1952 Rhode Island Rams football team

1952 Rhode Island Rams football
Yankee Conference co-champion
Conference	Yankee Conference
Record	7–1 (3–1 Yankee)
Head coach	Hal Kopp (2nd season)
Home stadium	Meade Stadium
Seasons ←  1951 1953  →

1952 Yankee Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Connecticut +	3	–	1	–	0			5	–	3	–	0
Maine +	3	–	1	–	0			4	–	3	–	0
Rhode Island +	3	–	1	–	0			7	–	1	–	0
UMass	1	–	2	–	0			4	–	3	–	1
Vermont	0	–	1	–	0			2	–	5	–	0
New Hampshire	0	–	4	–	0			2	–	4	–	1
+ – Conference co-champions

The 1952 Rhode Island Rams football team was an American football team that represented Rhode Island State College (later renamed the University of Rhode Island) as a member of the Yankee Conference during the 1952 college football season. In its second, non-consecutive season under head coach Hal Kopp, the team compiled a 7–1 record (3–1 against conference opponents), finished in a three-way tie for the conference championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 215 to 85. ^{[1] [2]}

The team gained 2,247 rushing yards and 723 passing yards. On defense, they held opponents to 1,063 rushing yards and 1,052 passing yards. ^[3] The team's individual leaders included:

• Halfback Pat Abbruzzi led the team in rushing (1,189 yards, 167 carries), total offense (1,200 yards), and scoring (72 points on 12 touchdowns). He later played four years in the Canadian Football League for the Montreal Alouettes; he was named CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award in 1955.
• Quarterback Art Roche completed 35 of 81 passes for 514 yards, three touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
• End Harold "Cap" Smith caught 21 passes for 285 yards.

^[3]

The team played its home games at Meade Stadium in Kingston, Rhode Island.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 20	Northeastern *	Meade Stadium Kingston, RI	W 32–0	3,712	[4]
September 27	at Maine	Alumni Field Orono, ME	L 0–13		[5]
October 4	at New Hampshire	Cowell Stadium Durham, NH	W 27–7		[6]
October 11	at Brown *	Brown Stadium Providence, RI (rivalry)	W 7–6	12,000	[7]
October 18	UMass	Meade Stadium Kingston, RI	W 26–7	4,000	[8]
November 1	at Springfield *	Pratt Field Springfield, MA	W 40–20	3,200	[9]
November 8	Brooklyn *	Meade Stadium Kingston, RI	W 55–7		[10]
November 15	Connecticut	Meade Stadium Kingston, RI (rivalry)	W 28–25	7,000	[11]
*Non-conference game

^[3]

References

1. "2009 Rhode Island Football Media Guide" (PDF). University of Rhode Island. 2009. p. 115. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 25, 2013.
2. "Rhode Island Yearly Results". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
3. "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics". National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved December 28, 2022.
4. "Rhode Island Tops Northeastern, 32-0 in Football Upset: Rams Hand Huskies First Defeat Since 1950 Season". The Springfield Sunday Republican. September 21, 1952. p. 2B – via Newspapers.com.
5. Jack Moran (September 29, 1952). "Maine Opens Season With Grid Victory: Blues Blank Rhody, 13-0". The Bangor Daily News. pp. 9, 10 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Abruzzi Big Gun As Rhode Island Scores 27-7 Win: Sophomore Star Tallies 3 Times Against New Hampshire Team". The Springfield Sunday Republican. October 5, 1952. p. 8B – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Rhode Island Kick Topples Brown, 7-6". The New York Times . New York, N.Y. Associated Press. October 12, 1952. p. S1.
8. "Rhode Island Rolls to 26-7 Victory Over Univ. of Mass.: Rams Use Sound Ground Attack to Offset Passing Game of Redmen in Game at Kingston". The Springfield Sunday Republican. October 19, 1952. p. 4B – via Newspapers.com.
9. Jerome H. Radding (November 2, 1952). "Springfield Loses To Rhode Island State, 40-20". The Springfield Daily Republican. p. 2B – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Abbruzzi Stars As Rhode Island Romps by 55 to 7". The Springfield Sunday Republican. November 9, 1952. p. 7B – via Newspapers.com.
11. Owen Griffith (November 16, 1952). "Rhode Island Overcomes Connecticut In Thriller". The Hartford Courant. p. 2 (part IV) – via Newspapers.com.