(March 28, 2007) ?C Fordham University head football coach Tom Masella is getting the Rams ready for their annual spring practice which will commence on Friday, March 30th on Murphy Field. The Rams will practice each Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday mornings, with the exception of Easter week. The annual Spring Game will be held on Saturday, April 21st on Murphy Field. Masella won??t have as many holes to fill as he did last year, a year in which 17 true freshman saw significant playing time, including 12 who were listed on the two-deep. The second-year head coach is hoping that the experience gained by last year??s rookies combined with 18 returning starters and a talented incoming freshmen class, will help the Rams make a move towards the top of the Patriot League. On offense, Masella returns ten of eleven starters, including quarterback John Skelton and running back Larry Dortch. Last year, Skelton took over the starting job in the sixth game and he finished the year, throwing for 960 yards and six touchdowns in sevens starts while Dortch rushed for 314 yards and three touchdowns last fall, including a 127-yard performance in the season finale against Georgetown. Dortch will be joined in the backfield by senior Jonte Coven, who was third on the squad last year with 272 rushing yards. The Rams return their top four receivers from last year, led by senior Sylvester Clarke, who caught a team-high 26 passes for 408 yards and four touchdowns, along with junior Richard Rayborn, who made 13 receptions for 242 yards and two scores. The offensive line, which featured two freshman starters at times in 2006, returns all five starters, led by seniors Michael Nardone and Michael Breznicky along with junior Alex Brown and sophomore Andrew Tyshovnytsky. The defensive side of the ball will have some new faces this year as the Rams lost all three starters on the line along with All-American linebacker Marcus Taylor. Starters returning at linebacker include seniors Earl Hudnell, who was second on the squad last year with 59 total tackles, and Dominique Owens, who made 38 stops last year, and sophomore Ryan Darcey. In the defensive backfield, the Rams return eight players who started at least one game last year, including senior Sam Orah, the lone back to start all 11 games, juniors Zac Dayton and Matt Loucks, and sophomores Isiejah Allen, Kelvin Colbert, Tommy Martin and Michael Shackelford. There??s no question who will lead special teams for the 2007 Rams as senior All-American punter Benjamin Dato, who led the Patriot League and was third in the NCAA I-AA with a 44.6 punting average last fall, is back. The 2007 schedule will be a challenging one, with six home contests, including the annual Liberty Cup match-up with Columbia University and the battle for the Ram-Crusader Cup with Holy Cross, along with six Patriot League games, including a road match-up with Lafayette, three-time defending league champs.