Quarterback Chris Paul-Etienne is fine and will direct the University of Rhode Island offense at No. 17 Massachusetts on Saturday. He strained ligaments in his left elbow and missed most of the second half of the season-opening 41-28 victory over Fordham.

"He's good. He had a good week of practice," coach Joe Trainer said.

Paul-Etienne took three days off at the beginning of URI's bye and has practiced with a brace on his elbow since returning to the field late last week. The brace is a ribbed sleeve that restricts mobility in the joint.

Paul-Etienne passed for 164 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 81 yards and a touchdown in his first start since high school, four years ago in Miami.

"We have to do a good job protecting him, and he has to spread the ball around," Trainer said.

URI (1-0) will face a stiff challenge in the Colonial Athletic Association opener at UMass (1-1). While the Rams were beating Fordham, the Minutemen were hanging tough at Kansas State before losing, 21-17. They returned home last week and pounded Albany, 44-7.

The 2009 Minutemen have a different look from the teams of the last few years. Head coach Don Brown is the defensive coordinator at the University of Maryland, and record-breaking All-America quarterback Liam Coen is gone. Kevin Morris, the UMass offensive coordinator for five years, is the new coach, and Kyle Havens, a transfer from Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, Calif., is the new QB. Havens passed for 386 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions in his two starts.

"Their quarterback made great progress from Week 1 to Week 2. He's putting the ball in the hands of playmakers and taking what the defense gives him," Trainer said. "They're asking him to manage the game, not win the game."

All-Conference tailback Tony Nelson leads the UMass ground game with 184 rushing yards and a touchdown. He rushed for 107 yards on 19 carries at Kansas State. A year ago, he ran for 1,325 yards and 12 touchdowns.

"He's the best running back in the Northern Division," Trainer said.

Trainer would like to see his defense stop UMass on first down and force the Minutemen into seconds and thirds and long.

"If they're on schedule on first and 10, it's going to be a long day," he said.

Cornerback Evan Shields will miss the game because of meniscus injury.

Linebacker Tyler Holmes leads the UMass defense with 20 tackles and two interceptions. All-Conference defensive back Jeromy Miles has 15 tackles, an interception, a forced fumble and two pass break-ups.

"If there's a better defensive player than Miles, I haven't seen him," Trainer said.

The Rhody coach has not dwelled on the last game between these teams. UMass came to Kingston for Coen's last collegiate game in his home state and routed URI, 49-0.

"It was as embarrassing a loss as I've ever been associated with," Trainer said.

But he has not talked of payback or revenge. Football is a game of execution, not emotion, he said.

"If we're going to compete with UMass, it's because we execute, not because we're all geeked up," he said.

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If Salve Regina coach Chris Robertson had one word to preach this week, it would have been "finish." His Seahawks failed to finish the first two games of the season, which is why they will take an 0-2 record to Bridgewater State on Saturday.

The Seahawks allowed 270 yards and 34 points in the fourth quarter of losses to WPI and Hartwick. Hartwick scored 21 points in the fourth and won by a point.

"Without question, I think we were the better team in terms of talent, athleticism, size and speed. We were not the better team in terms of taking advantage of opportunities," Robertson said on the school's web site.

"There were a lot of opportunities for us to make a play, whether it was on a punt, kick or defense, and there were times we could have sealed the deal," he said.

Bridgewater State is 2-0 after routing UMass Dartmouth, 42-6, last week. The Bears had three big-play touchdowns: runs of 44 and 53 yards and a 45-yard run with a fumble recovery. They rushed for 317 yards.

This is a New England Football Conference game, but the result will not count in the division standings. Division play will start next week. Salve Regina is in the Boyd, Bridgewater State in the Bogan.

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UMass Dartmouth (0-2) is taking its search for offense and defense on the road to Fitchburg State (1-1). The Corsairs were outscored, 77-12, in their first two games at home. They lost their opener to Alfred, 35-6.

"Maybe a change of scenery and a change of routine will be good for us," coach Mark Robichaud said.

UMD started the season with 47 new players, so the lopsided early scores are somewhat understandable. But if this season is to have some reward, it could start this week. Fitchburg lost to Springfield, the perennial New England Division III power, 55-7, in its opener and bounced back and defeated Anna Maria, 48-12, in Anna Maria's second game ever.

mszostak@projo.com