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Devin Farrell was named his conference’s Offensive Player of the Week and the Rams received votes in the first regular-season edition of the Stats FCS national poll.

Minnesota coach’s message to team for Rhode Island game: ‘Be a goldfish’

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck borrowed a line from the TV show “Ted Lasso” as he prepared his team for this week’s non-conference game against Rhode Island on Saturday afternoon in Minneapolis.

The message: Be a goldfish.

The Golden Gophers (0-1) are coming off a heartbreaking 19-17 loss at home against North Carolina in their season opener last week. Dragan Kesich missed two field goals, including a 47-yarder as time expired that would have won the game.

“Be a goldfish,” Fleck explained on his weekly coach’s show. “Ted Lasso talks about a guy (who) comes up to him and he’s really anxious about a play and says, ‘Sorry, coach.’ Ted Lasso looks at him and just says, ‘Be a goldfish.’

“The guy looks at him like, ‘What are you talking about?’

“(Ted Lasso says), ‘Goldfish are the happiest animals on the planet because they have a 10-second memory.’”

The Goldfish — er, Gophers — will turn their attention to Rhode Island (1-0), which is coming off a 20-17 win against Holy Cross in its season opener.

Quarterback Devin Farrell threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Shawn Harris Jr. with 19 seconds remaining to lead the Rams to the win. Farrell finished 20-for-33 for 287 yards and two touchdowns.

The game marked Farrell’s first action since he played in high school in Georgia. He started his college career at Virginia Tech, transferred to Rhode Island, and did not play last season as he backed up four-year starter Kasim Hill.

“You don’t play since high school and you come out and do what he was able to do,” Rhode Island coach Jim Fleming said. “I was very impressed.”

Minnesota also features a quarterback who made his team debut last week. Max Brosmer, a transfer from New Hampshire, is looking to build upon an up-and-down performance in which he completed 13 of 21 passes for 165 yards.

Marcus Major led the Golden Gophers’ ground attack with 20 carries for 73 yards and a touchdown. Major started in place of injured teammate Darius Taylor, whose status remains uncertain heading into Saturday.

Rhode Island will have to find a way to move the ball against a stout Minnesota defense. In the opening game, both Cody Lindenberg (11 tackles) and Maverick Baranowski (10 tackles) finished with double-digit stops.

–Field Level Media

Sep 24, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Kedon Slovis (9) scrambles with the ball against the Rhode Island Rams during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Israel Abanikanda’s four TDs lead No. 24 Pitt past Rhode Island

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Israel Abanikanda rushed for 177 yards and four touchdowns on 19 carries as No. 24 Pitt beat visiting Rhode Island 45-24 on Saturday.

Abanikanda, who scored in each quarter, is Pitt’s first rusher with three straight 100-yard games and four touchdowns in a game since Darrin Hall in 2017.

The Panthers (3-1) totaled 460 yards of offense, including 241 in the first half.

With an 82-yard punt return for a touchdown in the first quarter, M.J. Devonshire became the first Panther to return an interception and a punt for a TD in one season since Darrelle Revis in 2006.

Pitt’s Kedon Slovis returned from injury and was 20-for-27 passing for 189 passing yards.

Pitt improved to 8-0 against FCS opponents under coach Pat Narduzzi, a Rhode Island alum. On Saturday, the Panthers played without five starters and lost tight end Gavin Bartholomew (undisclosed) during the game.

For Rhode Island (2-2), Marques DeShields ran for 82 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries.

Kasim Hill was 17-of-30 for 223 yards, helping the Rams average 13.1 yards per completion compared with Pitt’s 9.5. Hill connected with Darius Savedge for a 15-yard score in the fourth quarter.

Jake Fire recorded a game-high 13 tackles for Rhode Island.

After a pair of penalties ended the Rams’ first drive, the Panthers scored on Devonshire’s return before their offense touched the ball.

Pitt made the score 14-0 just two plays into its second series when Abanikanda rushed through a seam for a 67-yard score. But the Rams’ DeShields responded with a 63-yard touchdown run less than a minute later.

In the second quarter, Abanikanda’s 12-yard TD run highlighted a 16-play, 82-yard drive that lasted 7:35. Adding to Pitt’s lead, Ben Sauls booted a 31-yard field goal with 3:39 left.

Two penalties helped the Rams extend a 75-yard drive and score on a 1-yard DeShields run in the final minute of the half.

Rhode Island ate up 8:16 of the third-quarter clock during an 18-play drive that ended with Harrison Leonard nailing his first career field goal, from 34 yards with 56 seconds to play.

In the final quarter, Abanikanda ran in from 13 yards, and Vincent Davis added an 18-yard TD run with 1:11 left.

–Field Level Media