By Tim Baysinger
The Pride are 3-0 for the first time since 1999 following a 37-24 victory over CAA opponent Rhode Island Saturday in Kingston, R.I.
Playing their first CAA game of the season, the Pride went into halftime trailing 24-7, but erupted for 30 points-27 of them in the third quarter-in the second half while shutting out the Rams.
Quarterback Brian Savage rebounded from a four-turnover first half to pass for two touchdowns and run for another in the second half. “Turnovers happen, they are part of the game. The team stayed behind me and we were able to get it done,” Savage said. Savage also had a touchdown pass in the first half.
Wide receiver Charles Sullivan had another big day with 92 yards on eight catches and two touchdowns. The eight receptions move him past Devale Ellis for third place on Hofstra’s all-time receptions list with 178.
Running back Kareem Huggins posted his best output of the season, running for 147 yards on 28 carries and one touchdown.
The Rams opened the scoring in the first quarter with a Pedro Belinchon 40 yard field goal to go up 3-0. The Pride answered back with Savage connecting with Sullivan for a 9 yard touchdown pass. That was the only points the Pride would put up in the first half.
After the touchdown it was all Rams for the rest of the half as Rhode Island took advantage of four interceptions by Savage. A Jerell Jones 9 yard touchdown run made the score 10-7. Then, just seconds into the second quarter, Rams cornerback Ki’Ameer Johnson picked off Savage and ran it 44 yards for a touchdown to make the score 17-7.
The Rams would add another touchdown, courtesy of another Savage interception. Adrian Owen picked off a pass that bounced off a Pride receiver. Quarterback Derek Cassidy then hit Tolbert Evans on a 52-yard touchdown pass that put the Pride in a big hole going into the half, down 24-7.
“I tried to calm the guys down in the locker room, I told them to back the basics,” head coach Dave Cohen said. It seemed to work.
The second half was all Hofstra. The Pride marched 59 yards on their opening drive and capped it off with a Huggins touchdown. Kicker Rob Zarilli missed the extra point and the Pride trailed 24-13. The defense finally found a way to stop the Rams offensive attack, forcing them to three straight three-and-outs, all which led to Pride touchdowns.
Savage threw his first touchdown to a receiver other than Sullivan, a 33 yard pass to Otis Lewis, his first touchdown of his Pride career. After the second three-and-out the Pride defense forced the Rams into, newcomer Anthony Nelson returned the punt 77 yards to the Rams’ 4 yard line; Savage would hit Sullivan for a touchdown pass on the next play. Savage would lead the Pride 69 yards ended with a 21 yard touchdown of his own on their next offensive series, turning a 24-7 deficit into a 34-24 advantage and a 27 point outburst in the third quarter. Zarilli would add a 45 yard field goal in the fourth quarter to end the scoring, making it 37-24.
With the win the Pride are 3-0 for the first time since 1999, when they began the season 6-0. The win also continued the Pride’s ascent up the Division 1 Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Coaches and Media Polls. The Pride are ranked 15th and the Media poll and 14th in the Coaches poll.
Cohen however, is focused on the bigger picture. “The polls are irrelevant in September and October, the bottom line is we played terrible in the first half,” Cohen said.
The Pride have already exceeded last season’s win total, when the Pride finished with only two wins. “It feels great, this is a whole different team than last year, I feel like these guys are my family,” running back Kareem Huggins said.
Savage is now 3-0 in his first season as a starting college quarterback. “It’s a great feeling, we have a lot of great leaders on this team, we play like we are 0-0 every week,” Savage said.
The Pride play just their second home game of the season this weekend, hosting local rival Stony Brook at James M. Shuart Stadium on Saturday.
Showing no signs of letting down, Kareem Huggins and the Pride overcame a halftime deficit to remain undefeated and take down Rhode Island. (Sean M. Gates)