Football Falls to #12 Eastern Washington

Bronx, N.Y. – The Fordham University football squad got some bad news before the Rams kicked off today's game with 12th-ranked Eastern Washington University when they found out they would be without the services of All-American running back Chase Edmonds. The day didn't get much better from that point as the Eagles' defense stymied the Rams on Jack Coffey Field.
 
With the loss, Fordham falls to 1-2 on the year and sees an eleven-game home winning streak snapped, while Eastern Washington improves to 1-2.
 
The Rams couldn't establish a ground game, being held to 26 net yards while graduate student quarterback Kevin Anderson completed 17 of 28 passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns.
 
After Fordham tied the game at seven on a five-yard scoring strike from Anderson to Corey Caddle, the first of two touchdown passes the two would connect on, with 13 seconds left in the first, Eastern Washington scored 14 second quarter points and then opened the third quarter with two more scores to take a 35-7 lead.
 
A D'Angelo Palladino two-yard scoring run midway through the third cut the Fordham deficit to 21, 35-14, but the Eagles scored 1:19 later to make it a 41-21 game and the closest the Rams would get would be 42-21 on a 16-yard pass from Anderson to Caddle early in the fourth. Fordham had a chance to make it a 14-point game as Jesse Bramble recovered an Eagles' fumble at midfield on the ensuing possession but the Rams couldn't convert the miscue into points.
 
Takeaways
The last home loss for the Rams was to Villanova on September 12, 2015.
 
The game was Fordham's first against a team from the Big Sky conference and the first time the Rams played an opponent from west of the Mississippi River since they hosted the University of San Francisco at Triboro Stadium in 1951.
 

Anderson's 191 passing yards brings his career total to 6,596, third best all-time at Fordham, while his two touchdown passes brings his career total to 64, also third best at Fordham (two behind Mike Nebrich for second and five away from John Skelton's school record).
 
Edmonds, who missed his first ever Fordham game, wasn't the lone Ram sidelined today as senior offensive lineman Ben Hartman missed his first game since 2014 and junior wide out Austin Longi missed his second straight game.

Senior linebacker Niko Thorpe saw his first action of the year today. He switched to uniform number 21 to honor Jarred Brevard, who suffered a season-ending injury last week.
 
The Rams fell despite forcing five Eastern Washington turnovers (three interceptions and two fumble recoveries).
 
Sophomore wide receiver Jonah Isaac recorded his first collegiate reception in the game.
 
By the Numbers
2- Interceptions by Antonio Jackson, the third time over the past two years that the Rams had a player intercept two passes in a game (George Dawson vs. Elizabeth City State and Caleb Ham vs. Georgetown each did it last year). He now has four career interceptions.
 
3 – Interceptions by the Rams (two from Jackson and one by Deondre Carter).
 
11 – Punts by Fordham in the game, two shy of the school record.
 
14 – Tackles by Glenn Cunningham, ten solo, a team-high for the Rams.
 
119 – Receiving yards for Jonathan Lumley, a career-high, on eight receptions (which tied his career-best set at Army West Point).
 
191 – Number of all-purpose yards by Caddle (50 receiving, 141 kickoff returns).
 
What's Next?
Fordham will go back on the road, traveling to Smithfield, R.I., to face the Bryant University Bulldogs on Saturday, September 23, at 1:00 p.m.
 
It will be the third meeting between Fordham and Bryant with each team winning once in the all-time series.