THE BASICS
No. 7/8 Rhode Island (0-0) at Merrimack (0-0)
Friday, Aug. 28 - 6 p.m. 
Season Opener
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RHODE ISLAND AT MERRIMACK - SERIES NOTES

• Rhode Island begins its 2026 season with a road meeting at Merrimack on Friday, Aug. 28. 
• The Rams are 2-0 all time against the Warriors.
• The most recent meeting between the two teams came in 2019. The first meeting occurred in 2006. 
• Rhode Island won the 2019 meeting 42-14 at Meade Stadium in Kingston, R.I. 
• In 2006, Merrimack was an NCAA Division II member. In 2019, the Warriors began their transition to NCAA Division I.
• The 2019 Rhode Island Football roster featured five Rams that went on to spend time in the NFL. Isaiah Coulter (Houston Texans, Chicago Bears, Buffalo Bills), Jordan Jones (Los Angeles Rams), Ed Lee (New England Patriots), Kyle Murphy (New York Giants), and Aaron Parker (Dallas Cowboys, Carolina Panthers, Kansas City Chiefs) were all on the 2019 roster and went on to play in the NFL. 
• Coulter, Parker, and Lee were all wide receivers for Rhode Island. Each of the three caught touchdowns in the Rams 2019 win over Merrimack.
• Coulter was drafted by the Houston Texans after the 2019 season. The wide receiver was taken in the fifth round at pick 171. Coulter is the last Ram to be drafted in the NFL Draft and was the first Ram to hear their name called since Bob White in 1986.
• Three of Rhode Island's current staffers were on the 2019 Rhode Island Football team. Offensive line assistant Sebastian Delasoudas, director of football operations Brady Roark, and defensive backs coach Henry Yianakopolos were all student-athletes during the Rams last meeting with Merrimack.

RHODE ISLAND UNDER JIM FLEMING IN SEASON OPENERS

• Friday's match up at Merrimack marks Rhode Island's 13th season opener under head coach Jim Fleming.
• The Rams are 6-6 in season openers under Fleming and have won each of their last two.
• Rhode Island is a perfect 6-0 in season openers against FCS opponents during Fleming's tenure. 
• Those victories came at Delaware in 2018, at Villanova during the spring 2021 season, against Bryant in the fall of 2021, at Stony Brook in 2022, against Holy Cross in 2024, and against Campbell in 2025.

RAMS SELECT TWO CAPTAINS

• During the final week of training camp, Rhode Island voted fifth-year wide receiver Marquis Buchanan and fourth-year defensive lineman Case Mankins as the team's captains for the 2026 season.
• Both captains earned All-CAA Football honors following the 2025 campaign, with Buchanan receiving First Team recognition and Mankins earning Third Team honors.
• Buchanan appeared in all 14 games last season and enters 2026 as Rhode Island's active leader with 34 consecutive starts.
• Mankins started 13 of Rhode Island's 14 games in 2025. His lone missed game came in the opening round of the FCS playoffs against Central Connecticut State after suffering a minor injury in the regular-season finale against Hampton.
• Mankins returned to the starting lineup the following week for Rhode Island's second-round playoff game at UC Davis.