The Pluses:
1. New HC, but he was Ass't HC & DC in 2008.
2. 19 Starters Returning (8 Off, 9 Def, 2 St)
3. In addition to the above 19, RS Sr. Joe Casey returns to help bolster the running game and Ferrer who played in 12 games will also help in this regard.
4. QB xfer from RU, Etienne
5. OL comes back 3/5's full (RT Gross 280, RG Valley 305, LG Daniel 295), good size.
6. All 4 starting DL return. URI should be strong in the trenches.
The Negatives:
1. Only scored 18 ppg and gave up 32 ppg in 08 with those same starters.
2. Last year's OL was only able to muster 68.3 ypg rushing, and the def gave up 181.6 ypg rushing.
3. Last year's offense was built around the pass (probably Casey's injury had something to do with that), and had 238.4 PYPG, and the def gave up 216.5 PYPG.
4. This year's team will have to break in a QB to repeat what they did last year in the passing game.
The Questions:
1. Will Trainer continue in the "Pass first" mode, or will there be an attempt to mix pass & run in this year's offense.
2. QB?? RU Xfer Etienne or Stefkovich who played in 5 games last year.
3. While the cupboard is not bare with 19 returning starters, these are still the previous coach's recruits. Trainer has vowed to depend on the Seniors. How long before he transistions in younger players???
The Schedule:
9/5 vs Fordham. As much as I want to root for URI in this one (CAA Bias), I have to concede that FU appears stronger. Maybe, if this game was later in the year URI could have come away with the "W". But, as URI has to figure out it's offensive identity, it's in this writer's humble opinion, that URI will stumble out of the gates. FU will win this one on the road in a score eerily similar to last year's mark 16 - 7.
9/12 Bye
9/19 @ UMass. While UMass may not be as strong as past UMass teams, they're still strong enough to beat on a lesser talented URI team at home. URI loses big on the road 35 - 7.
9/26 @ UConn. Out of the frying pan into the fire. UConn runs up the score in a lopsided affair 45 - 0.
10/3 @ Brown. What doesn't kill you can only make you stronger. After the last two battles, URI runs and passes enough to win their first game of the year on the road 27 - 14.
10/10 vs Towson. URI's strength and experience up front enables the Rams to come away with a 17 - 14 win over TU.
10/17 vs Hofstra. Looking to build on the previous two "W's", and revenge a dissapointing loss from a season ago, URI wins in the closing seconds over HU 24 - 21.
10/24 @ Villanova. Nova's speed and strenght up front is too much for URI to bare, and URI falls 31 - 7.
10/31 vs William & Mary. URI faces another ranked team from the CAA South and endures the same fate as the Tribe does not let up in downing the Rams 33 - 10.
11/7 @ New Hampshire. For the third week in a row, the Rams face a ranked team, and UNH tests the Rams secondary early and often en route to a 44 - 21 win.
11/14 @ Maine. Facing a Maine team that's hungry for the playoffs, Maine scores 27 pts by halftime, then coasts to a 27 - 10 victory. Maine's 2nd team Def allows URI to score in the 4th qtr.
11/21 vs Northeastern. Playing for Pride, the Rams win the season finale in front of the home crowd 21 - 17.
CAA 3 - 5, Overall 4 - 7
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Originally Posted by 89Hen
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