Football Edged by Holy Cross

Bronx, N.Y. – Fordham fans arriving at Moglia Stadium at Jack Coffey Field for today's Patriot League football game with Holy Cross saw something they haven't seen in a while. The Sun. After playing their first three home games in rainy conditions, Fordham found itself playing in front of a sold out Family Weekend crowd under clear blue skies. Unfortunately the fans saw something else that hasn't happened in a while. A Ram loss at Moglia Stadium as a two-point conversion with 54 seconds left came up short as the Rams fell to Holy Cross, 49-47.
 
With the loss, Fordham falls to 5-3 overall, 1-2 in the Patriot League, while Holy Cross improves to 5-3 overall, 3-1 in the conference. It was Fordham's first home loss since 2021, snapping an eight-game home winning streak for the Rams.
 
Overshadowed by the loss was the performance of the Fordham offense, which amassed over 600 yards total yards. Leading the way was junior running back Julius Loughridge, who rushed 25 times for 211 yards and three touchdowns while sophomore quarterback CJ Montes completed 29 of 36 passes for a career-high 410 yards and four scores. Grad student wide receiver Garrett Cody led the Rams with eight catches for 127 yards and two touchdowns while grad student wide out MJ Wright chipped in with seven receptions for 164 yards and one score.
 
Defensively, junior linebacker James Conway recorded a career-high 21 tackles, six solo, including one for loss, and he added a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry.
 
After Holy Cross took a 49-41 lead on a pick six with 5:00 remaining, the first interception thrown by Montes this year, Montes drove the Rams down to the Holy Cross four where Loughridge bounced off the pile and into the end zone to cut the deficit to two, 49-47, with 54 seconds left.
 
The Rams then attempted the two-point conversion as Loughridge took a shovel pass from Montes but was stopped just short of the goal line.
 
Takeaways
• Fordham sophomore quarterback CJ Montes has thrown 21 touchdown passes in his first eight games as the Ram starting quarterback, tying him with Mike Nebrich who also threw 21 scoring passes in his first year as the Fordham starter and Kevin Anderson who had 21 touchdown passes in 2015.
 
• The Rams entered the game having thrown the second most touchdown passes of any NCAA FCS school over the past two years.
 
• James Conway recorded his third straight double-digit tackle game and his sixth of the season.
 
• MJ Wright had his third 100-yard receiving games of the year and the seventh of his career.
 
• Garrett Cody notched his third 100-yard receiving game of the year and the fifth of his Fordham career.

• The last Rams to score three rushing touchdowns in a game was D'Angelo Palladino against Lehigh exactly six years ago today.
 
• Junior defensive lineman Matt Jaworski recorded his second straight two sack game.
 
• The Rams wore their black uniforms for the first time this year.

• Fordham is now 11-3 at Moglia Stadium over the past three years.
 
By the Numbers
11 – Different Fordham receivers to catch a pass in the game.
 
20 -Career receiving touchdowns for MJ Wright, seventh best all-time at Fordham.
 
21 – Tackles by James Conway, tying his career-high.
 
103 – PATs for Brandon Peskin, good for third on the Fordham career list.
 
164 – Career receptions for MJ Wright, moving him into a tie for ninth on the Fordham career list.
 
209 – Net rushing yards for the Rams, Fordham's second straight 200-yard rushing game and its third of the season.

267 - Passes thrown this year by CJ Montes beafore throwing an interception.
 
345 – Career tackles for James Conway, moving him into fourth all-time at Fordham.

410 – Passing yards by CJ Montes, a career-high, the 25^th 400-yard passing day for a Fordham quarterback in school history.
 
619 – Total offense for the Rams, a season-high.
 
2,571 – Career receiving yards for MJ Wright, moving him onto seventh on the Fordham all-time list.
 
What's Next?
• The Rams return action by hosting the Bucknell University Bison for a Patriot League game on Saturday, November 4 at Moglia Stadium at 1:00 p.m.
 
• This will be the 39th meeting between Fordham and Bucknell on the gridiron.
 
• Fordham leads the all-time series, which started in 1929, 20-18, and has taken the past ten meetings, including a 59-17 win last year in Lewisburg as Tim DeMorat completed 31 of 49 passes for 346 yards and five touchdowns with Fotis Kokosioulis catching 12 of those passes for 132 yards and two scores.
 
• Fordham won 66-21 at Moglia Stadium in 2021 as Tim DeMorat completed 26 of 36 passes for 318 yards and tied a school record with six touchdowns with Fotis Kokosioulis catching three of the scoring strikes.
 
• Fordham is 17-16 against Bucknell since joining the Patriot League with the Bison winning the first nine meetings.
 
• The Rams are 8-8 against Bucknell at Moglia Stadium.