Box Score Nov. 22, 2008
Final Stats |
Photo Gallery 
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The game seemed to sum up the way the season went for the Fordham football Rams. Leading 21-14 with under two minutes remaining and apparently picking up a first down inside the Bucknell ten, the Rams were called for an illegal blocking penalty and never recovered, falling to Bucknell, 24-21, in overtime in the season finale at Christy Mathewson Stadium.
The Rams close out the season with a 5-6 overall record, 1-5 in the Patriot League.
Fordham's Xavier Martin appeared to have picked up a first down on a third down carry from the Bucknell 11, which would have given the Rams a first and goal on the three with just under two minutes remaining. But Clayton Busch was called for an illegal block, bringing the ball back to the Bucknell 26 and the Rams couldn't pick up the first down. Adam Danko then came on to attempt a 44-yard field goal but his kick went wide left.
The Bison then drove down field with C.J. Hopson finding Justin Pulgrano with a nine-yard scoring pass with four seconds left to tie the game at 21 and send it to overtime.
The Rams had the ball first in overtime and picked up nine yards on the first play from scrimmage. But Martin was tackled for a loss on the next play and John Skelton couldn't hook up with Richard Rayborn on third down which brought in Danko. But Danko's 38-yard field goal attempt hit the left upright.
Bucknell ran three straight running plays on their overtime possession, setting up a 36-yard game-winning field goal from Will Carney.
In the game, junior quarterback John Skelton set the Fordham career mark for most passing yards and tied the record for career completions. He completed 16 of 31 passes for 141 yards against Bucknell, bringing his career totals to 518 completions for 6,215 yards. He broke Kevin Eakin's all-time record of 6,112 passing yards while tying Joe Moorhead's mark for career completions.
After only recording three turnovers, all fumble recoveries, over the first seven games of the 2008 season, the Fordham defense picked up the pace over the final four games, forcing eleven turnovers over that stretch, including three in today's game, returning two of those for scores.
The Fordham defense entered the game leading the Patriot League in tackles for loss and sacks, and added to those totals with nine tackles for loss and three sacks.
The defense came up with a big play on the first play of the game as Hopson threw an errant pitch which was picked up by Fordham's Nick Magiera on the Bucknell 12 and he went untouched into the end zone for a 7-0 Fordham lead just 14 seconds into the game.
On Bucknell's next possession, the Fordham defense again came up with a takeaway on another Hopson fumble, with the ball being recovered by Adnan Van Dyck on the Fordham 46.
The offense then went to work, gaining most of the 53 yards on the ground, led by four carries by Martin for 24 yards while Skelton completed two of three passes for 12 yards, including a big third down completion to Brandon Anderson that gained seven yards. Quasand Lewis covered the final yard for the Rams, giving Fordham a 14-0 lead midway through the first quarter.
The Bison threatened on the ensuing drive, moving from their own 30 to the Fordham 16 where Hopson was tackled by Magiera for a loss of three yards on fourth down. It was the third time Bucknell went for it on fourth down in the drive.
The Rams quickly gave the ball back to the Bison as Skelton was intercepted by Travis Nissley on the Fordham 46 two plays later and Bucknell turned the turnover into seven points on a Hopson one yard rush, cutting the Fordham lead to seven, 14-7, early in the second quarter.
Later in the second, Hopson again muffed a pitch, with Ryan Darcey recovering the ball on the Bucknell 40 and returning it to the end zone for a 21-7 Fordham lead with 9:38 remaining in the half.
Fordham moved the ball on its next offensive possession, driving from its own 20 to the Bucknell 16 but a Danko 33-yard field goal into the wind hit the cross bar with 28 seconds left in the half. Martin led the offense on the drive gaining 23 yards on seven carries, while Skelton completed all four of his passes on the drive for 39 yards, three of which come on third down.
The Rams took the second half kickoff and Martin went back to work, carrying five straight times to move the ball from the Fordham 27 to the Fordham 46. The Rams would eventually get the ball down to the Bucknell 29 but a fourth down and six pass from Skelton to Jon Arnold came up a yard short of the first down.
Late in the third, the Bison pulled out a trick play, faking a punt on fourth and six from their own 24, picking up the first down. Bucknell would move the ball down to the Fordham 13, where Carney lined up for a field goal, but the Bison tried another trick play, with holder Andrew Lair attempting a pass into the end zone for Carney which fell incomplete.
On Bucknell's next possession, the Bison drove from their own 17 to the Fordham 25 where Hopson found Shaun Pasternak cutting across the middle, and Pasternak took it into the end zone to make it a seven-point game, 21-14, with 6:42 remaining.
The Rams then appeared to run out the clock, taking over on their won 28 on the kickoff, and moving down to the Bucknell 11, converting two third downs on the drive, before being hit with the penalty.
Martin led all rushers in the game with 147 yards on 36 carries while Rayborn led the Rams with three catches for 21 yards.
Defensively, Craig Stevens led the Rams for the second straight week, notching ten total tackles, seven solo, including one for loss, while Greg DeMarco added eight stops, including two sacks, and Bryson Wilson finished with eight tackles and an interception.
Notes
Martin finishes the year with six 100-yard rushing games for the Rams and brings his career total to eight...On the year, he gained 1,237 yards, the fourth best single-season total in school history...He leads the Patriot League with his 1,237 yards...Martin has 1,875 rushing yards over his first two years at Fordham...Danko's miss in the second quarter broke a streak of eight straight field goals for the senior...Skelton's interception was his first since the Yale game, a streak of 141 passes without an interception...Bucknell has now won three straight against Fordham and lead the all-time series, 16-8.
