Short Koszul modules

This article is concerned with graded modules M with linear resolutions over a standard graded algebra R. It is proved that if such an M has Hilbert series $H_M(s)$ of the form $ps^d+qs^{d+1}$, then the algebra R is Koszul; if, in addition, M has constant Betti numbers, then $H_R(s)=1+es+(e-1)s^{2}$. When $H_R(s)=1+es+rs^{2}$ with $r\leq e-1$, and R is Gorenstein or $e=r+1\le 3$, it is proved that generic R-modules with $q\leq(e-1)p$ are linear.