#Fordham Wins Keep Rolling On

#Fordham Wins Keep Rolling On

Football Opens Patriot League Slate with 35‐7 Win at Lafayette Chase Edmonds runs for 234 yards, two scores

BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- One thing is for sure of the 2015 Fordham University football Rams. They are multi‐faceted.

Chase Edmonds rushed for 234 yards and two scores to lead a potent offense. The defense recorded 10 tackles for loss and five sacks in holding Lafayette to just 62 net rushing yards and the special teams unit blocked a pair of field goal attempts as the Rams opened defense of their Patriot League title with a 35‐7 win at Fisher Stadium on Saturday night.

With the win, Fordham improves to 4‐1 overall, 1‐0 in the Patriot League, while Lafayette falls to 1‐4 overall, 0‐1 in the league.

The win was the first for the Rams in Easton since 2007, snapping a streak of three straight losses to Lafayette in Fisher Stadium.

The 234 rushing yards was a career‐high for Edmonds, who notched his third career 200‐yard game, while quarterback Kevin Anderson, who threw five touchdowns passes in each of the previous two games, completed ten of 20 passes for 149 yards and two scores.

Defensively, Fordham held Lafayette to 287 yards of total offense with Stephen Hodge leading the way, recording a team‐high eight tackles, five solo, while also blocking one of the field goal attempts. Marcus Fulmore added six tackles for the Rams while also breaking up two passes while Lourenzo Smith and Noah Fitzgerald each picked off a pass for Fordham.

Things got off on the wrong foot for the Rams as Jihaad Pretlow fielded the opening kickoff and then attempted a lateral to Kendall Pearcey but the toss was short and Lafayette took over on the Fordham 10. One play later, the Leopards took a 7‐0 lead on a DeSean Brown touchdown run.

Later in the first, Lafayette moved to the Fordham 18 but a third down pass was incomplete and the Leopards lined up for a 35‐yard field goal attempt. But Hodge broke through the line and blocked the kick, which was picked up by George Dawson, who returned it to the Lafayette five.

On the next play, Kevin Anderson found Phazahn Odom for the score to knot the game at seven.

The Fordham defense buckled down, trapping the Leopards back on their own 15 with six seconds left in the first. A Lafayette punt and an illegal block call on the Rams put the ball on the Fordham 43 with no time left on the clock but the period wasn’t over as Fordham had one untimed play left. Another penalty on the Rams moved the ball back to the 33 and on the final play of the first, Edmonds took it around the right side and to the end zone for a 67‐yard rushing touchdown and a 14‐7 Fordham lead after one.

The Fordham defense gave no quarter on Lafayette’s first possession on the second quarter and the Rams took over at midfield following a punt. After Anderson hit Jonathan Lumley for a three‐yard gain, three straight Edmonds rushes picked up 31 yards, placing the ball on the Lafayette 16. Kendall Pearcey came on and covered the final 16 yards, the last five with defenders draped over him, to give Fordham a 21‐7 lead four minutes into the second quarter.

The Leopards threatened on the ensuing possession, moving to the Fordham 40 but a deep Drew Brown pass was intercepted by Smith on the Fordham five.

Lafayette also had a chance for a score on the final play of the half but JQ Bowers blocked a 34‐yard field goal attempt as the Rams took a 21‐7 lead into the break.

The Fordham defense held Lafayette to a three and out on the first possession of the second half and the Rams made quick work on offense as Anderson found a wide open Cory Caddle with a 71‐yard touchdown pass to put Fordham up 28‐7 early in the third quarter.

Later in the third, Anderson moved the Rams from their own 45 to the Lafayette one where Edmonds scored his second rushing touchdown of the game.

The Leopards had a scoring opportunity early in the fourth but a Lafayette pass from inside the Fordham ten into the end zone was tipped and intercepted by Noah Fitzgerald for the Rams.

Caddle, Odom, Austin Longi, Jonathan Lumley and Jordan Allen each had a pair of catches for the Rams.

Fordham returns to action next Saturday, October 10, as the Rams travel to Philadelphia, Pa., to face the University of Pennsylvania Quakers on Franklin Field at 1:00 p.m.

Edmonds’ 234 rushing yards brings his career total to 2,492, moving him into sixth place on the Fordham career rushing list while his two touchdown runs give him 30 all‐time, moving him into third on the career rushing touchdown list, just one behind Rick Hollawell for second.

Edmonds’ previous career rushing high was 231 yards, set against Rhode Island last year. Fordham controlled the ball for almost eleven minutes in the final quarter (10:57).

The Rams were a perfect 3‐for‐3 in the red zone with all three scores being touchdowns while Lafayette was only 1‐for‐ 5.

Fordham now leads the Patriot League with seven interceptions and 14 sacks on the year. The Rams are also a league‐ best +4 in turnover margin.

Fordham is now 12‐1 against Patriot League opponents over the past three years (the Rams were a perfect 6‐0 last fall and 5‐1 in 2013, though the games in 2013 did not count in the league standings).

The Rams have now won 33 games since 2012, the most wins for any New York City area football team. The win was only Fordham’s sixth at Lafayette in 20 tries.

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