With the NFL season coming to an end, it may cause you to shed a teardrop or two. Fans are dreading going through another long off-season without any more Sunday games. If you are like me, you cherish watching football while surrounded by family and friends, but those great days with food and smiles will have to wait another couple of months… Or maybe not.
Football isn’t over.
Here are 5 facts about this year’s URI team you didn’t know.
With URI football finally set to resume spring 2021, it’s time to jump right back into some more play-action football. Let’s get ready for the hype!
1. Six-game CAA schedule
Due to COVID-19, all varsity sports were delayed for the fall semester. We saw similar situations such as when the MLB and NBA delayed their seasons earlier in 2020. With plans for college athletics to resume in spring, the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) will use a shortened schedule for all conferences. URI will play three home and away games each. Out of the twelve teams in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) including the Rams, Towson University has opted out. That left eleven teams to be split into North and South. The Rams are among seven teams to play in the North. The team in the CAA with the best record will be selected as the league’s automatic qualifier for the FCS playoffs. That being said, every game matters.
2. Familiar rivalry now on the football turf
URI will be playing a well-known opponent on the field rather than the hardwood. Who is this team exactly? The Bryant Bulldogs from down the street. They both play for different conferences in the FCS. The Bulldogs play in the Northeast Conference (NEC) while the Rams play in the CAA. This is URI’s only non-conference game ahead of its six-game conference schedule. This is also the first time that they meet on the football field since 2002. The game is scheduled for Saturday, February 27th. Although the channel and time is to be announced at a later date, this is a matchup not to miss!
3. A season to remember
In 2018, the Rams finished 6-5, 4-4 in CAA play. This was the first winning season in 17 years. They also made a national Top 25 poll early into the season for the first time since 2002. This was an impressive year as they also took home the historic Governor’s Cup by an outstanding score of 48-0 against Brown. The future is bright for Rhody Football!
4. NFL Bound
In 2020, three URI football players joined NFL teams.
For the first time since 1986, Rhody football had a player selected in the NFL Draft. Wide receiver Isaiah Coulter was selected with the 171st pick in the draft by the Houston Texans. As a junior, Coulter reached 1,039 yards being the 7th player in school history to reach the 1000 yard milestone in a single season. In 3 seasons, he finished his collegiate career with 1,855 receiving yards. Aaron Parker will join his cousin Coulter in Texas assigned a deal with the Dallas Cowboys.
Parker led the CAA with 81 receptions and 1224 receiving yards. He finished with 30 touchdowns to end his outstanding Rhody career. Kyle Murphy also signed with the New York Giants. Murphy was a two-time first-team All-CAA selection with experience in all positions on the offensive line. What an exciting time to be a Rhody Ram!
5. It’s Fleming time
Entering his 8th season as head coach, Jim Fleming has helped Rhody Football tremendously. Not only did he lead URI to its first winning season since 2001, but he also has a positive impact on his players. Season after season, Fleming has seen many of his players earn CAA awards. Back in 2015, URI had 18 players earn academic all-conference recognition. The following year, 22 players earned the award. Just this past year, URI had the most players at the 2020 NFL combine among any FCS team. Fleming has seen many of his players’ sign pro football contracts. It’s only going to get better during the Fleming era. I am truly pumped up for this upcoming season!
Sources
Koch, Bill. “URI Seniors Aaron Parker, Kyle Murphy Sign NFL Deals.” Providencejournal.com, Providence Journal, 26 Apr. 2020
Coit, Nick. “URI Football Releases Seven-Game Schedule For Spring 2021.” ABC6, 28 Oct. 2020.
Donaldson, Shane. “Three Rhody Football Players Join NFL Teams.” URI Today, 29 Apr. 2020
Cotter, Colby. “URI Has Most Players at NFL Combine of Any FCS Team.” RICentral.com, 1 Mar. 2020,
Hey everyone! I’m a senior majoring in Communications and minoring in Sports Media. I am so happy to be a part of the URI Campus Recreation team! Writing has been a passion of mine since I was little, and I look forward to not only growing as a writer but as a person too. My favorite activities include following the world of sports and playing sports. Whether it’s just reading articles on Bleacher Report or going out to the field, I am always doing something related to sports every second of the day! I played football and tennis in high school while running indoor track and field as well. Sports have always been a key role in my life as they made me who I am today. My favorite teams are the Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Timberwolves, and FC Porto. I am a very competitive person and will never back down from any challenge. Always ready to bring out the best of the team and myself!