Rhode Island Rams vs Central Connecticut State Blue Devils: Five Keys to a Rhody Victory
The Rhode Island Rams are looking to bounce back from an ugly loss when they take on Central Connecticut State tomorrow afternoon. Rhody is coming off a 20-0 loss to the William & Mary Tribe, a game in which the URI offense couldn’t muster much of anything. Hopefully they’ve made the necessary adjustments to take on a not-very-good Blue Devils squad as the Rams try to move to 2-3. We think they well, and we predicted a victory in this one when we did our previews over the summer. So let’s see what Joe Trainer’s team needs to do to pick up their first home win of the season.
1. Run, Run, Then Run Some More
If you thought the CCSU defense was bad last year… well, it’s even worse this season. The Blue Devils are allowing nearly 40 points and about 408 yards per game on average, so this could be the cure for what ails the Rhody offense. Justin Semmes, Robby Delgado, and Jordan Sebastian should be licking their chops as they’ll face a team that’s giving up 184 yards per game on the ground. The Rams need to expose Central Connecticut’s porous run defense tomorrow afternoon.
2. Limit Hollomon
The catalyst for the Blue Devils offense through their first four games has been running back Rob Hollomon. Check these numbers out: 516 yards, 4.5 yards per carry, and six rushing touchdowns to this point in the season. Oh, and he also leads CCSU in pass receptions with 11. The Rams defense has been very solid in their most recent three games, and they’ll need to be good again in order to slow down the junior RB.
3. Sustain Drives
This was an issue last week, and has been at various times throughout the season. Whether it’s play calling, execution, or a combination of both, Joe Trainer and the coaching staff need to figure out how to keep the Rhody offense on the field as much as possible. The Rams have a golden opportunity to put up points this weekend – let’s hope they can right the ship when they have the football.
4. Get Wynn Involved
Rutgers transfer Jawaun Wynn came to Kingston with high expectations, but his offensive output thus far hasn’t exactly lived up to them. The 6’3″ receiver caught six passes against Stony Brook, but he’s recorded no more than three catches in Rhode Island’s other three contests. Robbie Jackson appears to be Bentsen’s #1 option on the outside, but getting Wynn involved could get Rhody’s offense to where it needs to be.
5. Win the Field Position Battle
The first half of the William & Mary game was as rock-fighty as rock fights get. It’s pretty unlikely that tomorrow’s game will be the same, but the Rams still need to limit three-and-outs if they expect to win the field position battle. CCSU and Rhode Island may end up being pretty evenly matched, so field position will be key in coming away with a win.
Can Rhode Island grab their first home win of the season? Or will their offensive futility continue? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
