Two longtime football rivals who have had disappointing seasons will try to gain some satisfaction when the University of Maine and the University of Rhode Island square off at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, at noon Saturday.
URI’s Meade Stadium is undergoing a $42 million renovation prompting the move to Pawtucket.
It will be the 94th meeting between the two dating back to 1911. UMaine holds a 62-28-3 advantage, but URI has won the last four meetings.
UMaine is 1-7 overall, 1-4 in the Coastal Athletic Association, and has lost seven in a row. URI, the preseason coaches’ poll’s favorite to defend its CAA title, is 4-4 and 1-3.
“We play them every year and I know what to expect,” said URI head coach Jim Fleming. “It is going to be a typical Maine-Rhode Island game. There is no love lost. It becomes very, very physical. It becomes very emotional, and we’re both going to have to be at that edge to be able to play our best.”
“I have a ton of respect for URI, a team that has had our number the past four years,” said UMaine fifth-year head coach Jordan Stevens, who has never beaten URI. “Seeing them on tape, seeing their culture, seeing their energy, their enthusiasm to play. That is evident on film.”
He said they are explosive on offense led by wide receiver Marquis Buchanan and his 49 receptions for 763 yards and six touchdowns.
“They find a way to maximize their personnel and get the ball down the field. They chip away at the defense and also hit explosive (plays). Their defense swarms to the football,” Stevens said.
UMaine will try to get its offense untracked. It has been a year-long struggle as the Black Bears enter the game ranked 121st among 124 Football Championship Subdivision teams in points scored per game (13.4) and total yards per game (281).
Caden Drezek has started the last two games at quarterback and, on the year, has completed 49.1% of his passes for 647 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions. Nick Laughlin (34 catches, 327 yards, 3 TDs) and Evan Wallace (27-for-280) have been the top receivers and Rashawn Marshall is the leading rusher with 442 yards on 108 carries and three TDs.
Defensively, UMaine continues to be led by linebacker Sam Oppenheimer, whose 82 tackles, including 43 solo tackles, are 10th most in the country. He also has two interceptions. Linebacker Noah Carpenter has 62 tackles, safety Jeremiah McGill has 61 tackles and an interception and defensive end Chris Bacon has a team-high 3 ½ sacks among his 24 tackles. He also leads the team with eight quarterback hurries.
The Rams have been without 2025 All-CAA first team quarterback Devin Farrell, chosen the CAA’s preseason Offensive Player of the Year. He hasn’t recovered from off-season surgery.
Alex McClelland has recently won the starting QB job from Tyler Budge and has completed 57.9% of his passes for 672 yards and five TDs with two interceptions. He has also run the ball 49 times for 218 yards and four touchdowns.
R.J. Barrow is the leading rusher with 262 yards on 70 carries.
The defense has been led by linebacker Rohan Davy (57 tackles, interception), safety Andre DePina-Gray (50 tackles, 2 interceptions) and defensive linemen Dave Picariello (46 tackles) and Case Mankins (30 tackles, team-high 5 ½ sacks).
The state’s six Division III football schools will also be in action on Saturday.
Husson University, 2-5 overall and 2-2 in the Conference of New England, will travel to Milton, Massachusetts, to take on Curry College (4-3, 3-1) at noon. The University of New England from Biddeford (2-5, 2-2) will look to build on its 46-35 win over Husson with a road game at Nichols, also at noon. Nichols is also 2-5 and 2-2.
UNE has won all five meetings with Nichols.
Curry beat Husson, 40-21, a year ago to snap a five-game losing streak at the hands of the Eagles.
The third noon start will involve Maine Maritime Academy (0-7, 0-4) entertaining seventh-ranked Endicott. Endicott is 7-0 and 4-0.
The three CBB schools in NESCAC — Colby, Bates and Bowdoin — are all 0-6, but one of them will enter the win column because Colby will host Bates at 7 p.m. Saturday. Bowdoin will await 5-1 Wesleyan for a 1 p.m. kickoff.