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Monmouth football: No. 14 Rhode Island looms as daunting test, great opportunity for Hawks
Sights & Sounds from Monmouth University basketball’s Blue White Night
The Monmouth men’s and women’s basketball teams were introduced to fans at Blue White Night at OceanFirst Bank Center in West Long Branch, N.J.
Rhode Island is embracing the “Beast of the East” moniker, with wins over Maine, New Hampshire, Brown and Holy Cross so far. The Rams, winners of six straight, sit tied atop the CAA standings, while ranking in the top-15 of both major FCS polls with a 7-1 record.
And Meade Stadium in Kingston, Rhode Island will have a sellout crowd of 6,600 on hand Saturday afternoon to greet Monmouth.
That’s the thing about the CAA. With each disappointment, and Saturday’s home loss to Towson was just that, comes an opportunity.
A daunting one for Monmouth (4-4, 2-2 CAA), but an opportunity nonetheless as the Hawks enter a four-game season-ending stretch that continues on the road at New Hampshire, at home against No. 13 Villanova, before closing the regular season at No. 20 Stony Brook.
Opportunities, for sure. The question is whether the Hawks can take advantage.
“Our early season schedule, while it was very difficult, especially those first three games, it has prepared them in a great way for conference play,” said Monmouth head coach Kevin Callahan.
Monmouth’s best has been pretty good this season. There was the program’s first-ever win over an FBS program, taking down FIU in Miami. Dominating wins against Maine and Bryant, along with a 63-point outburst against Fordham, showed the full scope of the Hawks’ high-powered offense, ranked No. 2 nationally.
Derek Robertson, who lost to Rhode Island as Maine’s quarterback last season, is ranked No. 1 nationally in average passing yards-per-game at 322.4, having energized the Monmouth aerial attack.
“He has been very successful at both spots, and he has some great tools to work with at Monmouth,” said Rhode Island coach Jim Fleming. “I think their receivers are some of the best. They catch it, they run it, they have a big back, their numbers are staggering.”
But Towson exposed some weaknesses in a 26-14 win, making the Hawks’ offense one-dimensional by shutting down the running game, while methodically scoring on three straight possessions to open the second half before running the final six minutes off the clock.
The Rams, whose only loss came in Week 2 at Minnesota, have only beaten one team by more than two touchdowns during their current winning streak, which includes a double-overtime win at Hampton.
“They’re a veteran team, they’re experienced, they’re talented and they obviously know how to win tight games,” Callahan said. “You look at each of the games they’ve played, they’re not running away from people. They know how to play it tight to the vest and then pull it out at the end. We know we’ll have our work cut out for us with what looks like the best team we’ve played all year.
“They do a great job of limiting explosive plays, and they’re holding their opponents to three scores a game. They have not given up a lot of points. The other thing that jumps out is they are an excellent second half team. They have a tremendous advantage in the third and fourth quarter in games.”
CUMBERLAND, R.I. (WPRI) — Rhode Island State Police are investigating a crash that happened on I-295 North in Cumberland Tuesday night.
The crash happened in the right lane near Exit 22 just before 9 p.m.
It’s unclear exactly what caused the crash or if anyone was injured.
12 News has reached out to Rhode Island State Police for more information but has not heard back.
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Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the free WPRI 12+ TV app.
Scandals shake up Capitol Hill ahead of midterm elections
Congressional reporter Zachary Schermele dives into the latest scandals on Capitol Hill and how they’re shaking up politics ahead of midterms.
Rhode Island’s Democrat and Republican primary elections will officially be held on Wednesday, Sept. 9 this year, instead of the usual Tuesday election day.
Lawmakers passed the bill at the urging of state and local officials, who were concerned that an election day falling the day after Labor Day would not give them enough time to set up polls for the arrival of voters.
Gov. Dan McKee signed the bill on April 20, officially moving the primary day for 2026.
Which races will be on the ballot? The Republican and Democrat nominees for a swath of local offices – most notably governor but also lieutenant governor and attorney general.
Why was RI’s primary day moved?
At a hearing on the bill earlier this year, Randy Rossi, executive director of the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns explained the “significant logistical and financial challenges” municipalities otherwise would have faced having an election the day after Labor Day.
“Beyond cost, municipalities face serious logistical challenges accessing and setting up more than 430 polling locations on a major federal holiday, a process that often requires many hours and access to facilities that are typically closed and unstaffed on Labor Day,” he said.
“Compounding these challenges, many municipalities conduct early voting in city or town halls that must also serve as primary day polling locations,” Rossi noted.
Without changes to current law, he said, “municipalities would be required to conduct early voting and primary day polling simultaneously, often in the same limited space and with the same poll workers, requiring additional staffing and facilities.”
By the time this legislative hearing took place in January, other states facing similar issues, including Massachusetts, had already adjusted their primary dates, “and Rhode Island itself has demonstrated that alternative scheduling can be successful, as occurred during the statewide Wednesday primary in 2018,” Rossi said.
EAST GREENWICH, R.I. (WPRI) — If you’re looking to satisfy you’re sweet tooth, look no further than Division Street.
Nothing Bundt Cakes opened its first Rhode Island bakery in East Greenwich earlier this month. The new bakery is situated within East Greenwich Square, which is also home to the Ocean State’s first Crumbl.
The bakery is known for its handcrafted specialty Bundt cakes, as well as smaller “Bundtlets,” and bite-sized “Bundtinis,” that come in a variety of flavors.
“There’s a strong sense of local pride, creativity, and community here that aligns perfectly with our values,” said Jake Williams, who owns the East Greenwich bakery. “We were drawn to the area’s vibrant small business culture and the opportunity to contribute something special.”
Nothing Bundt Cakes is also expected to open another bakery at Chapel View in Cranston later this year.
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Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the free WPRI 12+ TV app.
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