UNH Falls to #17 Rhode Island, 38-27

Saturday, October 11

Kingston, R.I.

1 PM

University of New Hampshire

3-4 , 1-2

Rhode Island

5-2 , 3-0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

New Hampshire

Rhode Island

Photo by: Sal Annino

10/11/2025 5:53:00 PM | Football

Box Score Photo Gallery

KINGSTON, R.I. – The University of New Hampshire football team took a 10-point lead into the fourth quarter but was defeated 38-27 by 17^th-ranked University of Rhode Island on Saturday afternoon at Meade Stadium.

UNH sophomore quarterback Matt Vezza (Elmhurst, Ill.) completed 16 of 32 passes for 193 yards and two touchdowns. He also 16 rushes for 54 yards. Grad student Chase Wilson (Port Charles, La.) had five catches for 69 yards, including a 20-yard TD.

Redshirt freshman linebacker Trevor Barry () and grad student linebacker Cole Bullock () led the Wildcats with 10 and nine tackles, respectively. Freshman Kelby Hamption () recorded his second and team's sixth interception of the season.

URI was led offensively by Brendon Barrow, who rushed for 111 yards and two touchdowns, and Devin Farrell, who threw for 164 yards and rushed for 47, including a TD.

UNH moves to 3-4 overall and 1-2 in CAA Football while URI is now 5-2, 3-0.

UP NEXT

New Hampshire returns to action Oct. 18 at Campbell.
The Wildcats' next home game is Oct. 25 (1pm) against William & Mary during Family Weekend.
CLICK HERE to buy tickets or e-mail unh.tickets@unh.edu or call (603) 862-4000.

FIRST QUARTER

After UNH's defense held URI to a 3-and-out on the game's first possession, the Wildcats took a 7-0 lead at 9:55 on a five-yard run by Myles Thomason (Montclair, N.J.) and PAT kick by Nick Reed (Harrison, N.Y.). The eight-play, 47-yard drive was highlighted by Vezza's two-yard run on 4^th-and-1 at the URI 38, followed by a 23-yars catch by Casey McKinney ().
UNH blocked a punt on URI's next possession to set up 1^st-and-10 for the Wildcats at the URI 17.
Reed missed a 29-yard field goal, however, at 5:33 to keep the score 7-0.

SECOND QUARTER

Following the missed field goal, URI drove 80 yards on 14 plays and tied the score, 7-7, on Antwain Littleton Jr.'s 3-yard run up the middle at 13:19.
Garth White kicked a 45-yard field goal to cap a 14-play, 66-yard drive and give the Rams a 10-7 lead at 3:58.
New Hampshire gained 46 yards on three plays – aided by a 15-yard personal foul – to advance the ball to the URI 29. Vezza's nine-yard run brought the game to the 2-minute timeout, out of which Vezza hit Wilson at the right pylon on the goal line for a 20-yard TD and 14-10 lead at 1:55.
URI went 75 yards in 90 seconds and Barrow's 28-yard TD run put the Rams back in front, 17-14, with 25 seconds on the clock.

THIRD QUARTER

UNH outscored Rhode Island 13-0 out of halftime to build a 10-point lead.
The Wildcats capped a 63-yard TD drive to open the third quarter when Vezza found Peyton Strikland (Goffstown, N.H.) in the back of the left side of the end zone. Reed's PAT pushed the score to 21-17.
On that drive, UNH quickly gained 43 yards on a 26-yard catch by McKinney and 17-yard run by Denzell Gibson (Bellwood, Ill.).
On the next play from scrimmage, Hampton intercepted a pass at the URI 39 and had a six-yard return to set up 1^st-and-10 at the 33.
Four plays later, Reed connected from 46 yards to extend the lead to 24-17 at 6:50.
UNH's defense forced another 3-and-out, then the offense drove 42 yards to set up a 31-yard field goal by Reed to give New Hampshire a 27-17 lead.

FOURTH QUARTER

URI outscored the Wildcats 21-0 in the final 15 minutes for the comeback win.
Barrow's 19-yard run lifted the home team within 27-24 at 13:05.
Farrell scored on a 16-yard QB scramble to put URI back in front, 31-27, at 2:12.
In a hurry-up offense, the Wildcats gained 23 yards on five plays to move the ball to the UNH 48 but then Moses Meus forced a strip-sack and Rohan Davy scooped and scored from 45 yards to give the Rams a 38-27 advantage with 65 seconds remaining.

UNH NOTEBOOK

Justice Akinmoladun (Grandview, Mo.) recorded his 100^th career tackle with the last of his four tackles. The grad student has made 17 tackles in his first year as a Wildcat.
Bullock's nine tackles were a career high.
Barry matched his career high of 10 tackles established in the season opener at N.C. Central.
Hampton is now tied for the team lead with two interceptions.