Football Falls To Bryant 42-41

Bronx, N.Y. – It would be easy for Fordham football fans to edit today's game to their liking. They would simply have to clip out the first 7:54 of the game along with the final two minutes. Unfortunately, the game isn't played that way as Bryant jumped out to a 21-3 lead and then battled back late, scoring nine points in the final 1:50, including a 42-yard field goal as time expired, to defeat the Rams, 42-41, on Jack Coffey Field.
 
With the loss, Fordham falls to 1-6 while Bryant improves to 5-2.
 
The loss overshadowed a second straight strong offensive performance by Fordham, led by freshman quarterback Tim DeMorat. Despite starting out slowly, completing just three of his first ten passes for 34 yards, DeMorat rebounded to make good on 16 of his next 18 tosses for 194 yards and four touchdowns.
 
Also contributing offensively was junior running back Tyriek Hopkins who had his second consecutive 100-yard rushing game, finishing with 176 yards on 21 carries with one score while senior wider receiver Austin Longi caught ten passes for 137 yards and two scores.
 
After spotting the Bulldogs the 21-3 lead 7:54 into the game, the Rams scored twice in the second quarter on an Andrew Mevis 37-yard field goal and a 51-yard Longi touchdown reception.
 
Fordham made it a 21-20 game at the break when Isaiah Searight hauled in a two-yard scoring strike from DeMorat with four seconds left in the half.
 
The Rams took the second half kickoff and drove to the Bryant 14 where Hopkins took it in to give Fordham its first lead of the day, 27-21.
 
After Bryant answered with a score of its own, but missed the PAT, Longi hauled in his second scoring pass of the game, an eight-yarder, with 3:56 left in the third to give the Rams a 34-27 lead. But the Bulldogs answered again and again missed the PAT to make it a 34-33 Fordham lead late in the third.
 
A Hunter Harris eight-yard scoring reception gave the Rams a 41-33 advantage with 10:42 left but the Bulldogs scored with 1:50 remaining and missed the two-point conversion before winning at the buzzer.
 
Takeaways

• The four touchdown passes thrown by Tim DeMorat is a Fordham freshman single game record.
 
• The Rams entered the game averaging just 3.83 penalties per game, sixth best in the NCAA FCS, but the Rams were whistled for six today.
 
• Andrew Mevis kicked off eight times today with six of those being touchbacks (the other two were returned out of the end zone).
 
• The game marked the second straight year that the Rams scored 40 or more points against Bryant but lost.
 
• Bryant now leads the all-time series, 3-1.
 
By the Numbers
 
9 – Total tackles for Jesse Bramble and Bryce Petty, tied for the team lead.
 
12 – Pass breakups for the Rams, a season-high.
 
18 – Receiving touchdowns for Austin Longi, moving him into a tie for sixth on the Fordham all-time list.
 
47.0 – Punting average for Andrew Mevis (five punts for 235 yards).
 
70 – Long punt for Andrew Mevis, a career-high.
 
84 – Points scored by Fordham over the past two games after scoring 47 points in the first five games.
 
137 – Receiving yards for Austin Longi today, his fourth 100-yard receiving game of the season and the eleventh of his career, bringing his career total to 2,163, good for eighth place on the Fordham career list.
 
173 – Career receptions for Austin Longi, who had ten today, moving him into sixth place on the Fordham career list.
 
176 – Rushing yards for Tyriek Hopkins, a season and career-high.
 
246 – Rushing yards for the Rams today, a season-high.
 
What's Next?
• The Rams return to Patriot League action as they host the Lafayette College Leopards on Jack Coffey Field next Saturday, October 27, at 1:00 p.m.
 
• It will be the 37th meeting between Fordham and Lafayette on the gridiron.
 
• The Leopards lead the all-time series, which started in 1903, 23-12-1, and took last year's game, 14-10 in Fisher Stadium as Sean O'Malley completed 29 of 41 passes for 256 yards and two touchdowns.
 
• The Lafayette win snapped a three-game Fordham winning streak in the series.
 
• Fordham has won four of the past six meetings.
 
• Fordham is 12-16 against Lafayette since joining the Patriot League.
 
• The Rams are 6-7 against Lafayette on Jack Coffey Field, 6-14-1 at Lafayette and 0-2 at the Polo Grounds.