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Rhode Island vs. UNH Football: 5 Things To Know About Top 25 FCS Matchup

Rhode Island vs. UNH Football: 5 Things To Know About Top 25 FCS Matchup

No. 17 Rhode Island (5-1) faces No. 19 UNH (4-2) in a massive showdown in the CAA. Here's What to know.

Oct 17, 2024 by Joe Harrington
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On Nov. 23, 1985, "Back to the Future" was the No. 1 movie in America, Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin's hit song "Separate Lives" was topping the charts followed by "We Built This City" by Starship and the Rhode Island Rams played in a playoff football game. 

Since then, the author of this article was born a month later, "Back to the Future" had two sequels, Phil Collins won record of the year at the 1989 Grammys and the Rams have played 0 playoff games. 

But 39 years later and times does appear to be changing. 

Ranked No. 17 in the latest FCS football poll, and sitting at 5-1 and 2-0 in CAA play, the 2024 Rhode Island football team is understanding the assignment this season. 

But the biggest test of the season is here. The Rams aren't heading to New Hampshire to admire the Fall foliage. They're playing the No. 19 Wildcats. The hosts would like nothing more to make the Rams' playoff quest arduous at best. 

New Hampshire is a playoff regular but hasn't reached the playoffs since 2022 when they advanced to the second round. The program has played in 32 FCS playoff games since 1991 and made the postseason 32 times since 1991. At 4-2 and 2-0 in CAA play, the Wildcats are looking to head to Philadelphia on Oct. 26 to play No. 5 Villanova with some momentum.

But first: Rhode Island vs. New Hampshire. Here are five more things to know about the matchup streaming FloFootball and the FloSports app. 

Rhode Island Football Looking To Change History, Including Weekend Getaways To New Hampshire

The Rams are 9-35-3 all-time in road games against New Hampshire. The last win at New Hampshire was in 1995, a 10-7 win. The top movie then was "Apollo 13," by the way. 

New Hampshire Football Is Celebrating Homecoming

The Wildcats, which own a 61-31-5 all-time record against Rhode Island, are celebrating homecoming this week. 

How New Hampshire Football Got Here In 2024

The Wildcats debuted in the rankings after Week 4. Of the losses the Wildcats have suffered, one is to FBS Big 12 school UCF, 57-3, and the other to Harvard earlier this month, 28-23. The Wildcats, and the Rams, have both beaten Holy Cross. Other wins for New Hampshire include Stonehill, Bryant and Elon. 

The Wildcats are led by Josiah Silver, who was named the CAA Football Defensive Player of the Week after he had seven tackles and a sack against Elon. 

How Rhode Island Football Got Here in 2024

The Rams are running. 

Rhode Island is averaging 224.3 rushing yards in their last three games. Malik Grant leads the team with 449 rushing yards and he has scored five rushing touchdowns the last two games. 

The red zone defense is also a big reason the team is 5-1. The unit ranked 16th in the country in red zone defense. 

The lone loss for Rhode Island is to FBS Big Ten program Minnesota in Week 2. They've reeled off four straight wins since: Campbell, LIU, Hampton and the Governor's Cup win over Brown.

How To Watch Rhode Island vs. UNH Football On Oct. 19 

The game is streaming live at 1 p.m. ET on  FloFootball and the FloSports app. Highlights, replays and more will be on both platforms. 

AFCA NCAA FCS Football Rankings In Week 8

1. South Dakota St. (5-1) - Prev. 1

2. North Dakota St. (6-1) - Prev. 2

3. Montana St. (7-0) - Prev. 3

4. South Dakota (5-1) - Prev. 4

5. Villanova (5-1) - Prev. 5

6. UC Davis (6-1) - Prev. 6

7. Mercer (6-0) - Prev. 7

8. Southeast Missouri St. (6-1) - Prev. 9

9. Tarleton St. (6-1) - Prev. 11

10. North Dakota (4-2) - Prev. 10

11. Montana (5-2) - Prev. 14

12. Central Arkansas (5-2) - Prev. 13

13. UIW (4-2) - Prev. 15

14. Idaho (4-3) - Prev. 8

15. Richmond (4-2) - Prev. 17

16. William & Mary (4-2) - Prev. 18

17. Rhode Island (5-1) - Prev. 21

18. Florida A&M (3-2) - Prev. 19

19. New Hampshire (4-2) - Prev. 22

20. Missouri St. (4-2) - Prev. 25

21t. ACU (4-3) - Prev. 12

21t. North Carolina Central (5-2) - Prev. 24

23. Illinois St. (4-3) - Prev. 16

24. Dartmouth (4-0) - Prev. NR

25. Jackson St. (4-2) - Prev. NR

Dropped Out: Sacramento St. (20), Weber St. (23)

Others Receiving Votes: Stony Brook, 36; Duquesne, 35; Chattanooga, 30; East Tennessee St., 28; UT Martin, 22; McNeese, 17; Monmouth (N.J.), 11; Sacramento St., 11; Western Carolina, 11; Drake, 8; Columbia, 6; Stephen F. Austin, 5; Tennessee St., 5; Weber St., 4; Butler, 2; Northern Arizona, 2; Georgetown (D.C.), 1; Indiana St., 1; Lafayette, 1; Lamar, 1.

What Are The Top Conference In The FCS?

Curious about the top performers and strongest conference within the FCS ranks? We’ve got you covered.

See the FCS conferences ranked using a unique system that originally was developed for chess.

When Do The 2024 FCS College Football Playoffs Start?

The FCS playoffs begin on November 30, 2024.

The 2024 Division I FCS College Football Championship game will be played on January 6, 2025, at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.

Archived Footage On FloFootball

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Watch The 2024 College Football Season On FloFootball 

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