RHODE ISLAND VS. BRYANT - SERIES NOTES

• Rhode Island will play Bryant for the fifth time in the teams' shared history on Saturday afternoon, though it will be the first as co-members of CAA Football.
• The Bulldogs are in their first season with the conference following a one-year stint with the Big South-OVC Football Association. 
• Rhody has a 4-0 record against Bryant, which includes last year's 49-26 Family Weekend victory.
• The then-No. 24 Rams used an explosive passing game and a stout defensive effort to streamroll Bryant. 
• Linebacker A.J. Pena and former Ram Evan Stewart led the defense with nine tackles apiece and Pena also added a pair of sacks plus an additional tackle for loss. 
• It was the first career start for wideout Marquis Buchanan, who caught nine passes for 111 yards.
• Quarterback Devin Farrell threw his first completion as a Ram, a 53-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jig Williams. It was Williams' first reception and TD.
• With Bryant's addition to CAA Football, Rhode Island is one of three states in the conference that houses multiple league members.
• Elon, Campbell and North Carolina A&T call the Tar Heel State home while Richmond, Hampton and William & Mary are located in Virginia.

CHAMPIONSHIP ASPIRATIONS

• A win over Bryant would make Rhode Island CAA Football champions for the first time in program history. 
• The Rams have won six total league titles (1952, 1955, 1957, 1981, 1984, 1985) and were members of the Yankee Conference the last time they achieved the feat. 
• Richmond has already locked up the league's automatic bid to the FCS Championship and claimed at least a share of the title. 
• Though a win over William & Mary this weekend would make the Spiders 8-0, a URI victory would still award the Rams a championship at 7-1. 
• Rhode Island's loss to Delaware counts in the standings but it cannot cost the team a share of the championship. 
• Even if Richmond loses to the Tribe for a 7-1 finish, the team gets the AQ because of its victory over Delaware (28-9, Oct. 19). 

ANY TIME, ANY PLACE

• The Rams are looking to secure their first campaign with winning records both at home and on the road for the first time since, you guessed it, 1985. 
• URI enters the Bryant game with 6-0 at home and 3-2 on the road. 
• The 1985 team was 6-0 at home and 3-2 on the road during the regular season. The year before, Rhody had a 4-0 regular season record at home to go along with a 5-2 mark in road games. 
• A win over the Bulldogs would also secure Rhode Island's first winning record on the road since 2020 when the team went 2-0 in the COVID-shortened campaign.
• Before that, the program had not achieved the feat since a 4-2 campaign in 2001 (8-3 overall).
• The '84 Rams hold the record for most regular season road wins with five (5-3). 
• URI had previously recorded four wins on the road in its 1955 (4-0-1), 1953 (4-1), 1952 (4-1) and 1934 (4-2) seasons.

DEFENSIVE DEPTH

• Last weekend, Rhode Island flexed its defensive depth with multiple players listed at the back of the depth chart stepping up. 
• Linebacker Sean Pelkisson recorded his first career sack when he took the Great Danes' quarterback down for a loss of eight yards. 
• The redshirt senior also prevented what would have been a key UAlbany score when he forced a fumble at his team's 1-yard line. 
• Defensive lineman Case Mankins made a career-high five tackles in the game as part of an effort that limited the visitors to just 82 rushing yards. 
• Safety Andre DePina-Gray also had a clutch play, coming up with his first career interception when he picked off a pass at URI's 3-yard line on third down. 
• His play ended UAlbany's penultimate drive. The team's final possession ended when defensive lineman Westley Neal, Jr. blocked a 36-yard field goal attempt as the clock expired.