THE BASICS
Bryant (0-0) at Rhode Island (0-0)
Kickoff: Saturday, Sept. 4, 6:05 p.m. EST
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RHODE ISLAND VS. BRYANT - SERIES NOTES

• Saturday night's season opener will be the second meeting between Rhode Island and Bryant.
• The first came in 2002, a 28-0 victory for Rhody.
• In that contest, freshman quarterback Jayson Davis rushed for 72 yards and two touchdowns in his collegiate debut. Davis went on to score a program-record 256 points from 2002-05.
• This year's contest officially kicks off a 10-year series between the schools in which the teams will alternate home games.
• It is the first time Rhode Island will open the season at home since 2010, when the Rams lost to Buffalo, 31-0.
• Saturday is the first of back-to-back night games for Rhode Island. The Rams play at UAlbany on Sept 11 with a 7 p.m. kickoff. Those are the only two night games on the schedule.
• This is the first of two games against in-state rivals. Rhode Island will play at Brown on Sept. 18.
• Rhody's third non-conference game is at FBS Massachusetts on Nov. 6.

RHODE ISLAND RECEIVES VOTES IN BOTH NATIONAL TOP 25 PRESEASON POLLS

• Rhode Island's performance in the abbreviated 2020-21 season was noticed, as URI received votes in both the STATS Perform FCS Top 25 and the AFCA FCS Top 25 preseason polls.
• URI got 10 votes and placed 40th in the STATS Perform FCS Preseason Top 25.
• The Rams earned four votes and were 47th in the AFCA FCS poll.
• Last season, Rhode Island reached as high as No. 18 in the country before the COVID-19 pandemic ended the team's season.
• Rhode Island is one of seven CAA Football teams in the STATS preseason poll.
• No. 2 James Madison, No. 5 Delaware and No. 16 Villanova are all in the Top 25.
• Richmond, New Hampshire, UAlbany and Rhode Island all received votes.
• No. 2 James Madison, No. 5 Delaware, No. 15 Villanova and No. 22 Richmond were in the AFCA FCS Top 25.
• UNH and Rhode Island were the CAA Football teams that also received votes.

FLEMING TIED FOR FOURTH LONGEST TENURE WITH RHODE ISLAND

• Head coach Jim Fleming is in his eighth season at Rhode Island, tying him with Tim Stowers (1988-00) for the fourth-longest run at Rhode Island.
• The only coaches to serve as head coach for URI longer were Frank Keaney (21 seasons from 1920-40), Bob Griffin (17 seasons from 1976-92) and Marshall Tyler (10 seasons from 1898-1908).
• Tyler was the first coach in school history. There was a one-year gap in his tenure, as URI did not field a team in 1902.
• Keaney - better known for his Basketball Hall of Fame coaching career - won 70 games with the football program. In addition to being known as the inventor of the fast break, he won 401 games with the Rhody basketball team.
• Griffin won 79 games with URI, capturing Yankee Conference titles in 1981, 1984 and 1985.

FIVE All-Conference Players Return

• Rhode Island's 2021 roster includes five players who were part of the 2020-21 CAA Football All-Conference team.
• Redshirt freshman running back Kevin Brown, Jr. was the league's Offensive Rookie of the Year.
• Fullback Joey Kenny earned first-team honors. Wide receiver Ivory Frimpong, guard Nick Correia and safety Coby Tippett were second teamers.
• Brown opened his URI career with 141 yards and four touchdowns at No. 6 Villanova.
• He finished the spring with 256 rushing yards, averaging 5.2 yards per carry.
• Brown was the first URI player to win a major league award since Joe Casey was the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year in 2005.
• Kenny has been a key blocker out of the backfield during 40 games over five years.
• Frimpong was one of the breakout stars for Rhode Island last spring.
• He led the team with 14 catches for 186 yards. His 4.7 catches per game ranked fourth in the league, and his 62.0 receiving yards were fifth best.
• Correia has asserted himself as one of the best linemen in the league.
• He has started 15 consecutive games at guard and is a big reason URI was fourth in the league with eight rushing touchdowns despite playing just three games.
• Tippett made an immediate impact in his first season at URI, starting all three games at safety and had 10 tackles, three interceptions and four passes defended.
• He was the CAA Football Defensive Player of the Week for the week of March 22.
• It was the second straight all-conference nod for Tippett, who was a third-team selection while at Towson in 2019.