McClelland scores 2 touchdowns and Rhode Island beats Merrimack 34-7 in season opener

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. -- — Alex McClelland scored on a pair of short runs and Tyler Budge threw for another in his Rhode Island debut as the Rams defeated Merrimack 34-7 on Friday night in a season opener. Rhode Island came in ranked No. 7 in Stats Perform poll. McClelland scored from 5 and 4 yards to cap a pair of long drives for a 21-7 halftime lead. Those came after Budge, a transfer from Georgia Southern, threw a 16-yard TD pass to Marquis Buchanan less than two minutes into the game after the Warriors muffed a punt at their 18. McClelland had only five carries last season with one TD. Budge started in place of Devin Farrell, who is still recovering from offseason surgery. Merrimack's lone score came on Matthias Latham's 2-yard TD run. Budge threw for 128 yards and ran for 51. Buchanan caught six passes for 72 yards. A.J. Hairston threw for 145 yards with an interception for the Warriors. ------ Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here, visit the Top 25 here and see AP’s full college football coverage here