URI got steamrolled on Saturday, suffering a brutal 48-0 loss at the hands of Minnesota in an afternoon thrashing. After holding their own early, the Rams (1-1) were completely worn down by the Gophers, who dominated every aspect of the game.
For a brief moment, it looked like Rhody’s defense might keep them in it. The Rams kept Minnesota (1-1) in check, trailing just 3-0 after the first quarter. But that was the high point. The Gophers took control, limiting Rhode Island to a measly 19 offensive snaps in the first half while running a whopping 40 plays themselves.
Minnesota’s 14-point second quarter blew the game wide open. A punishing 13-play, 83-yard drive ended with Darius Taylor punching it in from a yard out to make it 10-0 early in the second. Before halftime, the Gophers marched downfield again, capping another grueling 14-play drive with a Marcus Majors 2-yard TD run to push the lead to 17-0.
Rhode Island had a brief glimmer of hope when they forced a missed field goal after A.J. Pena’s monster 14-yard sack on third down. But that was as close as the Rams got to momentum.
The second half? All Minnesota. The Gophers came out and crushed any hope Rhody had left, eating up more than seven minutes on a 12-play, 73-yard drive. Max Brosmer hit Cristian Driver with a 6-yard TD pass to stretch the lead to 24-0, and it only got uglier from there. Minnesota tacked on three more touchdowns and a field goal in the blowout.
Stats Tell the Story
The Gophers outgained the Rams 422 yards to 135, holding the ball for more than 40 minutes. Rhode Island could only muster six first downs compared to Minnesota’s 27. Brosmer was surgical, completing 24-of-30 passes for 271 yards and two scores, while the Rams’ offense sputtered all day.
Linebacker A.J. Pena was a lone bright spot for Rhode Island, racking up seven tackles and Rhode Island’s first sack of the season. Meanwhile, linebacker Cole Brockwell had a career-high 13 tackles, and wide receiver Marquis Buchanan led the Rams’ offense with five catches for 64 yards.
Up Next
The Rams look to rebound when they kick off CAA Football play at home against Campbell next Saturday night. Kickoff is at 6:05 p.m., and the game will stream on FloFootball.com.
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