THE BASICS
No. 6/7 Rhode Island (4-0) at Western Michigan (1-3)
Kickoff: Saturday, Sept. 27 - 6:30 p.m.Â
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RHODE ISLAND vs. WESTERN MICHIGAN - SERIES NOTES
- Rhode Island and Western Michigan are meeting for the first time.
- Western Michigan competes in the MAC at the FBS level.
- The Broncos snapped a four-game losing streak with a 14-13 win over Toledo last weekend.
- Western Michigan scored 14 unanswered points to win the game.
- After the defense forced a three-and-out, the Broncos got the ball with 1:40 to play. Facing fourth-and-10, quarterback Broc Lowry found receiver Tailique Williams wide open a the Toledo 25 and he ran it down to the 5-yard line.Â
- Two plays later, Lowry ran it into the end zone for his second rushing touchdown of the game and his fourth of the season.Â
- A successful two-point conversion worked when Lowry faked a hand-off and ran into the right-side of the endzone to give WMU its lone lead of the game, 14-13.
- Lowry leads Western Michigan with 175 rushing yards for the season.
- Defensive end Nadame Tucker leads the Broncos in tackles for loss (5.5), sacks (2.5) and quarterback hurries (6).
- Western Michigan played in the 2024 IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl at the Crampton Bowl in Alabama last season, falling 30-23 to South Alabama.
RAMS AGAINST THE FBS
- Rhode Island is 2-20 all time against FBS level opponents.
- In 2021, Jim Fleming led the Rams to a 35-22 victory at Massachusetts.
- Fleming has had several other competitive games against FBS opponents.
- In 2023, the Rams fell at Georgia State, 42-35.
- In 2018, URI came up just short in a wild 56-49 at Connecticut.
- The year before that, Rhode Island fell in overtime at Central Michigan, 30-27.
- The Central Michigan game - played on Aug. 31, 2017 - is also Rhode Island's most recent game in the Great Lakes state.Â
RAMS TOUGH TO SCORE ON
- Rhode Island leads CAA Football and is ninth in the nation with 12.8 points allowed per game.
- The Rams have held their last two opponents to single digits, winning at Holy Cross 9-7 on Sept. 13 and then beating LIU 28-7 last week.
- It is the first time since 1990 Rhode Island had held the opposition to single digits in back-to-back games.
- In 1990, URI beat Richmond 37-0 on Sept. 15, then beat Brown 23-3 on Sept. 22.
- Rhode Island has allowed just 10 points in the second half this season, including zero in the last two games.
- Stony Brook is the only team to score in the fourth quarter against the Rams, getting a touchdown.
- URI has outscored the opposition 41-10 in the second half.Â
- Rhode Island ranks 19th nationally in third-down defense, allowing just 18 conversions in 59 attempts (30.5 percent).
- The Rams have allowed just 62 first downs on the season, the fewest in CAA Football.
- Rhody allows just 301.0 yards of total offense per game, the 19th lowest average in the country.
- URI gives up 135.8 passing yards per game (6th nationally) and 165.3 rushing yards per game (65th nationally).