Sept. 4, 2009
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Game Notes
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Bronx, N.Y. - The 2009 Fordham University football Rams will kick off the 2009 season on Saturday, September 5th, as they travel to Kingston, R.I., to face the University of Rhode Island in Meade Stadium at 1:00 p.m. The game can be heard live of WFUV (90.7 FM) and on wfuv.org .
WFUV is also airing an on-line 2009 Preview Show, a program that includes interviews with head coach Tom Masella, team captain James Crockett, Robby Reis, John Skelton and Darzell Wright along with senior wide receiver Asa Lucas and junior linebacker Andre Delaire. The show will be posted Friday on the wfuv.org web site.
The Rams will be led into the game by senior quarterback John Skelton, who needs just one completion to become Fordham's all-time pass completion leader with 519. He already holds the school all-time passing yards record with 6,215 and is just two touchdown passes shy of tying Kevin Eakin's career mark of 45.
In the offensive backfield, Xavier Martin returns after leading the Patriot League with 1,237 rushing yards last fall while the Rams return all six wide receivers on the 2009 two-deep as well as both tight ends. Leading the receivers will be Lucas, who led the squad with 36 catches for 449 yards last year, along with senior Jason Caldwell (18 receptions, 298 yards), junior David Moore (18 catches, 240 yards). At tight end, Stephen Skelton is back after catching 22 balls for 236 yards last season and he will be backed up by junior Gerard Rizzo.
The offensive line will be anchored by senior captain Robby Reis at center with Jonathan Sheridan and Lloyd Morrison at guard and Andrew Tyshovnytsky and Adnan Vandyck, a converted defensive lineman, at tackle. Serving as back-ups on the offensive line will be sophomores Connor Hartigan, Cahill Hooker and Matthew Van Orden and freshmen John Hohlt and Andrew Milmore.
On the defensive side of the ball, projected starters on the line include sophomores Andy Okonkwo and Thomas Lloyd at end and nose guard, respectively, with junior Jordan Bledsoe, who moves over after playing on the offensive line the past two years, at tackle. Seniors Darzell Wright and Frank Rizzo and sophomore Patrick McGee will also see plenty of time on the defensive line on Saturday.
The linebacker position will be a position of strength for the Rams in 2009 with the return of junior Andre Delaire and senior captain James Crockett, the top two tacklers of 2008. They will be joined by junior Clifton Stuckey and sophomore Isaiah Leake while seniors Ryan Darcey and David Mendez, juniors Nick Magiera, Jay Jackson and Michael Hickman and sophomore Nick Womack also will figure into the rotation.
The defensive backfield will be guided by senior free safety Isiejah Allen and senior cornerback Kelvin Colbert along with junior safety Bryson Wilson and junior cornerback Isa Abdul El-Quddus. They will be backed up by senior Brandon Brown, juniors Ahmed Haruna and Jamal Haruna and sophomore Kevin Carter.
On special teams, sophomore Cameron Dean returns to handle the punting chores while freshman Kevin Heinowitz will serve as the placekicker.
After a week off, Fordham will open the 2009 home season on Saturday, September 19th, when the Rams host Columbia University on Jack Coffey Field in the annual Liberty Cup game at 6:00 p.m. Season tickets are now available on the Fordham Athletic Website at www.fordhamsports.com.
