Rhode Island Rams (1984-85)

Amazingly, I've never devoted a post to these guys, the last Rhode Island football teams to experience postseason play. In the vast field of weeds that has been Rams football over the last 50-60 years, the 1984-85 bunch, who went 20-6 and reached the NCAA I-AA (now FCS) Tournament twice, are the two magnificent roses to bloom from the crabgrass. Thanks to a big-armed quarterback, Rhody took its fans on a magical ride that old-timers likely still talk about today.

First, some quick backstory: In 1976, coach Bob Griffin took over a team that was low in wins (just two in 1975) and money, to the point that the school had considered canceling the program one year after Yankee Conference rival Vermont did the same thing. Instead, Rhody put its faith in Griffin, who rewarded the school and the fans with five teams that finished .500 or better from 1977-83, capped with a trip to the 1981 I-AA tourney.

But the fun was just beginning in Kingston.

Tom Ehrhardt "Ehrs" it out against Boston University and UMass in 1984.
All the photos here are from Rhody's Renaissance yearbook.

In 1984, a junior transfer from C.W. Post named Tom Ehrhardt arrived. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound gunslinger took his arm to Rhody because he like Griffin's pass-heavy offense, according to an article in the 2005 Rhody media guide (the source of much of the information for this piece). After a slow start, Ehrhardt put up numbers that stand out even in today's offense-heavy times — 410 yards and 5 TDs in a win over Brown, followed by 408 yards against UMass and 425 against Northeastern. Ehrhardt finished the season with 3,870 passing yards, which set a school single-season AND career mark, to go with 36 touchdowns. The only warts on his record were 20 interceptions (a little foreshadowing here). 

Ehrhardt's favorite target, tight end Brian Forster, caught 100 passes for 1,357 yards and 12 TDs, while wideout Dameon Reilly had "only" 58 catches for 902 yards, but a team-high 14 TDs. 

I'm not sure if Griffin ran the run-n-shoot (this was around the time the USFL's Houston Gamblers made it a chic offense), but those numbers are quite run-n-shooty.

Tom Ehrhardt and coach Bob Griffin talk strategy.
My guess is Griffin's saying, "throw the ball early and often."

Ehrhardt's name (trounced AIR-heart) was a field day for punny headline writers, who made copious references to Rhody's "Ehr-force," "Ehr-attack" ... you get it. 

In a loaded Yankee Conference race that featured three teams in the I-AA top 20, Rhody shared the league title with Boston University (each went 4-1 in YC play) and earned a first-round bye for the 12-team NCAA tourney.

After edging Richmond 23-17 in the quarterfinals, Rhody headed to Montana State (a national power then and now) for the semifinals. The Rams led 20-18 and were deep in Bobcat territory with five minutes left in the fourth quarter. Instead of running out the clock, Ehrhardt threw ... and Montana State's Joe Roberts intercepted the ball and ran it back for a pick-six in an eventual 32-20 Bobcat win. You can see the clip — with Eddie Robinson on commentary — and read more about the game here.

Just to show that Rhody did, indeed, run the ball on occasion,
here's Richard Kelley rushing at Northeastern in 1984.

Ehrhardt and pals were back for more in 1985, and they put up even more ridiculous numbers. OK, maybe Ehrhardt didn't make "people forget about Doug Flutie," as Rhody's Renaissance yearbook breathlessly claimed, but he still threw for 4,508 yards despite missing all of one game and most of another with a hip injury. Only two Rhody QBs, not including Ehrhardt, have ever thrown for more yards in an entire CAREER. He also threw for 42 TDs (only one other Rhody QB has thrown for more in a career), highlighted by eight scores and 566 passing yards in a 56-42 win over UConn to clinch the Yankee Conference title with a 5-0 mark. (No truth to the rumor a young Mike Leach was at the game taking notes.) The only bad thing? His 27 interceptions (cue ominous music). Forster caught 128 passes for 1,819 yards and 17 TDs; against Brown, he had 18 catches for 327 yards. About 20 years earlier, that would have been considered a good season.

The late Brian Forster after hauling down one of his 128 catches in '85.

Fellow tight end Tony DiMaggio makes a catch against Maine.
He finished the season with nine TD receptions.

In the first round of the NCAA tourney, Rhody defeated Akron 35-27 behind Ehrhardt's 43 completions (still a school record) for 472 yards and five TDs. But it all came crashing down in the quarterfinals a week later as Ehrhardt threw six interceptions in a 59-15 loss to Furman.

The graduation of Ehrhardt, who still holds 15 school passing records, marked not just the end of an amazing career, but a fun era for Rhody football; the Rams went 1-10 in each of the next two seasons and have had just five winning seasons since, not counting the spring 2021 COVID season. 

New England is a region where college football often plays second fiddle to the Patriots or the high schools. But once in a while, a Doug Flutie or a Ricky Santos or a Tom Ehrhardt will come around to capture the region's imagination. It would be nice if another "Ehr-attack" arrived to get fans talking again.

Bonus No. 1: Griffin, Ehrhardt and others talk about the vintage Rams here.

Bonus No. 2: Quite possibly the most 80s sports TV intro here.