Photos and Commentary by Nick Murgo

Rhode Island Downs Fordham 37- 36

URI's Defensive Effort Limits Fordham To 240 Yds.

Teddy Gibbons Leads Defense With 9 Tackles .
Chad Waltrip, Dustin Picciotti, and Defensive Team Score On 2 Point Safety.
 Dan Heffron Applies The Pressure "Tourniquet" while
Rod Chance Grabs Deflection For End Of Game Interception.

Offense Rolls Up 430 Yards and 35 Points.

Early RI Fumble & Interception Results In 2 TD's For Fordham,
Rhody's Offense Answers The Call With 80 Yard Drive and Last Minute TD.

Jayson Ham Rushes For 135 Yards.
Jayson Davis Rushes For 4 TD's.
Freshman Place Kicker, Bryan Giannecchini, Kicks Game Winning Extra Point.
Sophomore Punter Justin Cherry Pins Fordham Deep 4 Times With
 40 + Yard Kicks.

Opening Day Victory Won Away - Fans Look Forward To Home Game In Kingston On
  Saturday Sept 11, At Noon.

It was a day for big plays and a great win for Rhode Island football in starting the year off with a big confidence builder.  There were mistakes made, but building on this win will make it all the more easier rather than facing a mark in the loss column.  

The weather was very hot and humid and the smoke from the Fordham charcoal burger pits blew across the field toward Rhode Island all afternoon.  In the end, Rhody withstood the heat and smoke and went on to grill the Fordham Rams.  The win was a good measure of satisfaction after the pasting that Fordham gave Rhode Island in 2003.  The conditioning of the players - on both sides of the ball was critical to keeping the drives alive.  Here too Rhody was better prepared.  Numerous Fordham players were taken off of the field in the last minutes of the game - testimony to the grueling climatic conditions and the constant attack by the Rhode Island linemen.  All games are won in the trenches, and the battle in the trenches today was won by Rhode Island.

Virgil Gray and Anthony Offord with the help from another defender work to deflect the end of game pass to Rod Chance of Rhode Island.

Jayson Davis With His Third Rushing TD.

Instant Photo -  Play Of The Game

Whatta A Stretch! Freshman WR James Hill With The Reach and...
...and Catch.  A Fantastic Individual Effort.
The 37 Yard Daivs To Hill Connection Put The Ball On The Fordham 27.

Inside The Trenches Its A Game Of Inches 
(Moments Before RI's 5th TD).

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Rod Chance.  Winning is number one.

9/6/04