Black Bears pound Rams

Jared Turcotte ran for 121 yards and three touchdowns as visiting Maine rolled over Rhode Island, 37-7, yesterday.

Turcotte led a Black Bears team that rushed for 274 yards, compared with just 34 for the Rams.

URI (2-9, 0-7 Colonial Athletic Association) opened the scoring in the second quarter with an 80-yard drive that ended on a 16-yard touchdown run by Jimmy Hughes.

Maine (8-3, 5-2) tied the game on a 3-yard run by Turcotte. The touchdown was set up by a 52-yard pass from Michael Brusko to Landis Williams.

Maine took the lead less than a minute later when the snap sailed over URI quarterback Derek Cassidy's head, and he was tackled by Jordan Stevens in the end zone for a safety. Cassidy finished 18 of 31 for 128 yards.

Maine increased the lead to 16-7 on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Brusko to Tyrell Jones with 2:32 left before halftime.

Turcotte's 25-yard touchdown with 1:37 left in the third quarter extended Maine's lead. His third score was in the fourth quarter, from 1 yard out. Pushaun Brown closed out the scoring with a late 29-yard run.

James Madison 48, William & Mary 24 - At Harrisonburg, Va., Rodney Landers accounted for 357 yards and four touchdowns as the top-ranked Dukes assured themselves of at least a share of the Colonial title.

Landers completed 14 of 19 passes for 219 yards and three touchdowns, and rushed for 145 yards and a score on 18 carries for James Madison (9-1, 7-0). Eugene Holloman added 130 yards and two scores on 23 carries for the Dukes.

Jake Phillips completed 16 of 30 passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns for the 12th-ranked Tribe (7-3, 5-2).

In the first half, Landers connected on touchdowns of 50 and 34 yards to Marcus Turner and a 4-yard score to Mike Caussin to give the Dukes a 24-10 lead. Holloman and Landers each scored on 5-yard runs in the third quarter, and Holloman's 10-yard run to open the fourth gave the Dukes a 45-10 lead.

Villanova 34, Towson 31 - Aaron Ball scored two TDs and James Pitts had a 65-yard interception return for a score as the host Wildcats held off the Tigers.

Christopher Whitney threw for 212 yards and a touchdown for Villanova (8-2, 6-1), which ran out the last five minutes after Towson got within 3 points.

Sean Schaefer threw for 326 yards and four touchdowns - two to Marcus Lee - for Towson (3-8, 1-6).

Hofstra 42, Northeastern 14 - At Hempstead, N.Y., Everette Benjamin rushed for a career-high 122 yards and a touchdown, and the Pride (4-7, 2-5) outgained the Huskies, 523 yards to 171, to snap a four-game losing streak.

Northeastern (2-9, 1-6) lost its sixth straight.

Richmond 31, Delaware 14 - Josh Vaughan rushed for 156 yards and a touchdown on 40 carries to power the host Spiders (8-3, 5-2). The Blue Hens (4-7, 2-5) rushed for just 5 yards.