Patriot League Release | CFPA Release | College Sports Madness Release
 
Bronx, N.Y. (October 21, 2013) - Fordham University junior wide receiver Sam Ajala and junior placekicker Michael Marando were honored by the Patriot League today being named Offensive and Special Teams Player of the Week, respectively, for their performances in the Rams' win at Yale on Saturday. Additionally, Ajala was named College Sports Madness national offensive player of the week and College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) national wide receiver performer of the week, junior linebacker Stephen Hodge was named national defensive performer and national linebacker performer of the week and junior quarterback Mike Nebrich was named honorable mention quarterback performer of the week by the CFPA.
 
In a 53-32 win over Yale University in the Yale Bowl on Saturday, Ajala caught ten passes for 282 yards and four touchdowns. He shattered the Fordham single game receiving yards record of 246 yards, set by Javarus Dudley in 2003, and tied the school mark for most receiving touchdowns in a game set by Dudley in 2003 and matched by Jason Caldwell in 2009.
 
Ajala's 282 receiving yards is the most for a player in the NCAA FCS this fall (fourth best among all NCAA Division I players) and brings his season total to 951, second best among all NCAA FCS receivers. He is second in the Patriot League, and third in the NCAA FCS, in receiving yards per game (118.9) and third in the league and 17^th in the NCAA FCS in receptions per game (6.5).
 
Marando connected on a 43-yard field goal at Yale, his third 40-yard field goal of the year, and converted all seven of his PATs to account for ten points for the Rams. He also averaged 56.1 yards per kickoff for the game in earning his second Patriot League Special Teams Player of the Week honor of 2013.
 
Nebrich completed 19 of 26 passes for a career-high 421 yards and four touchdowns and also rushed for another score (seven yards). The 400-yard passing game is just the tenth in Fordham history and the second straight for Nebrich who joins John Skelton (4), Ryan Higgins (2), Gary Brennan (1) and current head coach Joe Moorhead (1) in recording 400-yard games as a Ram. The 421 passing yards was just six yards shy of Skelton's single-game passing yardage record set against Holy Cross in 2009.
 
Nebrich, who leads the NCAA FCS in completion percentage (.741) and is eighth in completions per game (26.1), has completed 209 of 282 passes for 2,587 yards and 21 touchdowns this fall while also gaining 403 yards on 111 carries with six scores. He is second in the NCAA FCS in total offense per game (373.8), third in passing touchdowns, fourth in passing efficiency (173.6) and sixth in passing yards/game (323.4).
 
The 421 passing yards brings Nebrich's season total to 2,587, the ninth best single season in school history while his 21 touchdowns passes is fifth best and his 209 completions so far is ninth best.
 
 
For the second consecutive week, Hodge matched his career-high with 14 tackles in the win at Yale, 13 solo, including five for loss. He also had two forced fumbles as the Rams forced four Yale turnovers in the game.
 
On the year, Hodge leads the Rams with 75 total tackles, 56 solo, including four sacks and a team-high ten for loss. He also has three pass breakups, two quarterback hurries and has three fumbles and recovered one. Hodge leads the NCAA FCS in solo tackles/game (7.0) and is second in the league and 47^th in the NCAA FCS in tackles/game (9.3)
 
After a bye week, the Rams return to action on Saturday, November 2, as they host the Holy Cross Crusaders on Jack Coffey Field at 1:00 p.m. in the annual Ram-Crusader Cup game between the two Patriot League Jesuit schools.