Strong Fourth Quarter Propels Football to Win

Smithfield, R.I. – Mark Twain once said that "If you don't like the weather in New England now, just wait a few minutes."  The same could have been said for the Fordham-Bryant football game on Saturday afternoon. Ram fans didn't like the first three quarters but waited long enough to see Fordham score 23 unanswered fourth quarter points to pick up its first win of the season, 29-14, at Beirne Stadium on Saturday.
 
With the win, Fordham improves to 1-2 on the season while Bryant falls to 0-3.
 
The Fordham offense was led by a strong running game as junior running back Zach Davis recorded his second 100-yard game of the year with a career-high 140 yards on 20 carries with one score. Sophomore Naim Mayfield also contributed to the ground game, picking up 75 yards on 17 carries.
 
Sophomore quarterback Tim DeMorat threw for 187 yards and one touchdown and rushed for another with six of his completions going to junior wide receiver Hamze El-Zayat.
 
The Fordham defense limited the home team to 238 total yards, led by sophomore linebacker Ryan Greenhagen with ten tackles, including one for loss, while freshman linebacker Parke Spillers added six stops, including two for loss.
 
The Rams trailed 14-6 entering the final quarter but a 42-yard field goal from Andrew Mevis, his third of the day, pulled Fordham within five, 14-9, with ten minutes remaining.
 
Less than four minutes later, DeMorat found a wide open Fotis Kokosioulis with a 45-yard scorings take to put the Rams up, 15-14 after a failed two-point conversion.
 
Another three-and-out by the Fordham defense gave the offense the ball on the Fordham 40 and it took just three Davis rushes to find the end zone, the final a 48-yard scamper to give Fordham a 22-14 lead with 3:03 remaining.
 
 
Takeaways
• The win broke three-game Bryant winning streak in the all-time series.
 
• It was Fordham's first win at Bryant.
 
• Over the past seven years the Fordham Rams are 19-11 in non-conference play (not including the five NCAA FCS Championship games).
 
• Former Fordham head coach Tom Masella is the defensive coordinator for Bryant.
 
By the Numbers
 
6 – Touchbacks on seven kickoffs for Andrew Mevis.
 
23 – First downs for the Rams, compared to 13 for the Bulldogs.
 
140 – Rushing yards for Zach Davis, a career-high.

238 - Total yards of offense for Bryant.
 
257 – Rushing yards for Fordham.
 
444 – Total yards of offense for the Rams.
 
What's Next?
• The Rams travel out to Long Island to face the Stony Brook University Seawolves next Saturday, September 21, at 6:00 p.m. in Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium.
 
• It will be the fourth meeting between Fordham and Stony Brook on the gridiron.
 
• The Seawolves lead the all-time series, 2-1.