Rhode Island Rolls Past Stony Brook Under Friday Night Lights
Rob Washburn
Box Score
KINGSTON, R.I. (September 8, 2023) – Quarterback Kasim Hill passed for 299 yards and two touchdowns as Rhode Island (1-1, 1-0 CAA) rolled to a 35-14 victory over Stony Brook (0-2, 0-2 CAA) in the first-ever Friday night game at Meade Stadium.
The Rams also got a strong performance from their defense, which held SBU to 248 yards. URI defensive back Jordan Colbert had a big night, picking off a pass and returning a fumble 49 yards for a touchdown.
The teams traded touchdowns in the opening quarter. Following a Colbert interception, URI went 82 yards on its opening drive and found the end zone on a 13-yard pass from Hill to Darius Savedge. The Seawolves answered with a 77-yard drive on their ensuing possession that was capped by a 5-yard Johnny Martin III TD run.
The Rams used big plays in the passing game and on defense to build a big advantage in the second quarter. Hill, who threw for 243 yards in the first half, hit Kahtero Summers with a 70-yard strike that set up a 4-yard TD run by Jaden Griffin. On the next drive, he found Marquis Buchanan across the middle for a 70-yard scoring pass. URI took a 28-7 advantage into halftime following a 49-yard fumble return by Colbert.
An 18-yard TD run by Ja’Den McKenzie midway through the fourth quarter pushed the URI lead to 35-7. Stony Brook trimmed the deficit when Jayden Cook caught a 16-yard scoring pass.
Hill was 17-of-25 through the air, with Savedge making eight catches for 90 yards and Summers tallying 103 receiving yards. Brent Jackson recorded six stops and Evan Stewart had five tackles and 2.0 TFL.
SBU quarterback Casey Case passed for 139 yards, with Anthony Johnson making five grabs for 54 yards. Aidan Kaler made a team-high seven tackles.