1952 Rhode Island Rams football team

{{Infobox college sports team season

| year = 1952

| team = Rhode Island Rams

| sport = football

| image =

| image_size =

| conference = Yankee Conference

| short_conf = Yankee

| record = 7–1

| conf_record = 3–1

| head_coach = Hal Kopp

| hc_year = 2nd

| captain =

| stadium = Meade Stadium

| champion = Yankee Conference co-champion

}}

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.{{cite web|title=2009 Rhode Island Football Media Guide|publisher=University of Rhode Island|year=2009|page=115|url=https://www.gorhody.com/sports/m-footbl/2009-10/media_guide/FBMG9.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425170413/http://www.gorhody.com/sports/m-footbl/2009-10/media_guide/FBMG9.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 25, 2013}}{{cite web|title=Rhode Island Yearly Results|publisher=College Football Data Warehouse|access-date=August 10, 2020|url=http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/active/r/rhode_island/1950-1954_yearly_results.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906043449/http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/active/r/rhode_island/1950-1954_yearly_results.php|archive-date=2015-09-06}}

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. 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.

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

Schedule

{{CFB schedule

| attend = y

| source = y

|September 20||{{cfb link|year=1952|team=Northeastern Huskies|title=Northeastern}}|Meade Stadium|Kingston, RI|W 32-0|3,712|{{cite news|title=Rhode Island Tops Northeastern, 32-0 in Football Upset: Rams Hand Huskies First Defeat Since 1950 Season|newspaper=The Springfield Sunday Republican|date=September 21, 1952|page=2B|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-union-rhode-island-tops-nort/167068610/|via=Newspapers.com}}

|September 27|at|Maine|Alumni Field|Orono, ME|L 0-13||{{cite news|title=Maine Opens Season With Grid Victory: Blues Blank Rhody, 13-0|newspaper=The Bangor Daily News|author=Jack Moran|date=September 29, 1952|pages=9, 10|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-bangor-daily-news-maine-opens-season/167068091/|via=Newspapers.com}}

|October 4|at|New Hampshire|Cowell Stadium|Durham, NH|W 27-7||{{cite news|title=Abruzzi Big Gun As Rhode Island Scores 27-7 Win: Sophomore Star Tallies 3 Times Against New Hampshire Team|newspaper=The Springfield Sunday Republican|date=October 5, 1952|page=8B|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-union-abruzzi-big-gun-as-rho/167069256/|via=Newspapers.com}}

|October 11|at|Brown|Brown Stadium|Providence, RI (rivalry)|W 7-6|12,000|{{cite news |title=Rhode Island Kick Topples Brown, 7-6 |agency=Associated Press |date=October 12, 1952 |page=S1 |newspaper=The New York Times |location=New York, N.Y.}}

|October 18||UMass|Meade Stadium|Kingston, RI|W 26-7|4,000|{{cite news|title=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|newspaper=The Springfield Sunday Republican|date=October 19, 1952|page=4B|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-union-rhode-island-rolls-to/167069756/|via=Newspapers.com}}

|November 1|at|{{cfb link|year=1952|team=Springfield Gymnasts|title=Springfield}}|Pratt Field|Springfield, MA|W 40-20|3,200|{{cite news|title=Springfield Loses To Rhode Island State, 40-20|newspaper=The Springfield Daily Republican|author=Jerome H. Radding|date=November 2, 1952|page=2B|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-union-springfield-loses-to-r/167067502/|via=Newspapers.com}}

|November 8||{{cfb link|year=1952|team=Brooklyn Kingsmen|title=Brooklyn}}|Meade Stadium|Kingston, RI|W 55-7||{{cite news|title=Abbruzzi Stars As Rhode Island Romps by 55 to 7|newspaper=The Springfield Sunday Republican|date=November 9, 1952|page=7B|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-union-abbruzzi-stars-as-rhod/167066553/|via=Newspapers.com}}

|November 15||Connecticut|Meade Stadium|Kingston, RI (rivalry)|W 28-25|7,000|{{cite news|title=Rhode Island Overcomes Connecticut In Thriller|newspaper=The Hartford Courant|author=Owen Griffith|date=November 16, 1952|page=2 (part IV)|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/hartford-courant-rhode-island-overcomes/167066947/|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

{{cite web |author= |title=Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/team/572/stats/13012 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=December 28, 2022 }}

References

Rhode Island

Category:Rhode Island Rams football seasons

Category:Yankee Conference football champion seasons

Rhode IslandRams football