Football Gets Back on Track with Homecoming Win Over URI

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Bronx, N.Y. (September 13, 2014) – Al McGuire once said that "The best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores." Well he couldn't have been referring to Fordham freshman running back Chase Edmonds, who set a school freshman record with 231 rushing yards while scoring four touchdowns to lead the Rams to a 54-7 win over Rhode Island before a Homecoming crowd of 6,979 on Jack Coffey Field.
 
With the win, #19/23 Fordham improves to 2-1 while Rhode Island falls to 0-2. The win is the ninth straight home win for Fordham, who is now 12-1 on Jack Coffey Field under head coach Joe Moorhead.
 
Speaking of Moorhead, he had his work cut out for him this week as Fordham was looking to bounce back from a loss at Villanova last week. But his troops responded as they have always done under Moorhead's leadership improving to 6-0 over the past three years when coming off a loss (not including end of the season losses – but even if you do, Fordham came back to win the season opener after both end of the year losses under Moorhead.).
 
Over the past three years, Fordham has been known as a strong fourth quarter team. Today the Rams jumped the gun a bit, scoring 30 unanswered points in the third quarter to take a commanding 47-0 lead after 45 minutes.
 
Fordham also continued its Jekyll/Hyde season, scoring 50 points in the first game, allowing 50 in the second and then scoring 50 in the third. It's the first time that has happened in school history.
 

Edmonds gained his 231 yards on just 22 carries, scoring on runs of 87, 41, 16, and ten yards. The 87-yard run tied for the fourth longest run in school history while his 231 rushing yards is the ninth best single game total in school history. Edmonds broke the school freshman rushing record of Darren Wallace, who gained 198 yards against Brown in 1990 (Edmonds had originally been credited with breaking the freshman mark with his season-opening 181 rushing yards in the Saint Francis game as Wallace was mistakenly listed as a sophomore in 1990).
 
Edmonds wasn't alone in shining on offense as quarterback Mike Nebrich completed 22 of 38 passes for 331 yards and one score as he led Fordham to 654 yards of total offense. Tebucky Jones, Jr., led all receivers with six catches for 124 yards and a touchdown while Sam Ajala also accumulated more than 100 receiving yards, finishing with five receptions for 114 yards.
 
Not to be outdone, the Fordham defense rebounded after last week's loss to hold Rhode Island to seven points and just 287 yards of total offense. The Fordham defense, led by Jake Dixon's eleven tackles, had eight tackles for loss, two sacks, two interceptions and recovered three fumbles.
 
Fordham got in trouble early as Nebrich was picked off on the first play of the game, giving Rhode Island the ball on the Fordham 21. Rhode Island got it down to the two but couldn't punch it in and a 19-yard Connor McHugh field goal hit the upright.
 
Fordham had better luck on the next drive as Nebrich connected with Ajala on three straight passes to put the ball at the Rhode Island 33 but penalties slowed Fordham and Nebrich was intercepted in the end zone on a third and eleven play from the Rhode Island 16.
 
Later in the first, Fordham took over on the URI 46 when George Dawson made a diving interception of a Mack Lowrie pass. Five plays later, Edmonds took it in from 16 yards to give Fordham a 7-0 lead with 2:48 left in the quarter.
 
After the defense held Rhode Island to a three-and-out, Fordham took over on its own 29 following a punt. On the first play from scrimmage, Nebrich found Ajala down the left side and Ajala was just tripped up from behind at the ten. On the next play, Edmonds covered the ten yards for a 14-0 Fordham lead with 1:13 on the clock.
 
Rhode Island threatened in the second quarter, moving to the Fordham 14 but a third down Lowrie pass was intercepted by Ian Williams in the end zone.
 
Late in the half, Fordham was backed up to its own seven following a Rhode Island punt when Nebrich put the two minute drill in action, moving Fordham to the Rhode Island 15 where Michael Marando booted a 33-yard field goal with 24 seconds remaining to give Fordham a 17-0 halftime lead.
 

Fordham forced Rhode Island to punt on the first possession of the second half with the punt being downed on the Fordham eight. But that didn't seem to bother Fordham as, on the second play from scrimmage, Edmonds broke through the middle and down the left sideline for an 87-yard scoring run and a 24-0 Fordham lead 3:19 into the third.
 
Things went downhill quickly from there for Rhode Island. Two plays later, the ball was snapped over Lowrie's head and recovered in the end zone by Ian Williams for a Fordham touchdown and a 31-0 lead.
 
On the next play from scrimmage, Rhode Island inserted a new quarterback but the results were the same, a snap over his head which was recovered by Rhode Island in the end zone for a Fordham safety.
 
On the ensuing kickoff, Fordham took over on its own 28 and quickly covered the 72-yard to the end zone with Edmonds accounting for the final 41 for his fourth touchdown of the game as Fordham took a 40-0 lead with 9:11 left in the third.
 
Later in the third, Nebrich found Tebucky Jones in the end zone with a 32-yard scoring strike to put Fordham up 47-0 with 1:12 remaining in the third.
 
Rhode Island got on the board in the fourth as Lowrie capped a ten-play, 98-yard drive with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Charlie McKeeman with 10:13 left.
 
Fordham closed out the scoring with a 39-yard strike from Peter Maetzold to Tony Patrignelli with 2:39 remaining in the contest.
 
Kendall Pearcey finished with 42 rushing yards on seven carries while defensively, Ian Williams registered seven total tackles, six solo, including one for loss, and he added an interception, a fumble recovery and a pass deflection.
 
Fordham returns to action next Saturday, September 20, as they venture into Manhattan to face the Columbia University Lions at the Robert K. Kraft Field at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium at Baker Athletics Complex at 12:30 p.m. in the annual Liberty Cup battle.
 
Notes
Fordham is now 8-5 all-time against Rhode Island, winning the past two and three of the past four… Nebrich recorded his 12^th 200-yard passing game and tenth 300-yard passing game of his Fordham career… He is one 300-yard game behind the school records of 11, set by John Skelton (2006-2009), who was in attendance today along with former teammates, Stephen Skelton, Frank Rizzo, Gerard Rizzo, Jordan Bledsoe and Jason Caldwell…  The 100-yard receiving game is the ninth of Ajala's career and the sixth of Jones' career… Senior quarterback Nick Glogau gained seven yards on a rush on the final play of the game, his first rushing collegiate rushing attempt… Unlike last week when Villanova converted on ten of 15 third down conversions, Fordham held Rhode Island to just converting just five of 19… Fordham won despite being called for a season-high 14 penalties for 153 yards.