Football Season Ends with Loss at New Hampshire

Photo Gallery
 
Durham, N.H. (December 6, 2014) – Fordham freshman running back Chase Edmonds has enjoyed a record-setting rookie season and that continued today as he set an NCAA FCS Championship and two Patriot League records in a second round NCAA FCS Championship game at the University of New Hampshire. Unfortunately for the Rams, Edmonds' heroics weren't enough as they saw their season come to an end with a 44-19 loss to the Wildcats in Cowell Stadium.
 
With the loss, Fordham closes out the season with an 11-3 record while #1 New Hampshire improves to 11-1 with its eleventh straight win.
 
Edmonds rushed 18 times for 208 yards and one touchdown today while also returning seven kickoffs for 164 yards and catching two passes for 13 yards.  His 385 all-purpose yards are a Patriot League single-game record (previous was 370 set by Lehigh's Ronald Jean in 1999) and his 208 rushing yards and 164 kickoff return yards are the top marks for Patriot League player in an FCS playoff game. Edmonds also set an NCAA FCS Championship game record with a 91-yard touchdown run, surpassing the previous long of 90 yards set by Henry Fields of McNeese State in 1994.
 

On the year, Edmonds amassed 2,473 all-purpose yards, setting a Patriot League single-season record (former mark was 2,425 set by Colgate's Kenny Gamble in first League season in 1986), while his school-record 1,838 rushing yards puts him fourth in the Patriot League single-season record book, and his school-record 23 rushing touchdowns ties him for second all-time in the conference. Edmonds also set a school record with 144 points scored this fall, bettering Kirwin Watson's 2003 mark of 126 points.
 
Edmonds wasn't the only one adding to career records today as senior placekicker Michael Marando connected on two field goals to bring his school-record career total to 47, also a Patriot League career mark, while he also booted an extra point to tie his own single season record with 64. Marando also set a school record for points scored by a kicker in a season with 127, surpassing his own record of 120 set last year while his 143 career PATs is also a school mark.
 
The Rams got off to a slow start, going three-and-out on their first two possessions while New Hampshire scored on each of its first two possession as the Wildcats jumped out to a 14-0 lead midway through the first.
 
New Hampshire threatened on its third drive of the game but De'Nard Pinckney sacked Wildcat quarterback Sean Goldrich causing Goldrich to fumble and the ball was recovered by Brett Biestek on the Fordham 27.
 
Fordham took advantage of the turnover, moving to the New Hampshire ten, thanks in part to a 30-yard carry by Edmonds. On second down at the ten, Nebrich appeared to have connected with Brian Wetzel with a toss that put the ball on the one but the play was reviewed and it was ruled that Wetzel did not have control of the ball. The Rams couldn't push the ball across the goal line and stalled on a 25-yard Michael Marando field goal to cut the deficit to 14-3 early in the second quarter.
 
The Wildcats again moved the ball on their next possession and appeared to have a first down inside the Fordham ten but Jordan Chapman forced a Jared Allison fumble on the five and Jake Dixon recovered the ball for the Rams on the three.
 
Edmonds picked up six yards on the first play of the drive for the Rams and then broke through the middle and went 91-yards to the end zone for the NCAA-record setting score. The Rams attempted a two-point conversion which failed and Fordham trailed 14-9 with 7:44 left in the first half.
 
The Fordham defense held the Wildcats to a three-and-out and the Rams took over on their own 41 following a punt. On the first play from scrimmage, Nebrich found Tebucky Jones, Jr., down the left sideline for a 50-yard gain, placing the ball on the New Hampshire nine. But Fordham could get no closer to the end zone and Marando came on to boot a 29-yard field goal to make it a 14-12 game with 5:05 on the clock.
 

The Wildcats responded with a five-play, 71-yard drive, scoring on an eleven-yard run to boost their lead to 21-12 with 3:07 left in the half.
 
A long Edmonds kickoff return on the ensuing kick was brought back by a holding call and the Rams couldn't move the ball, punting it back to New Hampshire with 1:45 remaining. The Wildcats executed a two-minute drill, getting the ball down to the Fordham 13 where Brad Prasky kicked a 30-yard field goal of the final play of the half as New Hampshire took a 24-12 lead into the break.
 
New Hampshire took the second half kickoff and drove to the Fordham one where Niko Steriti scored on a fourth down call for a 31-12 New Hampshire lead.
 
The Rams came right back as an Edmonds 65-yard kickoff return and New Hampshire face mask penalty gave Fordham the ball on the New Hampshire 12. Three plays later, Nebrich found Wetzel in the back of the end zone with a five-yard scoring strike as the Rams pulled within 12, 31-19, with 11:19 left in the third.
 
But the Wildcats scored later in the third, on a seven-yard run, and with 4:48 left in the fourth, on a 24-yard run, for the 44-19 final.
 
Nebrich completed 12 of 30 passes for 161 yards and one score with Tebucky Jones, Jr., catching three passes for 64 yards and Wetzel three for 34 yards with the touchdown.
 
Defensively, JQ Bowers led the Rams with a career-high 12 tackles, ten solo, while George Dawson finished with nine stops, six solo, and Ian Williams added eight solo tackles and he broke up three passes.