THE BASICS
No. 6/8 Rhode Island (1-0) at Temple (0-0)
Saturday, Sept. 5 - 2 p.m. 
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RHODE ISLAND AT TEMPLE - SERIES NOTES

• Rhode Island heads to Philadelphia, Pa. for a meeting with Temple on Saturday, Sept. 5 at 2 p.m.
• The Rams and Owls have met 11 previous times.
• The first meeting between the two programs was on Oct. 22, 1949 and the most recent tilt was on Nov. 8, 1975.
• Rhode Island is 0-11 all time against Temple.
• Both of the school's respective coaching staffs have some familiarity with with its opponent.
• Rhode Island's specialists coach Vince Sinagra spent the 2017 and 2018 seasons on the Temple coaching staff as the chief of staff for then Owls head coach Geoff Collins.
• Current Temple head coach K.C. Keeler has faced Rhode Island seven times as a head coach during his tenure at Delaware. Keeler is 5-2 in games against Rhode Island.
• Outside of Temple, Rhode Island has battled a current American Conference school once in program history. Rhode Island fell at Army 14-7 on Sept. 8, 2007. 
• The last meeting Rhode Island had with a then-American Conference opponent was at UConn on Sept. 15, 2018. UConn has since become an FBS independent.

RHODE ISLAND VS. FBS COMPETITION

• Rhode Island is 2-21 all time against FBS opponents.
• Rhode Island's last victory over an FBS-level foe was on Nov. 6, 2021 when the Rams downed UMass 35-22 in Amherst, Mass. 
• Since the win over the Minutemen, Rhode Island is 0-4 against FBS competition including loses at Pittsburgh (2022), Georgia State (2023), Minnesota (2024), and Western Michigan (2025).
• Since head coach Jim Fleming took over in 2014, Rhode Island is 1-11 in FBS games. 
• Three of those loses came by seven points or fewer. 
• Rhode Island lost in triple overtime at Central Michigan in 2017, 30-27. 
• In 2018, the Rams dropped a 56-49 game at UConn. 
• Most recently in 2023, Rhode Island fell 42-35 at Georgia State. 

BUCHANAN SHINES AGAINST BOWL-LEVEL DEFENSES

• In three career games against FBS opponents, receiver Marquis Buchanan has 14 receptions for 306 yards and a touchdown. 
• Buchanan impressed against Western Michigan, Minnesota, and Georgia State. 
• In last season's loss at Western Michigan, Buchanan had seven catches for 141 yards. 
• Against Minnesota in 2024, Buchanan had five catches for 64 yards. 
• At Georgia State in 2023, Buchanan had two catches for 101 yards and a touchdown. 
• His touchdown at Georgia State was his first career touchdown reception.

401 REPRESENT

• Rhode Island born student-athletes showed out in the Rams' 34-7 win at Merrimack last week. 
• All four of Rhode Island's touchdowns against Merrimack came from players who were born in the Ocean State. 
• Receiver Marquis Buchanan (Providence, R.I.) scored the first touchdown of the season for the Rams off a 16-yard pass from Tyler Budge.
• Buchanan had six catches for 72 yards and a touchdown against the Warriors.
• Quarterback Alex McClelland (Barrington, R.I.) had two rushing touchdowns. 
• McClelland was used in formations inside the Merrimack 10-yard line. He scored 5-yard and 4-yard scores
• McClelland was one of just five players nationally to rush for two touchdowns during week zero.
• During the final minute of the fourth quarter, linebacker Moses Meus (Pawtucket, R.I.) returned a 49-yard interception for a score to help cement the victory for the Rams. 
• Safety Andre DePina-Gray (Pawtucket, R.I.) also had an interception in the end zone and returned it 75 yards. 
• DePina-Gray's 75-yard return was the third-longest in the FCS during week zero trailing Tyrell Johnson's (Mississippi Valley) 95-yarder, and Isaac Edwards' (Lindenwood) 85-yarder.
• There are currently 23 Rhode Island-born players on the Rams roster.