URI football shows its resilience against New Hampshire; what happened in OT
SOUTH KINGSTOWN — This would have been the time to quit.
If you’re looking for an afternoon when this football season could have gone off the rails for the University of Rhode Island, this was it.
The warm sunshine made it feel more like beach weather than late October. The Rams had dropped two straight and likely watched their FCS playoff chances go up in smoke. No. 20 New Hampshire still had a glimmer of hope to play deep into November and took three first-half leads.
This was a culture check at Meade Stadium, and what URI has built under Jim Fleming eventually came to the forefront. Ja’Den McKenzie’s 1-yard touchdown run in overtime — his fourth of the day — capped what was a redemptive 65 minutes.
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“It sucks going down,” Fleming said, after capturing a 34-28 thriller. “It sucks being knocked on your tail and on your back. But there is a significant reward in this world when you can get up off the mat and answer the bell.”
The Rams have five wins for the third straight season. The last time that happened was during their golden age — five consecutive campaigns from 1981-85, a stretch that featured three playoff appearances. That ultimate reward has been the goal since Fleming elevated URI into the top half of the Coastal Athletic Association, but taking the next step is easier said than done.
“We took some shots,” McKenzie said. “We just had to come back and be prepared. We can’t crack.”
What the Rams attempted to do in consecutive 7-4 seasons is akin to a golfer looking to shave down from a 12 handicap to a 6. It’s only six strokes, you might say — it's only one or two more wins. It doesn’t seem all that daunting. But it lacks an informed perspective.
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Quite simply, URI has been a loser far more often in its history. Breaking free from that seemingly inescapable rut doesn’t happen overnight and isn't guaranteed. It takes years of commitment, resources, coaching, recruiting, player development, timely execution and more. Turning a football program — even in the age of the transfer portal and with the spending power of name, image and likeness rights — is like steering an oil tanker in a crowded harbor.
Sometimes you run aground. The Rams were coming off a pair of stinging losses — 24-17 at home to Richmond, 35-10 at Albany. It was a case of allowing one disappointment to linger and contribute to a second. The defeat against the Great Danes felt like the bad old days when Fleming endured three straight seasons of two wins or less to begin his tenure here.
“The Richmond game, I was disappointed,” Fleming said. “The Albany game, I was embarrassed. I didn’t think we played even close to our level and we fractured.”
The fourth quarter against the Wildcats offered a pair of chances to do the same. URI had an interception return for a touchdown called back due to pass interference. Ty Groff’s 27-yard field-goal attempt at the gun was blocked, leaving the two teams locked at 28-28 into overtime.
What followed was the Rams (5-4, 3-3 CAA) proving their resilience. New Hampshire (4-4, 2-3) was whistled for a pass interference penalty while taking possession first. Nick Mazzie hooked a 36-yard field-goal attempt wide left and the door was open for URI to take advantage. McKenzie was in the end zone three plays later.
“This win means a lot,” outside linebacker AJ Pena said. “Especially for the guys who were here last year.”
That includes a pair of defensive quality-control assistants. Jake Fire and Henry Yianakopolos were in uniform on that late-season afternoon against the Wildcats. A disputed late touchdown pass dealt the Rams a crushing loss and helped sink their chances of ending a drought that stretches toward the end of a fourth decade.
“We had some business to settle with them off of last year,” Fleming said. “Not to say that was an extreme impact, but what we were after as a group was to play our best game.
“I think, arguably, we probably did.”
What’s the real ceiling here? We might not know for a few more years. This facility is set for an overdue renovation prior to the 2026 season, a project with an expected cost north of $42 million. The fresh interest, donations and recruiting victories that could come out of such a space should keep URI in contention at or near the top of the CAA for the near future.
What we have found over the last three seasons is what should be the new floor, and it’s clearly been elevated. There's real disappointment over the Rams likely missing out on an FCS playoff berth when the field is revealed in a couple of weeks. That only exists because there was real hope in the first place.
On X: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Ja’Den McKenzie’s 1-yard touchdown run in overtime lifts the Rams
