No. 15/16 Rhode Island won its sixth straight game, defeating Maine 24-14 in front of a sold-out Homecoming Day crowd at Meade Stadium Saturday. The Rams (7-1, 4-0 CAA Football) rushed for three touchdowns and got another dominant defensive effort to spark the win. The visiting Black Bears (4-4, 2-3 CAA Football) got on the board first, when Cooper Heisey caught a 7-yard touchdown pass from Carter Peevy with 53 seconds to go in the opening quarter. From there, Rhode Island dominated the rest of the half, using a pair of extended drives to control the game. Quarterback Devin Farrell scored on a pair of short touchdown runs, punching it in from 1 yard out to tie the score midway through the second quarter before scoring on a 6-yard run with little more than a minute left in the half. Maine managed to tie the game on the first snap of the fourth quarter. Brian Sanata-Fis scored on a 4-yard run to cap a short-yardage drive (9 plays, 43 yards). From there, Rhode Island again dominated. On the ensuing possession, Farrell hit Tommy Smith over the middle for a 46-yard pass that moved the ball to the Maine 3-yard line. Two plays later, Malik Grant took a direct snap and scored on a 1-yard plunge to quickly put Rhody back in front, 21-14. The Ram defense recorded four of its season-high six sacks in the fourth quarter, preventing any thoughts of a Maine comeback. With the defense holding down the fort, Smith came up with another big play late. With URI facing a third-and-15 from the Maine 28, Farrell threw a ball to Omari Walker that deflected into the air. Smith made a diving catch at the Maine 19, which allowed Ty Groff to kick a 35-yard field goal. That made it a two-possession game with six minutes to go, essentially securing the win. Inside the Box Score With the victory, Rhode Island secured its fifth straight winning season with four more regular-season games remaining. Rhode Island is off to best start in conference play since it began the 2001 season 5-0 in the Atlantic 10. Safety Emmanuel Gomes led the Rams with 10 tackles, seven of which were solo efforts. The Rams had a season-high seven sacks. Defensive lineman Carson Primrose had two. Linebackers A.J. Pena and Devon Hightower, defensive linemen Kareem Wilson and defensive back Braden Price all had one. Price added six other tackles and a pass break up. Running back Malik Grant rushed for 87 yards and one touchdown. Rhode Island did not turn the ball over and did not allow a sack. Quarterback Devin Farrell was 13-of-24 for 202 yards while also rushing for 19 yards and two scores. Defensive lineman Malachi Burby and wide receiver Shawn Harris served as game captains. Linebacker Gabe Salomons was the anchor bearer. Wide receiver Anthony Santoro and defensive back Chaas McCoy were named Scout Team Players of the Week.. A sellout crowd of 5450 attended the game. Up Next Rhode Island will continue its home swing with a game against Monmouth on Saturday, Nov. 2. It will be Family Weekend in Kingston and kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. on FloSports. The game is already sold out. Categories: Sports