Football Falls in NCAA Championship Game at New Hampshire

Durham, N.H. – Three members of the Fordham coaching staff spent time at the University of New Hampshire in various capacities over the years. Unfortunately, it was not a joyous homecoming for them as the Wildcats defeated the Rams, 52-42, in a first round game of the 2022 NCAA FCS Championship at Wildcat Stadium.
 
With the loss, Fordham closes out the season with a 9-3 record.
 
Senior quarterback Tim DeMorat went out on a high note, completing 25 of 41 passes for 330 yards and three touchdowns. His 330 passing yards brought his career total to 13,454 yards, breaking the former Patriot League career record of 13,445 set by Holy Cross' Dominic Randolph (2006-2009).
 
Fordham's top receiver on the day was senior Fotis Kokosioulis who set a Patriot League post-season game record with 14 receptions for 132 yards and he also rushed for 15 yards and two scores. He broke the post-season record of 13 set by Lehigh's Ryan Spadola in 2011 and matched by Fordham's Dan Light in 2013.
 
Kokosioulis' 14 receptions brought his season total to 103, a new school record.
 
Grad student running back Trey Sneed rushed 17 times for 139 yards, his second straight 100-yard game and his fifth of the season.
 
Defensively, sophomore linebacker James Conway led the Rams with 13 total tackles, five solo, including 1.5 for loss, while senior defensive back Stephen Williams II had 12 stops, nine solo, and he broke up a pass.
 
The Rams took the opening kickoff and drove to the New Hampshire 10 but a Fordham fumble was recovered by the Wildcats who wasted little time in capitalizing on it, scoring on the second play from scrimmage.
 
New Hampshire went up 14-0 later in the quarter and led 28-14 late in the second when DeMorat connected with MJ Wright on a 55-yard scoring strike to make it a one-score game at the break, 28-21.
 
The Wildcats scored on the first offensive play of the second half and led by 14 against late in the third but a Kokosioulis 9-yard run made it a 42-35 game early in the fourth but that was as a close as they would get.
 
Takeaways
• This was Fordham's sixth appearance in the NCAA FCS Championship, the first since 2015.

• It was the Rams' third at-large bid to the championship.
 
• Fordham Head coach Joe Conlin served as an assistant coach for the Wildcats from 2004-2010, coaching the defensive line (2004-2007), the defensive backs (2008), and the offensive line (2009-2010).
 
• Fordham associate head coach/wide receivers coach Art Asselta served as an assistant at UNH in 2012, leading the wide receivers.

• Fordham offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Kevin Decker played at New Hampshire for four years, earning CAA Player of the Year honors as a senior in 2011.
 
• The game was played just shy of the 20th anniversary of Fordham's first NCAA FCS Championship game win at Northeastern (November 30, 2002).
 
• The Rams finish the season with three 1,000-yard receivers in Fotis Kokosioulis (1,312), Dequece Carter (1,166), and MJ Wright (1,156).
 
By the Numbers
13 – Total tackles for sophomore linebacker James Conway, his eighth double figure tackle game this year.
 
34 – Career 200-yard passing games for Tim DeMorat, a new school record (former mark was 26 by John Skelton (2006-2009).
 
52.0 – Punting average for Will Haslett.

56 – Passing touchdowns in 2022 for Tim DeMorat, a school and Patriot League record (old record as 35 by Fordham's Mike Nebrich in 2013).

76 – PATs on the season for junior kicker Brandon Peskin, a school record (former mark was 64 by Michael Marando in 2014).
 
103 – Receptions this year by Fotis Kokosioulis, a new school record (former record was 101 by Javarus Dudley in 2003).
 
123 – Career touchdown passes for Tim DeMorat, a school and Patriot League record (former Patriot League record was 117 by Holy Cross' Dominic Randolph).

229 – Career receptions for Fotis Kokosioulis, third on the Fordham all-time list.

594 – School-record points scored by Fordham in 2022 (school record is 569 set by the 2014 team).
 
247 – Career solo tackles for Ryan Greenhagen, a new school record (former record was 232 by Ian Williams (2011-2014).

425 – Career tackles for Ryan Greenhagen, breaking the Fordham career tackles record of 409 set by Mark Blazejewski (1988-92).
 
1,032 – Career completions for Tim DeMorat, a new school record (old record was 802 by John Skelton (2006-2009) and second all-time in the Patriot League.
 
1,312 – Receiving yards this year for Fotis Kokosioulis, third best in a season for a Ram.
 
2,994 – Career receiving yards for Fotis Kokosioulis, fifth on the all-time list for the Rams.

3,019 – Career receiving yards for Dequece Carter, fourth place all-time at Fordham.

4,891 – Passing yards for Tim DeMorat this season, surpassing Mike Nebrich's school record of 4,380 set in 2013.
  
13,454 – Career passing yards for Tim DeMorat, a Fordham and Patriot League career record.
 
What's Next?
• The Rams are slated to open the 2023 season on August 26 at the University at Albany.