QB Coen gets last laugh in rout of Rhode Island
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KINGSTON, R.I. - With no rain or wind this time, the University of Massachusetts had no problem avenging last year's loss to Rhode Island as the Minutemen crushed the Rams Saturday at Meade Stadium.
After playing the worst game of his career in last year's heavy rain and winds gusting up to 50 mph, UMass quarterback Liam Coen of Newport, R.I., made his last career game in his home state a memorable one. The senior quarterback was nearly perfect in the 49-0 win.
Coen completed 15 of 17 passes for 241 yards, and the two incompletions were dropped. He threw three touchdown passes, including a 35-yarder to Victor Cruz on the first drive of the third quarter. After Cruz carried two defenders into the end zone from inside the 5-yard line, Coen pumped his fist as the scoreboard showed the Minutemen ahead 42-0.
It was the last pass he threw as UMass coach Don Brown began emptying his bench.
"It doesn't get much better than that. It was definitely a nice feeling to sit back," Coen said. "My dad was behind me so I got to wave at him and give him a little fist pump."
However, Coen did not want to come out of the game.
"He got mad at me for taking him out," Brown said. "He was special today. We scored on every one of his drives today."
Cruz finished with seven catches for 129 yards and two touchdowns.
It was first shutout in two years for the Minutemen who sacked Rhode Island quarterbacks Derek Cassidy and D.J. Stefkovich eight times for 55 yards.
"I thought we played our best game of the year on defense," Brown said. "There were a lot of good things today. I've been asked a lot about last year, but that wasn't out motivation. Our motivation was to come in here and play well in all three phases."
UMass (6-3, 3-2 Colonial Athletic Association) returns home to host Maine at noon next Saturday. The Rams (2-8, 0-6 CAA) are off.
Before the game, Brown said Rhode Island was better than its 2-7 record and pointed to the fact that the Rams had kept every game close. Rhode Island didn't it keep it close long Saturday as UMass took a 35-0 lead early in the second quarter and rolled from there.
Josh Jennings picked off Derek Cassidy's pass on the second play of the game, UMass took advantage of the short field. Tony Nelson finished the 29-yard drive with a 2-yard TD run as UMass led 7-0 2 minutes, 42 seconds into the game.
"I think we got a little gun-shy when we got picked like that in the first series," URI coach Darren Rizzi said. "I think (Cassidy) started to get a little tentative trying to force some things."
The Rams moved the ball better on their second drive, but came up empty when Louis Feinstein missed a 40-yard field goal.
The Minutemen didn't come up empty at all in the first half and on their next drive marched 78 yards in six plays with Nelson scoring again, this time from 13 yards out to make it 14-0.
After a Rhode Island punt, Coen capped a 67-yard drive with a 2-yard toss to fullback Chris Zardas to make the score 21-0. Seven minutes later, Coen hit Cruz from four yards out to increase the lead to 28-0.
Jennings eliminated any suspense with 5:20 left in the half when he intercepted Cassidy at the 40-yard line and raced to the end zone untouched to make it 35-0 at halftime.
"My eyes popped wide open and I took it for six," Jennings said.
UMass added 14 more after intermission to complete the rout.
Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. For more UMass coverage, including a UMass sports blog, go to http://www.gazettenet.com/blog/umass-sports.
