Hampton University finished the season on a six-game losing streak amid Rhode Island’s celebrations Saturday.
Longtime coach Jim Fleming’s Rams (10-2, 8-0) clinched the outright Coastal Athletic Association championship as they downed the Pirates 38-10 in Kingston. URI, ranked 10th in the FCS Stats Perform poll, will learn its playoff assignment Sunday. The Pirates finished 2-10, 0-8.
Antwain Littleton Jr. ran for 148 yards, scoring twice. The CAA championship is the Rams’ first outright league title since winning the Yankee Conference in 1985 and comes on the heels of sharing the CAA title with Richmond last season. Rhode Island earned the league’s automatic berth to the FCS playoffs for the first time and finished a conference season undefeated for the first time since the 1985 team went 5-0 in the Yankee Conference.
URI rolled up 359 yards in the first half and led 24-7 at halftime. The Rams got a 65-yard touchdown run from Littleton on their second play from scrimmage, a 28-yard TD run by Brendon Barrow and a 6-yard TD from Littleton, all in the first quarter.
Conner Kenyon, who passed for 258 yards, had a touchdown pass in each of the last two quarters. Greg Gaines III had 139 yards on eight catches.
Earl Woods III had a 44-yard touchdown run for the Pirates.
No. 21 James Madison 24, Washington State 20: Wayne Knight’s 58-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter put the Dukes ahead to stay in Harrisonburg and kept their College Football Playoff hopes alive. They already had qualified for the Sun Belt title game in two weeks.
Knight carried 15 times for 126 yards and Alonza Barnett was 9-for-18 passing for 144 yards and a touchdown for JMU (10-1) in its ninth consecutive victory.
“That was as advertised,” JMU coach Bob Chesney said. “That’s a good offense. They were physical and a really good football team. They do a good job mixing it up on offense. We knew who they were, but we know who we are, too.”
Zevi Eckhaus completed 19 of 31 passes for 171 yards and a touchdown and rushed for another score to lead Washington State (5-6). Kirby Vorhees rushed for 61 yards on 19 carries.
After the teams traded field goals in the first quarter, JMU cornerback Justin Eaglin picked off a pass from Eckhaus and returned it 37 yards for a touchdown to give the Dukes a 10-3 lead early in the second quarter.
Midway through the second period, Eckhaus got it back by hitting Tony Freeman over the middle for a 48-yard TD, forging a 10-all tie. Eckhaus scored on a 4-yard run with 48 seconds left in the first half to give the Cougars a 17-10 lead at the break.
JMU tied it up late in the third when Barnett found Braeden Wisloski for a 68-yard TD strike.
“We needed that at that moment,” Chesney said. “It was a little underthrown and we were wondering if he’s going to be able to catch it and outrun them. It’s all about that chess match that was going on and using their aggressiveness against them.”
Washington State regained the lead with 9:24 remaining when Jack Stevens’ 35-yard field goal bounced off the left upright and in. On the ensuing possession, Knight broke loose for his longest run of the day. JMU then stopped the Cougars on downs and kept possession thereafter.
Louisiana Tech 34, Liberty 28, OT: The Bulldogs (6-5, 4-3), nearing the end of their final Conference USA season, rallied from a 28-7 deficit in Ruston. They became bowl-eligible with a victory and ensured that the Flames (4-7, 3-4) won’t qualify for a bowl.
After Louisiana Tech’s Jakari Foster made his second interception of the game on the second play of overtime, the Bulldogs’ Andrew Burnette ran up the middle for a winning 25-yard touchdown.
Vasko, from Oscar Smith High, was 8 of 21 for 141 yards, a touchdown and four interceptions. The loss spoiled a brilliant day for Liberty’s Evan Dickens, who ran for 228 yards and two TDs on 30 carries.
Western Carolina 48, VMI 6: Taron Dickens threw three touchdown passes in breaking the Southern Conference single-season passing TD record and leading Western Carolina to a road win over VMI in a regular-season finale.
Dickens was 28-of-40 passing for 332 yards, with his three TD passes giving him 38 this season for the Catamounts (7-5, 6-2), passing Samford quarterbacks Michael Hiers (2022) and Devlin Hodges (2016), who each had 36.
Dickens’ record-breaking 37th touchdown pass came on a 16-yard score to Michael Rossin in the final minutes of the first half for a 24-3 lead.
Nana Utsey rushed for 137 yards and passed for 80 more for the Keydets (1-11, 0-8).
California University of Pennsylvania 27, Virginia Union 24: The CIAA runner-up Panthers (9-3) lost to the Vulcans (9-3) in the first round of the 32-team Division II playoffs at Hovey Field in Richmond.
Curtis Allen ran for 128 yards and a score on 21 carries for VUU, which entered the playoffs ranked 19th nationally.
The Vulcans went ahead 14-0 on two touchdown runs by quarterback Roman Purcell and kept fending off VUU, though the Panthers scored 17 second-quarter points and were within 20-17 at halftime.
Kendrick Agenor’s 1-yard TD run capped a 65-yard drive that gave California a 27-17 lead with 9:53 remaining. The Panthers’ Zyaire Tart returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown.
VUU drove to the Vulcans’ 18 but moved backward, and Brady Myers’ field-goal try from 46 yards was wide left with 1:11 to go, allowing California to run out the clock.
Tulsa 26, Army 25: Seth Morgan hit a 27-yard field goal with 12 seconds remaining as Tulsa (4-7, 1-6 American Conference) rallied from an 11-point deficit to defeat the Black Knights (5-5, 3-4) in West Point, New York.
Baylor Hayes completed 20 of his 31 passes for 267 yards and one touchdown for the Golden Hurricane, and Dominic Richardson ran for a career-high 203 yards and a score on 28 carries.
The Black Knights (5-5, 3-4) were led by Cale Hellums’ 159 rushing yards and three first-half touchdowns.
Wilkes 37, Shenandoah 35: The Colonels (7-4), from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, beat the host Hornets (8-3) in the Chesapeake Challenge Cape Henry Bowl in Winchester. Nick Volpone kicked a 20-yard field goal as time expired.
Shenandoah’s Mekhi Brown passed for 240 yards and three touchdowns. Jalen Redfearn ran for 81 yards and a touchdown, while Aidan McCloskey ran for 79 yards and one score. Roge’t Walker caught three passes for two touchdowns and 76 yards.
Kyle Grant’s 33-yard TD catch and Carson Gallant’s PAT put Shenandoah ahead 35-34 with 2:08 to go. Wilkes drove 63 yards in 13 plays to set up the winning kick.
Washington and Lee 14, Lycoming 12: The Generals (7-4) won the Cape Charles Bowl over the host Warriors (5-6) in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, by rushing for 337 yards and both of their touchdowns. Ryan Clemens ran for 5- and 4-yard scores as part of a 188-yard, 33-carry day.
Defensive back Jack Johnson, who intercepted a pass, earned MVP honors.
