Sept. 5, 2009

Postgame Press Conference Videos Part 1 | Part 2

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BY MATT SWISS
GoRhody.com

KINGSTON, R.I. - Joe Trainer's head coaching debut at Rhode Island was a successful one, as the Rams won their season-opener 41-28 against Fordham University at Meade Stadium Saturday afternoon.

"At the end of the day, I was happy with the way we played," Trainer said. "We executed when the plays mattered most."

Junior quarterback Chris Paul-Etienne also made his debut after he transferred from Rutgers over the offseason, leading the way with 245 all-purpose yards, 164 of which came in the air, while 81 were on the ground. He also threw for two touchdowns and ran for one in just one half of play. Paul-Etienne's dominant first half gave Rhode Island a comfortable 34-7 cushion at the break.

"I don't know if I've seen an individual performance like I saw from our quarterback today," Trainer said. "He was electric with the ball, with his hands and he made great decisions."

Sophomore Brandon Johnson-Farrell set the tone early for the Rams, as he raced the opening kickoff 70 yards to Fordham's 21-yard line. Johnson-Farrell finished with 176 all-purpose yards, 114 of which were on kickoff returns.

With great field position, Rhode Island was able to get on the board first, when redshirt junior Anthony Ferrer rushed for a one-yard touchdown 2:03 into the first quarter.

Ferrer ran for 53 yards on 16 carries, helping Rhode Island outrush Fordham 229-122. Senior Joe Bellini also had 35 rushing yards while sophomore Ryan Lawrence rushed for 29 yards on 10 carries.

The Rams continued to score early and often, compiling more points in the first half than they did in any half last season. Two of Rhode Island's four touchdowns in the first half were to senior tight end David Wilson.

"I'm a competitor and I want to be out there helping my team," Paul-Etienne said. "The thing about this football team this year is we're never satisfied. It doesn't matter if we're up by 40 or down by 40, we're still going to play how we're supposed to play."

Rhode Island's lone touchdown in the second half came from senior defensive end Steven Weedon, who recovered one of Fordham's six fumbles, returning it 15 yards for the score, giving Rhode Island a 41-17 lead with 14:43 remaining in the third quarter.

The one score was all Rhody needed, as its 340 all-purpose yards in the first half were more than enough to lead Rhode Island to victory.

Midway through the fourth quarter, as Fordham began to make a little run and Rhode Island's lead began to dwindle, senior quarterback D.J. Stefkovich connected on a 40-yard pass to Johnson-Farrell, helping the Rams escape a third and 13 on their own 16-yard line.

"That was huge," Trainer said when asked of the significance of Johnson-Farrell's catch. "Brandon is a guy who wants to be one of the premier players in this conference and that was probably the play of the game."

The pass kept the drive alive and essentially ended Fordham's comeback attempt, as Rhode Island went on to win the game, 41-28.

Rhode Island returns to action in two weeks, as the Rams travel to the University of Massachusetts for a matchup against the Minutemen. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m.