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Annapolis, Md. – The U.S. Navy is part of the Department of Defense. But today it was the Navy offense that did the Fordham Rams in as the Midshipmen accumulated 550 yards of total offense in a 52-16 win over the Rams in the season opener for both teams at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
While the Fordham offense was able to move the ball the Rams couldn't seem to stop the triple option attack of Navy as the Midshipmen consistently came up with big plays to prevent Fordham from gaining any momentum in the contest. The Rams gained 464 yards of offense, thanks to senior quarterback
Kevin Anderson, who completed 26 of 45 passes for 302 yards and one score, and junior running back
Chase Edmonds, who gained 70 yards on 18 carries and caught two passes for 25 yards.
Phazahn Odom
The Rams fell behind early as Navy took advantage of a Fordham fumble on the opening kickoff, covering seven yards on the first play from scrimmage for a 7-0 lead 12 seconds into the game.
Fordham managed to move the ball to the Navy 29 on its first possession but a fourth down pass from Anderson to
Austin Longi fell incomplete.
The Midshipmen covered the 71 yards on seven plays to make it a 14-0 game midway through the first before Fordham responded with a nine-play, 62-yard drive to the Navy 13 where the Rams settled for a 30-yard
Makay Redd field goal with 5:29 left in the first.
Navy quickly made it a 21-3 game, scoring on a eleven-yard run a minute later but Fordham closed out the first quarter scoring on a 34-yard pass from Anderson to senior tight end
Phazahn Odom as the Rams trailed 21-10 after one.
Navy scored twice in the second quarter to take a 35-10 lead at the break before the Rams used a 23-yard Redd field goal with 8:19 left in the third to make it a 35-13 contest.
The Midshipmen wasted no time in extending the lead, scoring on a 70-yard run on the first play from scrimmage of the next drive and then closing out the quarter with a 57-yard scoring strike for a 49-13 lead after three.
Senior running back
Kendall Pearcey gained 69 yards on eight carries for the Rams while
Austin Longi caught seven passes for 64 yards. Defensively, Senior linebacker
David Barletta led the Fordham defense with eight tackles, seven solo, including one for loss, while junior defensive back
Caleb Ham added seven tackles.
The Rams return to action next Saturday, September 10, as they host Elizabeth City State University on Jack Coffey Field at 1:00 p.m.
Notes
Senior punter
Joe Pavlik punted three times with a 43.0 average, with two of his three kicks being downed inside the Navy 20.
Odom's touchdown catch gives him eight for his career, two behind Stephen Skelton's career record for a Fordham tight end.
Anderson's touchdown pass was the 33rd of his career, fourth best all-time at Rose Hill, while his 302 passing yards brings his career total to 3,486, good for ninth on the Fordham career list.
With the 70 rushing yards, Edmonds brings his career total to 3,556, second all-time at Fordham.
The meeting was just the second ever between Fordham and Navy (the Midshipmen won the first meeting, 21-0, in 1914).
