2008 CAA FOOTBALL PREVIEW: RHODE ISLAND RAMS
First-year head coach and URI alumni Darren Rizzi returned to Kingston last December with the promise of restoring the URI football program to national prominence.
One of the many items on the agenda for coach Rizzi and his staff is the installation of a new offensive system. The team has two veteran quarterbacks - Derek Cassidy and D.J. Stefkovich ? on the 2008 roster.
Cassidy started 10 of the Rams’ 11 games in 2007 and led them in passing yards (1,025) and touchdown passes (five). Stefkovich, led the Rams to their biggest win of the season, a 12-6 overtime triumph against No. 3 Massachusetts. He appeared in 10 games overall and scored three touchdowns.
The Rams return their top two running backs - senior All-American Joe Casey led the Rams with 782 yards despite missing the final three games of the season due to injury. He recorded three 100-yard games last season en route to earning First Team All-CAA Football honors. Senior Jimmy Hughes gained 610 yards on 101 carries last season ? good for an average of 6.0 yards per carry.
The Rams return their top two wide receivers from last season in juniors Shawn Leonard and Tolbert Evans. Leonard caught 34 passes for 440 yards and two touchdowns in 2007 while Evans hauled in 12 passes for 203 yards and one touchdown.
With the triple-option system the Rams used last season, the tight end was used primarily as a blocker, not as a receiver. As a result, URI tight ends registered just two receptions all season. This season, Rizzi and tight ends coach Bob Griffin inherit a group that does not have a single collegiate reception on their resume. Redshirt junior David Wilson moves from the defensive line to tight end, where Rizzi hopes his size and strength will cause matchup problems for opposing defenses. Blake Zundel, is a transfer from Iowa who should also see action.
The Rams lost three starters from last season’s O-Line, but Rizzi has several experienced lineman to help ease the transition for the underclassmen as well as the incoming freshman. Senior Antal Keszthelyi appeared in all 11 games last year for the Rams and has been working as a right tackle opposite classmate Dan Goodman, who has been switched from guard to left tackle. Senior Fran Dempsey ? who played in nine games in 2007 ? has moved over to take Moll’s position at center, and Dave Valley has jumped from defensive tackle to right guard.
Rhode Island has a relatively inexperienced group of student-athletes on the D-Line. Seniors Steve Weedon and Paul Vellano have helped mentor and anchor this unit thus far, while senior Chenry Lewis ? a transfer from Rutgers ? will also lend experience. Weedon appeared in 10 games and finished seventh in tackles with 37 (15 solo), 1.5 tackles for loss and two pass breakups in his first season at URI.
Junior Mike Lane returns after a sophomore campaign which saw him record 27 tackles (13 solo), including four tackles for loss. Classmate Carl Daniel, meanwhile, appeared in 10 games and recorded 11 tackles (three solo), two tackles for loss, and one fumble recovery.
Rhode Island graduated three starters in the defensive backfield last season, but return three players with experience ? seniors Jimmy Young and Alex Francois and junior Rodney Mitchell. Redshirt sophomore Matt Urban is the team’s leading-returning tackler in the defensive backfield, having collected 17 tackles (11 solo), one pass breakup and one INT in 2007.
Senior Jeff Ball (29 tackles) remains the only senior linebacker on the roster, but the Rams return a pair of juniors and a trio of sophomores who are all hungry to fill the void. Sophomore Matt Hansen, who spent his freshman campaign lined up with the secondary, finished second on the team in tackles with 73 (44 solo). Joining Hansen are classmates Dan O’Connell, who appeared in 10 games and posted 10 tackles (six solo) and one pass breakup, and Joe Harris, who played in nine games and made 11 tackles (seven solo), including two for loss.
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