Football Opens Patriot League Slate with Win at Lafayette

Easton, Pa. - Though most of the Fordham football players probably listen more to Lil Baby, they should take a line from the late Jerry Garcia: "What along strange trip it's been." The Rams closed out the first five games of the season with four of those on the road, ranging from Lincoln, Nebraska, to Boca Raton, Florida, with a strange game today at Lafayette. Senior quarterback Tim DeMorat scored with 28 seconds left and the defense held on for a 42-41 Patriot League win over the Leopards in Fisher Stadium.
 
With the win, Fordham moves to 2-3 overall on the year, 1-0 in the Patriot League, while Lafayette falls to 1-4 overall, 0-1 in the conference.
 
The game featured the return of Fordham senior running back Trey Sneed, who was seeing his first action of the year. He finished with 147 rushing yards on 23 carries with two touchdowns and he caught one pass for eleven yards. Senior quarterback Tim DeMorat completed 21 of 37 passes for 305 yards and one score with 13 of those passes going to senior wide out Hamze El-Zayat for 166 yards, both career-highs.
 
The Rams trailed 41-36 with 1:40 remaining after a Lafayette score, but DeMorat and Sneed drove them downfield to the Lafayette two where DeMorat faked a handoff to Sneed and sprinted around the left side for the score that put Fordham up for good.
 
The Rams wasted little time getting on the board, taking the opening kickoff and driving to the Lafayette four where Trey Sneed took a pitch from DeMorat and carried it around the left side for a 7-0 lead 1:23 into the contest.
 
Fordham increased the lead to 14-0 about five minutes later when Sneed scored from 23yards out before the Leopards got on the board late in the quarter to cut the Fordham lead to seven, 14-7.
 
The Rams were not done scoring in the first as DeMorat hit Garrett Cody in the end zone for a 21-7 Fordham lead.
 
Unfortunately, the Rams' offense cooled in the second quarter as the Leopard scored 14 unanswered points to knot the game at 21 at the break.
 
Takeaways
• The game took an extra play for its conclusion as the Rams held Lafayette as the clock ran out but were called for a too many men on the field penalty.
 
• The ensuring Hail Mary pass was knocked down.
 
• Fordham wins its Patriot League opener for the second straight fall season and have won six of its past nine league openers.
 
• The Rams broke a three-game losing streak to the Leopards.
 
• The game was the sixth career 300-yard passing game for Tim DeMorat.
 
• Senior linebacker Ryan Greenhagen was injured on the second half kickoff and missed the entire half but he still finished with nine tackles.

• Lafayette entered the game leading the Patriot League in total defense allowing 307.5 yards/game but the Rams gained a season-high 556 yards in the game.
 
• The game was the final of three straight road games, and four of first five road games, for the Rams to open the season.
 
• The last time Fordham opened the season with four of the first five games on the road was 2011.
 
• Fordham will now play three straight home games and will not play on the road again until November 6 at Georgetown.
 
By the Numbers
4 – Sacks recorded by the Rams.

4 - Rushing touchdowns for the Rams, the first four rushing scores on the year.
 
5 – Pass break-ups by the Rams.
 
5:10 – Elasped time for Fordham's first two scoring drives.
 
13 – Receptions by Hamze El-Zayat, a career-high.
 
14 – Tackles by freshman James Conway, a game-high.
 
45 –Career touchdown passes for Tim DeMorat, fifth all-time at Fordham.
 
166 – Receiving yards by Hamze El-Zayat, a career-high.
 
184 – Career solo tackles for Ryan Greenhagen, moving him into fifth on the Fordham career list.
 
312 - Career tackles for Ryan Greenhagen, moving him into fourth on the Fordham all-time tackles list.
 
556 – Total yards of offense for the Rams, a season-high.
 
575 – Career completions for Tim DeMorat, good of fourth on the Rams' career list.
 
6,666 – Career passing yards for Tim DeMorat, fourth all-time at Fordham.
 
What's Next?
• The Rams return to Jack Coffey Field to close out their non-conference slate by hosting the Wagner College Seahawks as part of Homecoming 2021 at 1:00 p.m.
 
• This will be the 12th meeting between Fordham and Wagner on the gridiron, the first since a 1987 NCAA Division III playoff contest.
 
• The Seahawks lead the all-time series, 8-3.
 
• All previous eleven meetings came on the NCAA Div. III level.