Football Runs Over Lehigh, 48-27

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Bethlehem, Pa. (October 25, 2014) – Fordham head coach Joe Moorhead expects perfection from his offensive unit and the Rams were just about perfect today, scoring on its first seven possessions and eight of nine in the game, as Fordham used a strong running game to defeat Lehigh, 48-27, in a Patriot League game in Goodman Stadium. It was the first ever win for the Rams at Lehigh in 14 tries.
 
With the win, #12 Fordham improves to 7-1 overall, 3-0 in the Patriot League, while Lehigh falls to 1-6 overall, 0-2 in the conference.
 
Fordham gained a season-high 296 rushing yards in the game, led by freshman running back Chase Edmonds, who carried 32 times for 197 yards and five touchdowns, tying Kirwin Watson's school record for rushing touchdown in a game. Edmonds was joined by sophomore running back Kendall Pearcey, who recorded his first career 100-yard game with 103 yards on just seven carries. It was the first time the Rams had two 100-yard rushers in a game since Xavier Martin (187) and Darryl Whiting (101) did it against Old Dominion in 2009.
 

Edmonds' 197 yards is his sixth straight 100-yard game this year and brings his season total to 1,208 yards with 16 touchdowns. He is 388 yards and four touchdowns shy of tying the Fordham single season rushing yards and rushing touchdowns records.
 
The Fordham offense was well balanced today as senior quarterback Mike Nebrich completed 20 of 27 passes for 292 yards and one touchdown with senior tight end Dan Light catching six passes for 91 yards and a score and Brian Wetzel hauling in six passes for 80 yards.
 
The Fordham offense scored more than 40 points and amassed more than 500 yards of offense for the seventh time in eight games this year, converting ten of 16 third downs and was a perfect two-for-two on fourth downs.
 
The Rams took the opening kickoff and moved 65 yards on 12 plays with Edmonds scoring from the one to give Fordham a 7-0 lead 4:20 into the game.
 
After the Fordham defense held Lehigh to a three-and-out, the Rams took over on their own 22 and Nebrich and Edmonds marched the Rams downfield with Edmonds taking it in from six yards out for a 14-0 Fordham lead with 2:46 left in the first. The drive was kept alive by a fourth-and-six completion from Nebrich to Pearcey from the Lehigh 32 that gained 14 yards.
 
The Rams took over on their own 17 after the defense forced another Mountain Hawk three-and-out but the drive almost stalled on the Lehigh 41 early in the second half. But Nebrich found Wetzel with a short pass on third and 16 that Wetzel turned into a 32-yard gain. Two plays later, Edmonds scored his third touchdown of the day, this one from the five, to put the Rams up 21-0, 2:32 into the second quarter.
 
Lehigh answered with a 24-yard scoring pass to make it a 21-7 game but the Rams came right back with Nebrich hitting Light in the flats and Light taking it 51 yards for a touchdown and a 28-7 Fordham lead with 4:52 left in the half. The drive was kept alive on the previous play where Pearcey gained five yards on a fourth-and-one call from the Fordham 44.
 
After another Mountain Hawk touchdown, Fordham took over with just over two minutes remaining on its own 19. On the second play from scrimmage, Pearcey broke through the line and raced down the right sideline for a 57-yard gain to put the ball on the Lehigh 16. Three plays later, Edmonds scored from the one as the Rams took a 35-14 halftime lead.
 
Lehigh went three-and-out on the first possession of the second half and the Rams appeared as if they would too but Nebrich connected with Tebucky Jones, Jr. on third-and-eleven for a 17-yard gain. Edmonds covered the final 38 yards of the drive on the next play for his fifth score of the game and a 42-14 Fordham lead 4:01 into the third quarter.
 

Fordham's next possession stalled on the Lehigh 25 where Michael Marando came on to kick a 42-yard field goal to make it a 45-14 game with 4:45 remaining in the third.
 
The Mountain Hawks used two Fordham unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on the next drive to score and used that momentum on the defensive side as the Rams punted for the only time on the afternoon after being held to a three-and-out. The Mountain Hawks scored on the ensuing possession but missed the two-point conversion as Lehigh pulled to within 18, 45-27, with 11:52 left in the fourth.
 
Fordham came back with an eleven-play, 63-yard drive that ate up 5:52 on the clock with Marando capping the drive with a 31-yard field goal to make it a 48-27 game with 5:52 remaining.
 
The Mountain Hawks turned the ball over on downs on the ensuing possession and the Rams were able to run out the clock.
 
Jordan Chapman led the Fordham defense with eight tackles, seven solo, while De'Nard Pinckney also had eight stops, six solo, including one for loss and Brett Biestek finished with seven tackles, six solo, including one for loss.
 
The Rams return to action next Saturday, November 1, as they host the Colgate University Raiders in a Patriot League game on Jack Coffey at 1:00 p.m.
 
Notes
Along with picking up their first win at Lehigh, the Rams also beat Lehigh in back-to-back years for the first time ever… It is the first 3-0 start to the Patriot League season for Fordham since 2007… Nebrich has completed has completed 165 of 234 passes (70.5%) for 2,226 yards and 19 touchdowns over the past six games… Nebrich's touchdown pass gives him 57 in his Fordham career, good for second on the career list (John Skelton holds the record with 69)… Nebrich now has 7,087 career passing yards at Fordham, second on the all-time list behind Skelton (9,923)… Marando connected on all six of his PATs and is a perfect 42-for-42 on the year… The 42 made PATs is the fifth most in a season for a Ram (Marando set the record last year with 63)… Neither team committed a turnover in the game… The Rams were whistled for eleven penalties for 115 yards while Lehigh was called for four for 38 yards.