Football Routs Colgate, 40-8

Bronx, N.Y. – When you think of Easter you think of ham, Easter eggs, and hot cross buns. For the Fordham football squad, they will think of turnovers, though not the edible variety. The Rams took advantage of seven Colgate turnovers today to rout the Raiders, 40-8, in a Patriot League game on Jack Coffey Field.
 
With the win, Fordham evens its record at 1-1 on the spring while Colgate falls to 0-2.
 
The Fordham offense was led by junior quarterback Tim DeMorat, who completed 22 of 31 passes for 274 yards and two touchdown while running for two more scores. Senior Trey Sneed rushed 23 times for 93 yards and two touchdowns while also catching five passes for 62 yards.
 
Defensively, junior linebacker Ryan Greenhagen paced the Rams with a game-high 16 tackles, seven solo, including one for loss, and he had a pass breakup, while sophomore defensive back Stephen Williams II picked off a pair of passes and recovered a fumble that he returned 25 yards and senior defensive lineman Jeremy Imperati returned an interception for a touchdown.
 
The Rams got on the board, taking advantage of Williams' first interception that was turned into a one-yard DeMorat scoring run just over four minutes into the game.
 
Later in the first Greenhagen got a hand on a Grant Brenenman pass that popped straight up in the air and was intercepted by Imperati, who carried it three yards to the end zone for a 14-0 Fordham lead with 5:51 left in the first.
 
DeMorat made it a 21-0 game with his second rushing touchdown, a five-yarder, five minutes into the second quarter, and the lead would hold up into the intermission.
 
On Colgate's first possession of the second half, Williams scooped up a Raiders fumble and returned it 25 yards to the Fordham 45. Eleven plays later Nick Leinenweber kicked a 35-yard field goal to make it a 24-0 game.
 
After Colgate scored later in the third to cut the Fordham deficit to 24-8, Fordham scored 16 unanswered points in the fourth quarter for the win.
 
Takeaways
• The win snaps a three-game Colgate winning streak in the all-time series.
 
• Imperati and sophomore defensive back Jackson Barletta each recorded their first career interception.
 
• Freshman wide out Mekai Felton made his first collegiate reception in the fourth quarter.
 
• Tyler Cook made his first collegiate tackle a memorable one, tackling Colgate quarterback Harry Kirk in the end one for a safety.
 
• Junior kicker Nick Leinenweber punted five times for 189 yards (37.8 yards/punt) with two landing inside the 20.
 
By the Numbers
5 – Interceptions by the Rams.
 
7 – Total turnovers gained by the Rams.
 
16 – Tackles by Ryan Greenhagen, the most for a Patriot League player this spring.
 
35 – Career touchdowns by Tim DeMorat, good for fifth on the Fordham career list.
 
57 – Wins by Fordham football since 2012, the most for any New York City area football team.
 
441 – Career completions for Tim DeMorat, seventh all-time at Fordham.
 
What's Next?
• The Rams are scheduled to travel to Lewisburg, Pa., to face the Bucknell University Bison for a Patriot League contest in Christy Mathewson Stadium next Saturday, April 10.
 
• The Bison lead the all-time series, 18-17, but the Rams have won the past seven meetings.
 

Tim DeMorat and the defense had a big day as @FORDHAMFOOTBALL won big over Colgate on Saturday.@NCAA_FCS | @PatriotLeagueFB | @ESPN pic.twitter.com/Od3K6hrRVX

— Patriot League on ESPN (@PatriotLeagueTV) April 4, 2021