Box Score Oct. 18, 2008
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Bronx, N.Y. -
The Fordham University football squad ran 92 plays on offense in their game with Yale on Saturday. But it was the 92nd play that proved to be the biggest, as Adam Danko connected on a 20-yard field goal with 14 seconds remaining to lift the Rams to a 12-10 win over Yale on Jack Coffey Field in front of a Family Weekend crowd of 6,873.
With the win, Fordham's first over the Bulldogs, the Rams even their record at 3-3 on the year, while Yale falls to 3-2.
The Rams took over on their own 14 following a Yale punt with 4:40 left and John Skelton drove them down to the Yale goal line, completing four of five passes on the drive while also picking up a first down on the ground.
After Skelton failed to connect with his brother Stephen on the first play of the drive, he found Richard Rayborn with a big 30-yard completion to bring the ball out to the Fordham 44. Skelton then picked up a first down on the ground, gaining 12 yards on the carry, moving the ball into Bulldog territory. After an Xavier Martin rush gained two yards, Skelton again found Rayborn for a 12-yard pick-up, placing the ball on the Yale 30. A 12-yard pass to James Caldwell moved the ball to the Bulldog's 18, and two Martin rushes netted six yards as the Rams faced a third down and four from the 12. Skelton found Rayborn in the right flats with a third down pass and Rayborn brought it down to the four. The Rams couldn't punch it in on three plays, eventually getting the ball to the one where Danko connected on the game-winner.
"You always dream of kicking a game-winning field goal," said Danko who booted the first game-winner of his football career. "But this game had little to do with what I did today. It was what the team did. Connor Hartigan had a good snap, Clayton Busch put down a good hold and the line did a great job blocking."
It would have been a tough loss for the Rams, who dominated the line of scrimmage, gaining 435 yards of total offense to 182 for the Bulldogs. The Fordham defense held Yale's Mike McLeod, who entered the game ranked second in the Ivy League in rushing (100.2yards/game), to just 65 yards and the Rams sacked Yale quarterback Ryan Fodor four times.
It was a team win for the Rams, who excelled on offense, defense and special teams, with the second Fordham score (a safety) set up by a punt that was downed on the Yale two.
"I'm proud of the way the team played today and how they hung in there despite some adversity," said head coach Tom Masella. "I didn't see one player take a play off today and that's important. When we do that we're a pretty good football team."
The Bulldogs got on the board first, taking over on their own 39 following a punt and moving down to the Fordham eight where they had a first and goal. After a short pass and a one-yard rush, Fodor threw an incomplete pass on third down from the five and Tom Mante came on to kick a 22-yard field goal to put Yale up, 3-0, with 6:58 left in the first.
Fordham came right back, starting the ensuing drive in good field position after a 39-yard kickoff return by Kennith Thompson placed the ball on the Yale 45. Two plays later, the Rams faced a third and four from the 39 when Skelton found Asa Lucas over the middle for a six-yard gain.
Later in the drive Fordham faced a third and ten from the Yale 20 when Skelton connected with Caldwell, who made a leaping catch in the end zone, to put the Rams up 7-3, with 3:52 remaining in the quarter.
The Rams threatened on their next possession, moving from their own 22 to the Yale 25 where Skelton was hit in the backfield and fumbled, and the ball was recovered by Yale's Tom McCarthy on the 28.
Yale tried to take advantage of the turnover, taking the ball to the Fordham 40 but on fourth down and three, McLeod was stopped for a loss of two yards by Greg DeMarco, giving the ball back to Fordham.
The Fordham offense used the momentum gained from the defensive stop, driving to the Yale three where the Rams faced a fourth and goal. Having already converted on fourth down play on the drive, the Rams went for it with Clayton Bush throwing a pass into the end zone which was intercepted by Yale's Paul Rice to end the threat.
The Rams took the second half kickoff and moved down field behind Skelton and Martin. Skelton completed five of seven passes on the drive, the big one a 20-yard completion to Rayborn on third and 20 from the Fordham 23. But on first and goal from the four, Quasand Lewis fumbled and the ball was recovered by Bobby Abare of Yale who returned it 86 yards for a touchdown and a 10-7 Bulldog lead with 8:10 left in the third.
On Fordham's next offensive possession, Steven Santoro intercepted a Skelton pass on the Yale 12 and returned it to the Yale 48 where the Bulldogs proceeded to drive to the Fordham 15. But on first down from the 15, Fodor fumbled when he was sacked on the 18 by James Crockett, with Ryan Mehra recovering the ball for the Rams early in the fourth quarter.
Fordham couldn't take advantage of the turnover, getting the ball to the Yale 43 where Cameron Dean came on and downed a punt on the Yale two. On the first play from scrimmage, Crockett tackled McLeod in the end zone for a Fordham safety, making it a 10-9 game with 10:16 left in the game.
Skelton completed 31 of 45 passes for 291 yards and the one touchdown with Rayborn grabbing a career-high nine passes for a career-best 120 yards and Lucas finishing with six catches for 58 yards. Martin led all rushers with 109 yards on 28 carries.
Defensively, Andre Delaire led the Rams with eight total tackles, five solo, including a sack, while Mehra added five solos stops, including two for loss, one sack and a fumble recovery. Crockett also made five tackles for the Rams, including one for loss, and he forced a fumble, while DeMarco recorded a pair of sacks.
The Rams will next be in action next Saturday, October 25th, as they host Lafayette College in a Patriot League game on Jack Coffey Field at 1:00 p.m.
Notes
The win was Fordham's first over Yale in five tries...The Rams have now won their past three games against Ivy League opponents...Rayborn's previous career high for receptions was seven, set against Lehigh last year, while his previous career-high in receiving yards was 79, set in the NCAA FCS playoff game at UMass last year...The 100-yard rushing game is Martin's fourth of the year and sixth in his career...Skelton's 200-yard passing day is his sixth of the season and the 15th of his career... The touchdown pass for Skelton brings his career total to 35, placing him second on the Fordham career list, ten behind Kevin Eakin who threw 45 touchdown passes from 2000-03.
