Football Advances with a 44-22 Win over Sacred Heart

Bronx, N.Y. (November 29, 2014) – Even though the two schools had never met before last year, Fordham University and Sacred Heart are becoming familiar with each other quickly as the two squads faced off for the second straight year in the first round of the NCAA FCS Championships today. And for the second straight year, the Rams withstood a strong Pioneers defense, to upend Sacred Heart, 44-22, on Jack Coffey Field.
 
With the win, #9/12 Fordham improves to 11-2 overall and advances to face the University of New Hampshire, the number one overall seed, next Saturday in Durham, New Hampshire. It will be Fordham's second straight trip to the second round of the NCAA FCS Championship. Sacred Heart closes out the season with a 9-3 mark.

The Rams continued to rebound following losses under head coach Joe Moorhead, winning for the seventh time following a loss under the third-year mentor.
 
The Fordham offense knew it would have its works cut out for it, facing a Sacred Heart defense that ranked first in the NCAA FCS in first downs and red zone defense and in the top ten in the nation in total defense, interceptions, tackles for loss and sacks. But the Rams' offense was firing on all cylinders today, both on the ground and through the air.
 

On the ground Chase Edmonds gained 91 yards on 24 carries with one touchdown, bringing his season total to 1,630 yards with 22 touchdowns, both school records. He surpassed Carlton Koonce's single season rushing mark of 1,596 yards, set in 2012, today while he bettered  Kirwin Watson's single season rushing touchdown mark of 20 set in 2003 earlier this year.
 
In the air, Mike Nebrich completed 29 of 50 passes for 423 yards and four touchdowns with Brian Wetzel and Tebucky Jones, Jr. each hauling in eight passes with two scores, Wetzel for 166 yards and Jones for 139 yards. Wetzel now has 1,231 receiving yards  this fall while Jones has 1,138 and Sam Ajala, who caught four passes for 56 yards has 1,009 as the Rams have three 1,000-yard receivers for the second straight season. Wetzel now has three straight 1,000-yard seasons while Jones and Ajala have two.
 
Also adding to his school record was placekicker Michael Marando, who connected on three field goals today to bring his career total to 45. He surpassed Brian Colsant's former record of 41, set from 1998-2001 earlier this year. The 45 career three-pointers is also a Patriot League record, surpassing by Lafayette's Davis Rodriguez who kicked 43 from 2007-10. Marando also tied his own school record, set last year, for points by a kicker with 120 so far in 2014.
 
As a team, the Rams had their ninth 40-point game of the year, and brought their season total to 550 points, surpassing last year's school record of 526. Edmonds' 91 rushing yards also helped the Rams set a new team single season record with 2,184, bettering the former mark of 2,162 set last year.
 
The game wasn't all about the Fordham offense as the defense did its part too, forcing three turnovers, recording 13 tackles for loss, holding Sacred Heart to 4-of-17 on third down conversions while surrendering just six second half points. Ian Williams paced the defense with eight tackles, seven solo, and he intercepted two passes while breaking up five. His two interceptions brings his career total to 15 as he moves into second place on the Fordham all-time interceptions list behind Ralph Rios, who picked off 23 career passes.
 
The Rams took advantage of a Sacred Heart turnover as quarterback RJ Noel fumbled a handoff on the Pioneers' first offensive play and it was recovered by DeAndre Slate for the Rams on the Sacred Heart 30.
 
Nebrich found Wetzel for a 24-yard gain on the next play and, three plays later, Tebucky Jones, Jr. with a one-yard scoring strike to give the Rams a 7-0 lead 2:49 into the game.
 

On Fordham's next possession, Nebrich again found Wetzel with a long pass, this one a 50-yarder for a touchdown and a 14-0 Fordham lead just about two minutes later.
 
The Pioneers responded by driving to the Fordham eight but a fourth down pass from Noel to Tyler Dube fell incomplete and Sacred Heart had to settle for a 26-yard Chris Rogers field goal to make it a 14-3 game with 7:37 left in the first.
 
Sacred Heart mounted another long scoring drive on its next possession, moving from its own 12 to the Fordham ten where Noel hooked up with Dube for a touchdown but the extra point attempt was blocked as the Pioneers pulled to within five, 14-9, with 2:26 on the clock.
 
The Pioneers had a chance to further cut the Fordham lead early in the second quarter but a 23-yard Rogers field goal attempt was blocked by Justin Yancey.
 
The score remained 14-9 until the Rams took over on the Sacred Heart 22 after a bad snap sailed over the Sacred Heart punter's head.  But Fordham couldn't get the ball into the end zone and settled for a 25-yard Marando field goal and a 17-9 lead with 5:25 left in the first half.
 
A long return on the ensuing kickoff gave Sacred Heart excellent field position and the Pioneers took advantage of it, scoring on a two-yard pass from Noel to Dube as Sacred Heart made it a one-point game, 17-16, with 4:10 on the clock.
 
It looked like the game would remain 17-16 at the half as the Rams took over on their own 18 following a punt and penalty with 1:42 remaining. But Nebrich executed a perfect two minute drill, completing five of seven passes, including a 14-yard scoring toss to Wetzel with nine seconds left as the Rams took a 24-16 lead at the break.
 
The Fordham defense stopped the Pioneers on the first possession of the second half but the Rams were trapped back at their own three following a punt. That didn't bother Nebrich who connected with Tebucky Jones, Jr. on a 97-yard scoring pass on the first play from scrimmage to give the Rams a 31-16 lead 3:15 into the third quarter.
 
Another bad snap on a punt led to the Rams taking over on the Sacred Heart six on their next possession but Fordham couldn't move the ball and settled for a Marando 23-yard field goal and a 34-16 lead with 8:46 left in the third.
 

Sacred Heart answered with another long kickoff return and, three plays later, scored on a Keshaudas Spence 22 yard run but the two-point conversion failed and the Rams led 34-22 midway through the third.
 
Fordham scored twice in the fourth quarter the first a 38-yard Marando field goal with 11:44 left and the second on a 26-yard Edmonds run with 9:33 on the clock for the 44-22 final.
 
Levon Williams and Austin Hancock also made eight stops for the Rams while Marlon Crook, Jr., playing in place of the injured Brett Biestek, had a pair of sacks.
 
The Rams will now travel to Durham, N.H., to face the University of New Hampshire in the second round of the NCAA FCS Championship next Saturday, December 6, at 1:00 p.m. in Cowell Stadium.
 
Notes
The 400-yard passing game was Nebrich's third of the season and the seventh of his career, a school record… Wetzel recorded his third straight, and fifth overall, 100-yard game of the year and the 16^th of his career, a school record… Wetzel has 359 receiving yards over the past two games… Tebucky Jones, Jr., notched his fifth 100-yard receiving game of the season and the tenth of his career… Eight different players caught a pass for the Rams… Marando converted on all five of his PATs to bring his season total to 63, one off his school record of 64 set last year… The two teams have only met twice, in the NCAA FCS Championship the past two years.