Rhode Island 13, Brown 10: Groff's late field goal reclaims Governor's Cup

Ty Groff's 43-yard field goal with 11 seconds left gave Rhode Island a 13-10 win over Brown on Oct. 3, 2026, returning the Governor's Cup to the Rams at Centreville Bank Stadium.

Rhode Island reclaimed the Governor's Cup on Oct. 3, riding Ty Groff's 43-yard field goal with 11 seconds left to a 13-10 win over Brown at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket. It was Groff's second 43-yard make of the day and ended the trophy's one-year absence from Kingston. Gov. Dan McKee presented the cup at midfield.

The decisive kick was set up by defense and field position. URI punted with 1:19 remaining and left Brown starting inside its own 20, forced a three-and-out, and took over at the Bears 46 with 32 seconds to play. A personal foul moved the ball into range, and Groff's low liner was true. "I would say it's just trusting myself," Groff said.

The stakes cut both ways. Brown beat URI 28-21 last season to snap a six-game skid in the series and was chasing back-to-back rivalry wins for the first time in a decade before 5,368 fans. Instead the Rams moved to 3-3 and avoided their first three-game losing streak since 2021, while the Bears fell to 1-2 following a 14-10 loss to Harvard. "It's a challenge, because you lose two close games in a row," Perry said. "They're mature kids. We'll be ready to go next week."

Brown appeared to be seizing control after Qwentin Brown's 1-yard touchdown run with 13:29 left made it 10-3. Tommy Dunn's rush off the edge forced the second fumble by URI quarterback Tyler Budge; Dunn recovered at the Rams 13, and Matt Childs converted a fourth down ahead of the score. The Bears finished with three takeaways.

Rhode Island responded by ending its quarterback rotation and turning to Alex McClelland, a former Barrington standout who directed the final two scoring drives. He connected with Marquis Buchanan — a Classical alum nursing a right knee injury who briefly left in the first quarter — for 68 yards to the Brown 12, then scored himself from 12 yards out with 12:05 remaining to tie the game. "Both my parents went to Brown, and it just kind of rubbed me the wrong way that they didn't want me," McClelland said.

Brown had two late chances to regain the lead. After Randy Leavitt pinned the Bears at their 12 with a punt, Andre DePina-Gray's deflection forced a three-and-out in the tie game. On a later series, Brown faced fourth-and-five at the URI 23 and passed on a 40-yard field-goal try by Drew Crabtree; James Murphy found Levi Linowes for nine yards, but two penalties — the second a chop block — forced a punt. "We have a very good kicker – that's a long one," Perry said. "At this level, anything over 40 is long."

Groff's first field goal, a 43-yarder with 18 seconds left in the second quarter, gave URI a 3-0 halftime lead. Brown drew even in the third after Brock Owen's hit on the perimeter forced Budge's first fumble and EJ Perez recovered; Murphy scrambled for 13 yards and found Childs for 27 to set up Crabtree's 33-yard field goal with 3:11 left in the period.

URI played long stretches without Terrence Campbell (right ankle) and Aboraa Kwarteng (left leg), on top of the limited Buchanan, and relied on a defense that held Brown to 35 rushing yards on 26 carries. Ethan McCann-Carter intercepted Murphy in the third quarter. "We've had this one circled for a long time," defensive lineman Case Mankins said. "We had to go get it for coach."

Murphy finished 21 of 37 for 271 yards with an interception; McClelland (6 of 11, 83) and Budge (10 of 15, 74, one pick) split URI's passing. Gabe Winowich ran for 85 yards on 23 carries and BJ Barrow added 42 on eight as the Rams outgained Brown 217-35 on the ground. Buchanan's five catches for 90 yards led all receivers. "We've got the cup sitting in Kingston where it will stay," Fleming said.