RHODE ISLAND VS. CAMPBELL - SERIES NOTES

• Friday's game will be the second in the history between the Rams and the Camels.
• A year ago, the programs faced off for the first time ever in a CAA Football showdown under the lights at Meade Stadium (Sept. 14).
• Rhody had the lead for the entire game, eventually claiming a 21-9 victory. 
• Linebacker A.J. Pena surpassed 100 career tackles in the contest, recording eight stops to finish the night with 101. He enters the 2025 season with 163 tackles. 
• Pena's efforts were part of an impressive night for the defense, which saw the unit hold the Camels within 2 yards of the end zone in a thrilling four-stop stand. 
• Wide receivers Greg Gaines III (9 yds.) and Marquis Buchanan (25 yds.) caught touchdown passes from Devin Farrell, who also ran the ball in 27 yards for a score of his own. 
• Campbell is now in its third season as a member of CAA Football, having joined the league ahead of the 2023 season. Since then, the team has recorded a 5-11 record in conference play. 

RHODY FOOTBALL TURNS 130 YEARS OLD

• Rhode Island Football will be playing its 130th season in 2025 and enters the year with an all-time record of 438-645-43. 
• The Rams are led by Jim Fleming, who is the 20th head coach in program history. 
• Since Fleming's arrival in Kingston, the team has gone 5-6 in season openers, with four of those victories coming in the past five seasons. 

HOME SWEET HOME

• Rhode Island has a nine-game winning streak at Meade Stadium, which dates back to the 2023 season and is the third longest in program history.
• The Rams won 12 straight at home from 1929-31 and again from1984-85. 
• The run kicked off with an Oct. 28, 2023 overtime win over No. 20 UNH and continued with a victory over North Carolina A&T.
• URI defeated Holy Cross, Campbell, Brown, Maine, Monmouth and UAlbany in its six regular season home games in 2024 before knocking off CCSU in the first round of the NCAA FCS Playoffs, hosted at Meade Stadium. 
• Rhode Island has not had a losing season at home since the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign (0-1). 

RAMS TOP PRESEASON CAA FOOTBALL POLL

• Rhode Island was picked to win another CAA Football title in a predicted order of finish that was voted on by the league's head coaches.
• The Rams received eight of 14 possible first-place votes, collecting 163 total points. 
• Monmouth (four first-place votes, 142 points) and Villanova (two first-place votes, 139 points) rounded out the top three.
• Also highlighting the early recognition for URI was linebacker A.J. Pena, who was named the league's Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. 
• The senior was one of four total Rams to land on the Preseason All-Conference Team, joined by wide receiver Marquis Buchanan, offensive lineman Tre Alexander and offensive lineman Brock Bethea.
• Both quarterback Devin Farrell and defensive back Ayinde Johnson garnered honorable mention. 
• A year ago, the Rams were picked eighth in the preseason coaches poll and went on to capture the program's first-ever CAA Football title.