Priore TD pass puts Rhode Island over Brown 31-28

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Vito Priore threw a touchdown strike to Aaron Parker late in the fourth quarter that gave Rhode Island the edge it needed to defeat Brown 31-28 on Saturday.

The Rams (1-4) trailed by four when Priore capped a late 63-yard drive with a 14-yard scoring pass to Parker for a 31-28 lead with 5:43 left to play. Following the kickoff, the defense held Brown to 14 yards and a single first down, forced a punt and Rhode Island ran out the clock.

Priore finished with a career-high 389 yards passing with three touchdowns. Zoe Bryant Jr. ran for 63 yards and a score, Isaiah Coulter had 171 yards receiving and a score and Parker had 87 yards receiving and a pair of touchdowns.

Rhode Island led 17-14 at halftime and stretched it to 24-14 in the third quarter on Bryant’s 7-yard scoring run. But the Bears (1-2) answered with two touchdown runs by Allen Smith early in the fourth to move ahead 28-24 with 8:20 to play.

EJ Perry threw for 420 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 92 yards for the Bears.