Football Retains Liberty Cup

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New York, N.Y. (September 20, 2014) – Before the season started, Fordham head coach Joe Moorhead spelled out the goals for the team, the first of which was to keep control of both trophies, namely the Liberty Cup and the Ram Crusader Cup. Well Fordham is off to a good start, defeating Columbia University, 49-7, today at Robert K. Kraft Field at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium at Baker Athletics Complex in the annual Liberty Cup battle.
 
With the win, #18/19 Fordham improves to 3-1 while Columbia falls to 0-1. The win is the fifth straight for the Rams over the Lions and Fordham now leads the Liberty Cup competition, 9-4.
 
The Fordham offense has been stealing the headlines for most of the past two years but the defense showed that it can hold its own today, limiting Columbia to just 165 yards of total offense, 82 of those coming in the fourth quarter, and nine total first downs. The Lions crossed midfield just once in the first 57:30 before going on a late scoring drive to prevent the shutout.
 
That's not to say the Fordham offense was quiet today as the Rams scored more than 48 points for the third time in four games this year. The Rams piled up 653 yards of offense, led by quarterback Mike Nebrich, who completed 32 of 48 passes for 435 yards and four touchdowns. He tied his career-high in scoring tosses while also recording his fifth career 400-yard passing game, surpassing John Skelton's former school record of four 400-yard games.
 

Nebrich had a whole host of receivers to throw to today with Sam Ajala (164 yards) and Brian Wetzel (86 yards) each grabbing ten passes and Tebucky Jones, Jr., hauling in seven for 129 yards and two scores.
 
The Fordham ground game was also firing on all cylinders with freshman Chase Edmonds gaining 174 yards on 27 carries with one score and he also caught three passes for 41 yards and another touchdown.
 
The Fordham offense was a bit sluggish early, but on the Rams' second possession Nebrich connected with Ajala for a 38-yard gain and, six plays later, Michael Marando kicked a 24-yard field goal for a 3-0 Fordham lead 5:28 into the game.
 
The Rams mounted another long drive on their next possession, moving from their own 25 to the Columbia 29 where the drive stalled and Marando connected on a 46-yard field goal to make it a 6-0 game with 3:54 left in the first.
 
Fordham took over on its own 13 following a Columbia punt early in the second quarter and this time Nebrich led the Rams to the end zone, hitting tight end Dan Light with a four-yard pass and, when Brian Wetzel  hit Light with the two-point conversion, the Rams had a 14-0 lead with 9:50 remaining in the half.
 
Later in the second, the Rams faced a second and 20 from their own 49 following a penalty when Jones made a one-handed grab over the middle for a score to put Fordham up 21-0, a lead the Rams took into the halftime break.
 
Midway through the third quarter, Fordham was backed up to its own eleven after a Columbia punt but that didn't affect the Rams' offense as Nebrich completed five straight passes and Edmonds gained 20 yards on four carries to put the ball on the Columbia 12. Three plays later Edmonds covered the final eight yards for the touchdown and a 28-0 Fordham lead with 2:44 on the clock.
 
Early in the fourth quarter, Nebrich connected with Jones for a second touchdown, this one from 20 yards out as Fordham opened a commanding 35-0 lead with 12:28 remaining.
 
On their next possession, the Rams made quick work of a six-play, 72-yard drive with Edmonds taking a screen pass from Nebrich 36 yards to pay dirt and a 42-0 Fordham lead with 8:51 left.
 
A four-yard Kendall Pearcey run made it a 49-0 game with 3:57 on the clock before the Lions got on the board with a 29-yard scoring pass with 25 ticks left in the game.
 
Jake Dixon led the Fordham defense with six tackles, two solo, including 1.5 for loss and he had two pass breakups, while Victor DiFusco and Levon Williams each made five stops, two solo.
 
The Rams return to action next Saturday, September 27, as they open Patriot League play with a trip to Worcester, Mass., to face the Holy Cross Crusaders in the annual Ram-Crusader Cup game on Fitton Field at 1:00 p.m.
 
Notes
The 46-yard field goal was one yard shy of Marando's career-high… The Rams have amassed 1,307 total yards over the past two games… It was the second straight game of the year in which the Rams had two 100-yard receivers (Jones (124) and Ajala (114) each had more than 100 yards last week vs. Rhode Island)… Ajala now has ten career 100-yard receiving games, four behind the all-time leader, Javarus Dudley (2000-03)… Seven different Rams caught a pass in the game… Justin Yancey started on the defensive line for the Rams, his first action since October 6, 2012, while Griffin Murphy got in the game for his first action since October 22, 2011… Fordham has held Columbia to seven points in each of the past two meetings… The game featured only one turnover (on a Marando interception following a blocked field goal).