University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
10-2 , 8-1
Rhode Island
4-8 , 3-6
Football Downs Rams In Regular Season Finale, 31-17
November 22, 2003 | Football
Nov 22, 2003
AMHERST, Mass. (AP) - Jeff Krohn threw two touchdown passes to Jason Peebler as Massachusetts beat Rhode Island 31-17 in the teams' regular season finale on Saturday.
Krohn completed 15-of-24 passes for 219 yards for playoff-bound Massachusetts (10-2, 8-1 Atlantic 10). Peebler caught five passes for 65 yards.
Rhode Island, which lost six of its last seven games, ended 4-8 overall and 3-6 in the conference.
Massachusetts led 31-14 at halftime, but never scored again. The only points in the second half came on a 33-yard field goal by Rhode Island's Shane Laisle early in the third quarter.
Massachusetts took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter on a 5-yard run by Steve Baylark, and a 28-yard scoring pass from Krohn to Peebler. Rhode Island bounced back with a 93-yard drive capped by Calvin Poole's 9-yard run.
Massachusetts put the game away before halftime after Rich Demers scored on a 30-yard scoring run, Michael Torres hit a 26-yard field goal and Peebler caught a 10-yard touchdown reception.
Rhode Island's Keith Brown caught a 40-yard scoring pass from Jayson Davis to make it 31-14 with just over a minute left in the half.
Rhode Island finished with 345 yards rushing to set an Atlantic 10 single season rushing record with 3,971 yards.
With the win, UMass clinched at least a share of the Atlantic 10 title. With a Delaware loss, the Minutemen will capture the A-10 title outright.
UMass now awaits the NCAA Division I-AA Football Selection Show to find out its next opponent. The show will air Sunday, Nov. 23, beginning at 1 p.m. and shown live on ESPNews.
Team Stats
URI 0, UMASS 7
UMASS - Steve Baylark 5 yd run (Michael Torres kick), 13 plays, 74 yards, TOP 3:21
URI 0, UMASS 14
UMASS - Jason Peebler 28 yd pass from Jeff Krohn (Michael Torres kick) 4 plays, 61 yards, TOP 1:07
URI 7, UMASS 14
URI - Calvin Poole 9 yd run (Shane Laisle kick), 6 plays, 93 yards, TOP 2:40
URI 7, UMASS 21
UMASS - Rich Demers 30 yd run (Michael Torres kick), 3 plays, 39 yards, TOP 1:02
URI 7, UMASS 24
UMASS - Michael Torres 26 yd field goal 10 plays, 65 yards, TOP 3:00
URI 7, UMASS 31
UMASS - Jason Peebler 10 yd pass from Jeff Krohn (Michael Torres kick) 7 plays, 46 yards, TOP 2:52
URI 14, UMASS 31
URI - Keith Brown 40 yd pass from Jayson Davis (Shane Laisle kick) 4 plays, 80 yards, TOP 1:05
URI 17, UMASS 31
URI - Shane Laisle 33 yd field goal 7 plays, 64 yards, TOP 2:37