The fifth-ranked team in the Football Championship Division will be on the field Saturday at Meade Stadium, and the heroes of 1984 will take another bow at halftime. Is there a better reason to catch the University of Rhode Island football?

Why, yes! It’s Family Weekend, and Halloween, and kids in costume get in free.

URI (1-6, 0-4) will play No. 5 William & Mary (6-1, 3-1) at 1 p.m. The Rams have lost six in a row and could use a boost in confidence because their next two games are at No. 8 New Hampshire and at Maine.

Last week the Rams lost at No. 4 Villanova, 36-7, in the rain.

William & Mary is off to its best start in a decade. Among its victories is a 26-14 decision over Virginia. The Tribe’s only loss was to Villanova, which was ranked No. 2 at the time. It rebounded with victories over Northeastern and James Madison.

W&M leads the Colonial Athletic Association in total offense (386.3) and total defense (255.3). Running back Jonathan Grimes is averaging 91.6 yards per game, the best in the league. Quarterback R.J. Archer is fourth in passing average (206.9). On defense, All-America lineman Adrian Tracy has 7 sacks, tied for first, and 11 tackles for a loss, second in the CAA.

The 1984 Rams, perhaps the best team in school history, finished 10-3, won the Yankee Conference championship and reached the semifinals of the NCAA I-AA Tournament, losing at Montana State. That team featured All-America quarterback Tom Ehrhardt, All-America tight end Brian Forster plus six All-New England and 12 All-Yankee Conference performers. Bob Griffin, a special assistant and tight ends coach now, was the head coach then.

The 1984 and 1985 (also 10-3) teams were inducted into the URI Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.

Bryant at Monmouth

Bryant University (3-4, 2-2 Northeast Conference) will try to snap a three-game losing streak at Monmouth University (3-4. 2-2 NEC). This is the first time since the end of the 2003 season and the first time under head coach Marty Fine that Bryant has lost three consecutive games. The Bulldogs have fallen to Fordham (35-7), Albany (20-17) and Central Connecticut (24-23).

Monmouth defeated Bryant, 30-17, a year ago.

Western New England at Salve Regina

Salve Regina (4-4, 3-2 New England Football Conference) and Western New England (4-4, 3-2 NEFC) will break a three-way tied for third place in the NEFC Boyd Division when they clash Saturday at Gaudet Field in Middletown. Nichols, also 4-4, 3-2, will play host to first-place Curry, 6-2, 5-0.

The SRU-WNEC game will feature the NEFC offensive players of the week. Salve Regina quarterback Jeff St. Onge passed for 170 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 61 yards and two TDs in the Seahawks’ 28-17 victory at MIT. WNEC quarterback Justin Walz passed for 201 yards and two TDs and ran for 50 yards and two scores in a 26-21 triumph over Endicott.

Endicott at UMass Dartmouth

UMass Dartmouth (0-8, 0-5 NEFC) will play its home finale at Cressy Field Saturday at noon against Endicott (3-5, 1-4 NEFC). The Corsairs will finish the season Nov. 7 at Curry.

mszostak@projo.com