Box Score PHOTO GALLERY
Sept. 13, 2008
Final Stats
Dayton, Ohio -
If there's one thing the Fordham Rams can take out of today's game with Dayton it's that you have to hold on to the ball to win. The Rams fumbled three times in Dayton territory in the second half, including once on the Flyers' two, and all three proved costly as the Rams fell to Dayton, 23-20, at Welcome Stadium. With the loss, the Rams even their record at 1-1 on the year while Dayton improves to 2-0.
Trailing 21-7 at the half, the Fordham defense held the Flyers off the scoreboard in the second half, allowing just 111 yards of total offense in the half (the two points came on a return of a blocked extra point), and set the offense up with a chance for a score in the final three minutes. Greg DeMarco forced a Dayton fumble on the Fordham 45 and the ball was recovered by Mark Meehan on the 41. After an eight-yard pass from John Skelton to Asa Lucas put the ball at midfield, the Rams couldn't pick up the first down, failing on a fourth and one play from the 50, handing the ball back to the Flyers with 1:41 left.
The defense held again for Fordham and the offense had one last chance to score, taking over on its own 31 with 32 seconds left. A John Skelton completion to Richard Rayborn moved the ball out to the Fordham 49, but that was a close as the Rams would get.
"Obviously we turned it over too many times to win," said Fordham head coach Tom Masella. "You can't leave that many points on the field against a good football team and expect to win. But we'll bounce back and get ready for next week."
The game started out on a positive note for Fordham. After the Fordham defense held Dayton to three and out on the first possession of the game, the Rams' offense drove 79 yards on 16 plays to take a quick 7-0 lead on a one-yard plunge from Skelton with 7:25 remaining in the first. The drive was kept alive when Skelton was able to gain a yard on fourth and one from the Dayton 45 and Fordham converted on two third down situations later in the drive.
The Flyers responded by driving 80 yards on 14 plays to knot the game at seven on an 11-yard pass from Rob Florian to Steve Valentino with 36 seconds left in the quarter.
The Fordham offense then went cold, going three-and-out on the next two possessions. Following Fordham's second possession, Dayton took over on the Fordham 44 following a short punt. On the first play, Valentino took a reverse 34 yards down to the ten and, three plays later, Ben Shappie took it in from the one to put the Flyers up 14-7 with 8:05 left in the half.
Late in the quarter, the Rams were driving into Dayton territory but the drive stalled on the Dayton 36. Clayton Busch came on to punt but mishandled the snap and his punt was blocked by Dayton's Scott Vossler, who returned it 45 yards for a touchdown with 43 seconds remaining in the half.
The Fordham offense started moving the ball in the second half, driving from their own 20 to the Dayton 38 on the first possession of the half, where Lucas took a feed from Skelton in the backfield and ran to the Dayton 29 where he fumbled and the ball was recovered by the Flyers.
The defense held Dayton on the ensuing possession and the Flyers lined up to punt. But the snap was low and Dayton punter Jared Phillips kicked the ball out of the end zone, giving Fordham a first and goal on the one due to the penalty. Two plays later, Skelton went over the pile for the score with 10:09 left in the third. Unfortunately, Vossler blocked Adam Danko's extra point attempt and Joe Castaneda returned it for two Dayton points as the Rams trailed 23-13 with 10:09 left in the third.
The defense again held the Flyers to three plays on the ensuring Dayton possession and the Rams took over on their own 35 following a punt. Skelton completed three of four passes for 37 yards, and the Rams benefited from a face mask penalty, which put the ball on the Dayton 13. But Skelton fumbled on the next play and the ball was recovered by the Flyers on the Dayton 17.
After another three-and-out for the Flyers, Fordham took over on its own 40 following a punt and Skelton went to work, completing four straight passes for 19 yards to put the ball on the Dayton 37. Four plays later, Skelton found David Moore with a 19-yard completion to put the ball on the Flyers' 20. After a nine-yard gain from Xavier Martin, Dayton was called for pass interference, giving the Rams the ball on the two. Skelton tried to sneak it in on the next play but he lost the ball and Dayton recovered to end the Fordham threat.
The Flyers moved the ball out to their own 39 but had to punt it back to Fordham, pinning the Rams deep in their own territory. Taking over on their own four, three Martin rushes brought the ball out to the 24 where Skelton completed passes to Lucas and Rayborn to put the ball on the Dayton 44. Skelton then picked up a first down on the ground before completing a pair of passes to Lucas for 30 yards, giving Fordham a first down on the Dayton one. Two plays later, Skelton found Bo Marchand in the back of the end zone to cut the Dayton lead to three, 23-20, with 6:33 left in the game.
Skelton completed 32 of 52 passes for 283 yards and one score for the Rams with Lucas leading all receivers on the day with 11 catches for 114 yards. David More added seven receptions for 74 yards for the Rams and Martin led all rushers with 64 yards on 15 carries.
Defensively, James Crockett led Fordham with nine total tackles, three solo, while Kelvin Colbert added eight tackles, four solo, including one for a loss and Isiejah Allen finished with six stops and two pass break ups.
The Rams will next be in action next Saturday, September 20th, as they travel into Manhattan to take on Columbia University in the annual Liberty Cup game at 12:30 p.m.
Notes
The loss breaks a five-game regular-season road winning streak for the Rams...Dayton has now defeated Fordham all four times the two team have met...The game was a bittersweet homecoming for five Rams who are Ohio natives (James Crockett, Fonzie Culver, Adam Danko, Ian Pace and Nick Womack)...The game marked the third Fordham appearance in the Buckeye state, the first since the Rams faced Dayton in 1979...The 200-yard passing game is Skelton's fourth straight, dating back to last year, and the 11th of his career...The 100-yard receiving game for Lucas is the third in the past four games, dating back to last year.
