Football Enjoys Record-Setting Day

 











Bronx, N.Y. – The thermometer read a sizzling 87 degrees on a humid Jack Coffey Field when the Fordham University Rams kicked off with the Elizabeth City State Vikings on Saturday. Little did those in attendance know that the Rams' offense would come close to matching the temperature as Fordham scored a school and Patriot League record 83 points en route to an 83-21 win over the Vikings.
 
With the win, Fordham evens its record at 1-1 on the year while Elizabeth City falls to 0-2.
 
The 83 points surpassed the former Fordham record of 78 set against New Haven in 1977 (the Rams' NCAA FCS record was 63 set at Rhode Island in 2003) and the former Patriot League record of 69 set by Lehigh against Georgetown in 2002.
 
The Rams also set a school record with 393 rushing yards in the game, bettering the old mark of 379 set last year against Lehigh.
 
Individually, senior placekicker Makay Redd set a school and Patriot League record with eleven PATs, breaking the former Fordham record of nine, set by Micah Clukey against Rhode Island in 2003. The former Patriot League record was also nine, set by Holy Cross in 1987 and matched four times, the last being the Rams' game at Rhode Island.
 
The Fordham ground game was three-headed monster today with senior Chase Edmonds (155), freshman D'Angelo Palladino (116) and senior Kendall Pearcey (115) all rushing for more than 100 yards in the game. It is believed to be the first time in school history that the Rams had three 100-yard rushers in a game. Pearcey scored twice on the ground while Edmonds and Palladino each scored once.
 

Senior quarterback Kevin Anderson also had a strong game, completing 18 of 28 passes for 225 yards and four scores.
 
The Fordham defense also put points on the board, scoring on two fumble recoveries as well as forcing eight turnovers (four interceptions, four fumbles).
 
The Rams scored on their first seven possessions, cashing in with five touchdowns and two Redd field goals. The first Redd three-pointer, a 42-yarder, came 1:58 into the game, and was followed by a 38-yard scoring strike from Anderson to Robbie Cantelli with 9:29 left in the first.
 
Two plays later, Noah Fitzgerald scooped up a Gregory Bryan fumble on the Elizabeth City nine and returned it for a score and 17-0 Fordham lead.
 
But the Rams were far from finished for the first quarter as Pearcey scored on a 36-yard run with 6:58 left, Austin Longi hauled in a 21-yard pass from Anderson with 5:08 in the clock and Edmonds took it to the house from 54 yards outs with 2:51 remaining as the Rams scored 38 unanswered points over the first 15 minutes.
 
Redd opened the second quarter with a 37-yard field goal to make it 41-0 for the Rams before Anderson and Cantelli connected for a second time, this one a 17-yard touchdown toss, to build the Fordham lead to 48-0 with 6:13 left in the first half.
 
The Viking scored twice over the final 6:13 of the half to make it a 48-14 game at the break but the Rams used a Pearcey six-yard scoring run and a three-yard touchdown pass from Anderson to Longi over the first 6:39 of the third quarter to build the lead back to 48, 62-14.
 
After Elizabeth City scored late in the third, the Rams scored 21 straight to close out the game, the first an 82-yard touchdown pass from Luke Medlock to Jordan Allen, to close out the game.
 
The Rams will enjoy a bye week before returning to action on Saturday, September 24, as they host the Penn Quakers for Homecoming 2016 at 1:00 p.m.
 
Notes
Edmonds' 155 rushing yards brings his career total to 3,711, second best on the Fordham career list, while his rushing score brings his career total to 45, also second best on the all-time list.
 
Anderson's 225 passing yards brings his career total to 3,710, moving him into eighth place on the Fordham career list, while his four touchdowns brings his career total to 37, 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 (42 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).
 
Pavlik only punted once in the game, a 28-yarder that was fair caught on the Elizabeth City 13.
 
The 707 yards of total offense was just 27 yards shy of the Fordham school record of 730 set against Penn in 2014.
 
Fordham ran 86 offensive plays to 70 for the Vikings.
 
The Rams have not lost back-to-back games in the regular season since 2011.
 
Fordham has scored more than 40 points in a game 21 times since 2012.
 
The Rams recorded four interceptions in a game for the second straight season as Fordham also picked off four Lehigh passes in 2015.