Aug. 18, 2007

Bronx, N.Y. - Though there was no prize on the line as there was for the first scrimmage, the Fordham University football Rams played like it as the Maroon team upended the White, 29-6, on Jack Coffey Field Saturday afternoon. Sophomore quarterback John Skelton completed 12 of 21 passes for 127 yards and one touchdown and freshman running back Xavier Martin rushed 13 times for 75 yards and one score to lead the Maroon squad.

"I think we worked hard today and it was a good scrimmage," said Fordham head coach Tom Masella. "John Skelton threw the ball well but we still have work to do. We have to become more consistent on both sides of the ball and cut down on our mistakes as we start to get ready for the Rhode Island game."

The Maroon offense got the first possession and Skelton moved them from their own 18 to the 38 before throwing an incomplete pass on third and two.

Following the punt, Craig Stevens and David Mendez recorded back-to-back tackles for a loss for the Maroon defense as the White offense lost seven yards on three plays before kicking the ball back to the Maroon.

Taking over on its own 35, Martin gained nine yards for the Maroon on the first play from scrimmage and eventually moved the ball out to the 45 where Skelton hooked up with Jason Caldwell on a 27-yard pass play, putting the ball on the White 28. After Martin gained four yards on the ground, Skelton was sacked back to the White 33 and the Maroon decided to punt.

Ben Dato's punt landed at the White four where it was downed by Isa Abdul-Quddas, trapping the White squad deep in its own end. The Maroon defense stepped up again, with Ryan Kleve recording a tackle for a loss back to the White three on the first play before freshman quarterback Clayton Busch was able to gain five yards on a keeper. But on third down, Busch was sacked in the endzone by Kleve for a safety and a 2-0 Maroon lead.

Following the free kick, the Maroon offense took over on its own 35 and moved the ball to the 44 where the drive stalled. Dato came on to punt, but the ball was snapped to the up-back, Bo Marchand, who took in down the right side for a 32-yard gain, giving the Maroon a first down on the White 24. Martin then burst up the middle for a 16-yard pick up to put the ball on the eight before carrying it down to the one on the next play. Two plays later, Martin exploded through the line from the one for a 9-0 Maroon lead.

On the ensuing possession, the Maroon defense again stifled the White offense with Brian Tracz coming up with a second down sack and T.J. Jordan throwing an incomplete pass on third down.

After a 31-yard Dato punt that was almost blocked, the Maroon took over on its own 32 and Jordan immediately connected with Caldwell on a short pass with Caldwell breaking a tackle and turning it into a 32-yard gain. One play later, Martin ripped off a 19-yard rush to put the ball on the 23 where Jordan found a wide open Richard Rayborn over the middle for a touchdown, putting the Maroon up 16-0.

The White offense again couldn't move the ball against the Maroon defense, losing five yards on three plays including a Michael Hickman sack of Busch that lost four yards and the White punted the ball back to the Maroon.

The White defense allowed just one first down on the ensuing possession and the White offense took over on its own 19 following a punt. But the White offense was again stymied by the Maroon defense and Dato came on to punt from the White 18. Jeff Van Note broke through the line and blocked Dato's punt, which was recovered by Frank Rizzo and returned 15 yards for a touchdown to put the Maroon up 23-0.

The White got the on board on its next possession, taking over on its own 35 after the kickoff and moving to the Maroon 30 where Adam Danko came on to boot a 47-yard field goal and cut the White deficit to 23-3.

With 50 seconds left in the half, the Maroon took over on its own 41 following a punt and Skelton led the team to pay dirt, completing all three of his passes, including a seven-yard scoring strike to Sylvester on the last play of the half to give the Maroon a 29-3 halftime lead.

The White offense, buoyed by the addition of Martin, had a little better luck in the second half, taking the opening kickoff and driving from its own 35 to the Maroon five where the drive stalled and Danko kicked a 24-yard field goal to cut the White lead to 29-6. After a seven-yard pass on the first play of the drive, Martin carried the ball for four straight plays, gaining 22 yards, before Jordan found Stephen Skelton down the right side for a 35-yard pick up, placing the ball on the Maroon nine. But after Martin gained four yards on the next play, Jordan threw two incomplete passes and Danko connected for the three points.

Late in the game, the two teams traded interceptions, with William Quan picking off a Busch pass on the Maroon 35 for the Maroon team and, two plays later, Isiejah Allen intercepting a Jordan pass for the White squad on the Maroon 35.

Fordham Football Scrimmage August 18, 2007 - Jack Coffey Field

Rushing (Att.-Yds): Maroon: Xavier Martin 13-75, John Skelton 3-13, David Moore 1-10, T.J. Jordan 2-6, Quasand Lewis 1-5. White: Martin 7-43, Clayton Busch 6-15.

Passing (Att.-Comp.-Yds.-Int.-TD): Maroon: John Skelton 21-12-127-0-1, T.J. Jordan 7-4-64-1-1. White: T.J. Jordan 11-2-42-0-0, Clayton Busch 18-8-46-1-0.

Receiving (Recpt.-Yds): Maroon: Sylvester Clarke 6-30, David Moore 3-38, Cody Kritzer 3-29, Jason Caldwell 2-59, Richard Rayborn 1-23, Xavier Martin 1-12. White: Jeff Van Note 3-25, Stephen Skelton 2-42, 15 3-14, Nnamdi Onyeabor 1-5.

Interceptions: Maroon: William Quan 1 White: Isiejah Allen 1.

Tackles (Solo-Asst.-TFL-Sacks-PBU): Maroon: Jeff Fuller 5-0-0-0-0, Ryan Kleve 3-2-2-1-0, James Crockett 2-3-1-0-0, David Mendez 3-1-1-0-0, Michael Hickman 1-3-2-1-0, Craig Stevens 3-0-2-0-0, Brandon Brown 2-0-0-0-0, Bryson Wilson 2-0-0-0-0, Brian Tracz 1-1-1-1-0, Frank Rizzo 1-1-1-0-0, Tommy Martin 1-0-0-0-1, William Quan 1-0-0-0-1, Jay Jackson 0-1-1-0-0. White: Matt Loucks 4-1-0-0-0, Dominique Owens 4-1-0-0-0, Isiejah Allen 3-0-0-0-1, Asil Mulbah 2-1-0-0-0, Andre Delaire 1-2-0-0-0, Ahmed Haruna 2-0-0-0-0, Isa Abdul-Quddas 2-0-0-1-0, Samuel Pitts 2-0-0-0-0, Fonzie Culver 1-1-1-0-0, Earl Hudnell 1-0-0-0-0, Sam Orah 1-0-0-0-0, Greg DeMarco 1-0-0-0-0, Jamal Haruna 0-1-0-0-0.