Football Falls To Monmouth, 42-41, in OT

 












West Long Branch, N.J. – In the movie The Big Lebowski, The Stranger explains to The Dude "Sometimes you eat the bear, and sometimes the bear eats you" which is applicable today's football game between Fordham and Monmouth. Over the course of the game, the Rams felt at times as if they were eating the bear and, moments later, being eaten by the bear. In the end it was a Monmouth two-point conversion on the first possession in overtime that made the difference as the Hawks defeated Fordham, 42-41, in Monmouth Stadium.
 
With the loss, Fordham evens its record at 2-2 on the year while Monmouth improves to 3-2.
 
Despite the loss, junior running back Chase Edmonds continued his assault on the Fordham record book, rushing 25 times for 208 yards and four touchdowns. The four scores give Edmonds 51 in his Fordham career as he surpasses Kirwin Watson's school record of 48 set from 2000-2003. He also adds to his school career touchdown record which now stands at 57.
 
Fordham led 27-13 at the half but saw Monmouth score once in the third and then twice in the fourth to take a 34-27 lead with 5:03 remaining in regulation.
 
But Edmonds made sure the Rams were in it at the end, taking it to the end zone from 55 yards out to knot the game at 34 with 2:14 left.
 
The Fordham defense forced a Hawks three-and-out and the Rams took over on their own 39 following a punt. Two big rushes from senior quarterback Kevin Anderson, the second a 20-yard gain on third and 14 from the 50 that put the ball on the Monmouth 30 with less than ten seconds on the clock.
 
Anderson spiked the ball to stop the clock with five seconds left, giving senior kicker Makay Redd a chance for a game-winner but his 47-yard field goal attempt went wide right.
 
Fordham had the first possession of overtime and needed four plays to find the end zone, three of those rushes by Chase Edmonds, including a two-yard scoring run.
 
The Hawks also took four plays to score and then lined up for a two-point conversion where quarterback Cody Williams found Reggie White, Jr., in the end zone to end the game.
 
Fordham jumped out to a 6-0 lead when Edmonds scored on a 77-yard run three minutes into the game.
 
Four plays later, Monmouth's Lavon Chaney fumbled and the ball was recovered by Noah Fitzgerald on the Fordham 35. The Rams capitalized on the turnover when Anderson connected with Robbie Cantelli with a 25-yard scoring strike to give the visitors a 13-0 lead midway through the first.
 
The Hawks answered with a 25-yard field goal with 2:14 left in the period to make it a 13-3 game and then took advantage of a Fordham fumble which they turned into another field goal to cut the Fordham lead to 13-6 three minutes into the second quarter.
 
Midway through the first half, Monmouth moved 89 yards on 16 plays to tie the game at 13 on a one-yard run.
 
The wasn't tied for long as four plays later Anderson found a streaking Austin Longi with a 54-yard touchdown pass to give Fordham a 20-13 with 48 seconds left in the half.
 
On the first play of the ensuing possession, Zach Welch fumbled on the Monmouth 20 and the ball was recovered by Max Roberts for the Rams. Three plays later, Edmonds scored from the one to give Fordham a 27-13 lead at the break.
 
Anderson completed 16 of 33 passes for 214 yards and two touchdowns and Longi led the Fordham receivers with five catches for 106 yards and a score.
 
Caleb Ham led the Fordham defense with a career-high 13 tackles, six solo, while Fitzgerald added nine, six solo, and he recovered a pair of fumbles.
 
The Rams return to action next Saturday, October 8, as they open Patriot League play by hosting the Lafayette College Leopards on Jack Coffey Field at 1:00 p.m.
 
Notes
Edmonds' 208 rushing yards brings his career total to 4,071, second best on the Fordham career list, 546 yards behind Kirwin Watson's school record.
 
Edmonds now has 20 100-yard rushing games and six 200-yards rushing games in his career, both school records.
 
Anderson's 214 passing yards brings his career total to 4,155, seventh best on the Fordham career list, while his two touchdown passes brings his career total to 40, fourth best on the Fordham career list.
 
Senior linebacker George Dawson and senior punter Joe Pavlik have appeared in every game at Fordham since arriving as freshmen in 2013 (44 games). They are looking to become the Fordham career leaders in games played. The currently record is 47, set by Javarus Dudley (2000-03) and matched by Joe Sullivan (2011-14).
 
The Fordham defense entered the game seventh in the NCAA FCS in turnovers gained (28) and added four fumble recoveries today.
 
The game was the second this year that the Rams scored more than 40 points and the 22nd time since 2012.
 
The Rams are 19-7 in non-conference play since 2012.