field goal - at 6:27 to take a 3-0 lead. Hofstra answered back with a nine-yard scoring strike from Savage to Sullivan to cap a 4-play, 41-yard drive and give the Pride a 7-3 lead at 3:31. With 1:24 remaining in the opening quarter, senior Jerell Jones (Yonkers, N.Y.) scampered in from nine yards out to put URI back in front 10-7. The score capped a six-play, 75-yards drive.
On the ensuring Pride possession, Savage was intercepted at his own 44 yard line by senior Ki'Ameer Johnson (Jersey City, N.J.), who returned the pick 44 yards for a touchdown - the first INT return for a score of his career - to put the Rams in front 17-7. He becomes the first Ram to return an interception for a touchdown was Rod Chance against Brown on October 11, 2005.
After the Rams shut down the Pride offense - which entered the game averaging 30.3 ppg - on their ensuring three possessions, junior quarterback Derek Cassidy (Winter Haven, Fla.) hooked up with sophomore Tolbert Evans (Wakefield, R.I.) for a 52-yard touchdown pass that pushed the Rams' lead to 24-7 entering halftime. The reception was the longest of Evans' career, and the 24 first-half points was their highest scoring half of football since throwing up 28 in the first half against Brown University last September.
The Pride regrouped at halftime and held the Rams - who put up 278 yards of total offense in the first half - to 122 yards the rest of the way. On offense, the Pride scored four touchdowns in the first 11:16 of the third quarter to grab the lead at 34-24. Running back Kareem Huggins posted five of his 83 yards on the afternoon on a touchdown run 2:49 into the third quarter to bring Hofstra to within 11 at 24-13 following a missed PAT.
Less than four minutes later, Lewis hauled in a 33-yard touchdown pass from Savage to cap a three-play, 55-yard drive and make it 24-20. Just 1:15 later, Savage hit Sullivan for a four-yard touchdown pass to give the Pride a 27-24 lead with 6:49 remaining in the third quarter. On their next possession, Savage ran into the endzone from 21 yards out to stretch the Pride's lead to 34-24. Rob Zarilli capped the scoring with a 45-yard field goal with 8:10 remaining in the fourth, giving Hofstra a 13-point lead at 37-24.
Cassidy tied his career-high with 172 passing yards for the Rams while Evans had 110 yards on three receptions and a touchdown. For the Pride, Sullivan finished with eight receptions for 92 yards and two TD's. Senior L.T. Brantley (Atlanta, Ga.) led the Rams with 10 tackles while Gian Villante recorded 10 of his own to lead Hofstra.
The Rams intercepted four passes in one game for the first time since November 14, 1998, when they intercepted four passes against the Minutemen of UMass. Additionally, the Rams committed just three penalties for 20 yards in the second half but finished with 11 for 70 yards.
The Rams return to action next Saturday when they travel to Brown to face the Bears for the Governor's Cup. Game time is set for 12:30 p.m.
