The University of Rhode Island football team snapped a two-game losing streak, bringing the Governor’s Cup back to Kingston with a 13-10 win over Brown University at Centreville Bank Stadium on Saturday.

“What we were after was a complete team victory,” URI head coach Jim Fleming said. “It was prevalent on all our minds, coming off a tough two-game skid, that we needed a win.”

Third-year quarterback Alex McClelland made his first career start and drove the Rams into Brown territory but failed to convert on fourth-and-4, turning the ball over on downs. His second drive wasn’t any more successful as Rhody was forced to punt on fourth down.

Fleming opted for third-year quarterback Tyler Budge on the following drive as the quarterbacks would swap in for each other at the start of every drive for the majority of the game.

Budge’s first drive ended with his pass intercepted by Brown fourth-year defensive back Camryn Williams-Dalton, setting Brown up at its own 25.

The next seven drives between the two teams ended in punts, with each team going three-and-out twice. URI ended the streak with a 43-yard field goal by fourth-year kicker Ty Groff to head into the locker room up 3-0 at halftime.

On their first drive of the second half, the Rams worked their way down the field from their own 15 to inside the red zone, but Budge fumbled the ball at the 7-yard line on a scramble, and the ball was recovered by Brown second-year defensive lineman EJ Perez. 

Brown put its first points on the board following the turnover with a 33-yard field goal from second-year kicker Drew Crabtree to tie the game at three.

After a URI three-and-out, Brown had the chance to take its first lead of the game, but fourth-year defensive back Ethan McCann-Carter intercepted Brown fourth-year quarterback James Murphy’s pass to give possession back to the Rams. 

Three plays after Rhody forced a turnover, Budge committed his third of the day when he was strip-sacked, putting Brown in the red zone to start its drive.

Brown fifth-year running back Qwentin Brown punched it in a few plays later to give the Bears a 10-3 lead, their first of the game.

The offense answered quickly as McClelland hit fifth-year wide receiver Marquis Buchanan for a short pass. Buchanan then turned on the jets before being chased down and tackled at the 12-yard line for a gain of 68 yards.

On the next play, McClelland took it himself and rushed in for the touchdown as the Rams found a quick answer to Brown’s touchdown.

“I kept telling the defense, ‘Just keep believing in us,’” McClelland said. “It was good to finish that drive and just come away [with a score], and give the defense a reason to keep believing in us.”

Brown was unable to get within field goal range on both of its drives and was forced to punt each time. With 32 seconds remaining at the start of the drive, URI got to the 23-yard line following a roughing the passer call against Brown fourth-year linebacker Tommy Dunn.

In field goal range, Fleming inexplicably called his final timeout with 15 seconds left instead of either letting time wind down or forcing Brown to use one of its timeouts.

“I snapped,” Fleming said. “I was very, very upset with myself and concerned that I could have put that game in jeopardy. That should’ve been a kick with no time left on the clock, and that’s the way the game was expected to be managed, and I didn’t do my part.

On third-and-13, Groff was sent onto the field to take the kick, sneaking the 43-yarder above the crossbar and all but sealing the 13-10 victory for the Rams, enacting their revenge and taking home the Governor’s Cup once again.

“It’s an unbelievable opportunity to have the opportunity to be out there,” Groff said. “I knew I was going to make the kick immediately because I have such a good group around me.”

With the victory, Rhody holds a 24-20 record in the Governor’s Cup and has brought the cup to Kingston in six of the last seven seasons.