CAA's Best Matchup Yet: Why to Watch No. 8 Rhode Island Football vs. Elon

CAA's best matchup of 2026 is Live on FloCollege, and you're not going to want to miss it. Here's why.

Sep 11, 2026 by Ava Curry

Replay: Rhode Island vs Elon | Nov 8 @ 2 PM3:03:29

The CAA has already provided some really good matchups this season, but none will compare to the Elon vs. Rhode Island on Saturday, September 12th at 12:00 PM ET.

Winner Could Decide CAA Champion

In only the second week of the season, this game could decide who wins the 2026 CAA Conference. With Rhode Island's winning history and Elon's winning mindset for 2026, this could make or break either team's season.

This game will be each team's first CAA matchup of the season. They will go on to play other CAA teams in the following weeks, but this will be the perfect preview for the CAA season.

Elon Has Hot Start To 2026 Season

In the first two weeks of the season, Elon has dominated both of its games, beating its opponents by at least 35 points. In Week 0, they faced Glenville State, racking up 42 points to Glenville's 7. The Phoenix's defense showed out in the Week 1 game, not allowing a single point to Davidson, while they earned 38 for themselves.

One Loss Is Not Defining Rhode Island

Rhode Island's current record for 2026 stands at 1-1. They won their first game with a massive win over Merrimack 34-7. But in Week 1, they took on Temple. While they might not win their conference every year or make it to the FBS playoffs, they are still a competitive school that gave Rhode Island a run for it's money.

However, Rhode Island was still able to hold its own and put points on the board. They took their first loss of the season with 14 points to Temple's 38.

So their 1-1 record still holds promise for the Rams.

Polls Predicting Promise

The CAA preseason poll predicted Rhode Island #1 by a landslide, but Elon was never out of the conversation. Elon was ranked No. 3 to URI's No. 1. But the season is shaping up for these two teams fighting for spots 1 and 2.

They were recognized at the top of their conference, and their 2025 efforts did not go unnoticed in the FCS preseason poll. Rhode Island was ranked 8th, and Elon received votes.

After Week 0 play, Rhode Island rose to #6 in the Stats Performance FCS Poll, while Elon remained in the receiving votes category.

After two full weeks of play, Rhode Island remains in the top 25, moving down to #13 in the AFCA Coaches Poll, while Elon holds it down in the RV category. This game will shake up the poll and can move a lot around in terms of rankings.

Elon Players to Watch

Elon placed six athletes on the CAA preseason honors list, but even more have shown promise for an epic season ahead.

Brodie Carroll (LB) - Earned 7 tackles in a single game with 1 sack.
Brady Stober (QB) - Begins his sophomore year as starting quarterback with a 61.5% completion rate in the season opener.
Jimmyll Williams (RB) - Starting his senior year with 77 rushing yards and 98 over 2 games, alongside 2 rushing touchdowns.

Rhode Island Players to Watch

Rhode Island had seven players receive CAA preseason honors, as well as quarterback Devin Farrell being named the preseason offensive player of the year. With an injured Farrell, there are big shoes to fill.

Tyler Budge (QB) - Steps up for Farrell in his third year with 332 passing yards over 2 games.
Moses Meus (LB) - Earned a 49-yard pick-six and 5 solo tackles.
Rohan Davy (LB) - Had 9 tackles in the season opener, with 6 being solo.
Marquis Buchanan ( ) - Earned 137 receiving yards in a single game, totaling 209 yards with two touchdowns in the season.

When Is Elon vs. Rhode Island Football?

Elon and No. 13 Rhode Island play at noon ET on Saturday, Sept. 12 at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

How To Watch Elon vs. Rhode Island Football

Elon vs. Rhode Island will stream live on FloCollege and the FloSports app.

Archived Footage On FloCollege

Video footage from all games will be archived and stored in a video library for FloCollege subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.

Watch The 2026 College Football Season On FloCollege

FloCollege is the home of the best FCS, Division II and Division III football action all season long.

Don’t miss the latest college football action by bookmarking the FloCollege schedule page for the latest games.

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