Fordham University Athletics

Easton, Pa. – There is a paradox about what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. The metaphor originates in the Chinese story of a perfect spear that can pierce all shields and a perfect shield that stops all spears. Entering today's game the unstoppable force was the Fordham offense, which entered the game second in the Patriot League in scoring, while the immovable object was the Lafayette defense, which entered the game second in the conference in scoring defense. Today the immovable object won as the Leopards held the Ram offense to their lowest output of the season, handing Fordham a 24-16 Patriot League loss at Fisher Stadium.
 
With the loss, Fordham falls to 6-4 overall, 2-3 in the Patriot League, while Lafayette improves to 8-2 overall, 4-1 in the league.
 
Sophomore quarterback CJ Montes led the Fordham offense, having a hand in both Ram touchdowns. He completed 23 of 34 passes for 253 yards and one score and ran for another. Grad student Garrett Cody led the Fordham receivers with eight catches for 96 yards while grad student receiver MJ Wright added seven receptions for 86 yards.
 
Defensively, junior linebacker James Conway recorded ten tackles, including one for loss, while sophomore linebacker Marc Pretto added six stops, three solo.
 
Montes scored on a one-yard run with 9:28 left on the game to cut the Fordham deficit to seven, 17-10. But on the first play from scrimmage on Lafayette's ensuing possession, running back Jamar Curtis burst through the line and down the left side for a gain of 71 yards. Three plays later the Leopard scored to make it a 24-10 game.
 
Fordham responded with a ten-play, 73-yard drive, scoring when Montes connected with junior running back Julius Loughridge on a 15-yard scoring pass with 3:25 left to cut the Lafayette lead to eight, 24-16.
 
The Fordham defense held Lafayette on the first three plays of the ensuing possession but the Leopards converted a fourth and one on their own 34 to put the game away.
 
Takeaways
• CJ Montes has thrown at least one touchdown pass in nine of the ten games this year.
 
• Fordham entered the game with the second most touchdown passes thrown over the past two years.
 
• Julius Loughridge appeared to have scored on a 24-yard run early in the second quarter but a review of the play ruled that he was down on the Lafayette eleven where Brandon Peskin connected on a 29-yard field goal.
 
• The Rams had drives today of 15 and 17 plays.
 
• Fordham fell for just the second time in eight games this year when gaining more yards than the opponent (366-348).
 
• The Lafayette defense entered the game leading the Patriot League in sacks (3.67/game) but the Fordham offensive line allowed just one sack today.
 
• Lafayette starting quarterback Dean DeNobile is the brother of Fordham defensive back Jed DeNobile.
 
By the Numbers
6 – Tackles for loss recorded by Fordham, two from Eli Armstrong.
 
14 – Field goals kicked this year by Brandon Peskin, sixth most in a season for a Ram.
 
25 – Touchdowns passes thrown by CJ Montes this season, the eighth most for a Fordham quarterback in a season.

107 – PATs for Brandon Peskin, good for third on the Fordham career list.
 
117 – Tackles for James Conway in 2023, his third straight 100-tackle season of his career, and the tenth most in a season for a Ram.
 
178 – Career receptions for MJ Wright, moving him into a tie for sixth on the Fordham career list.
 
369 – Career tackles for James Conway, fourth all-time at Fordham.

1,095 – Rushing yards this season for Julius Loughridge, the eleventh best single season in school history.
 
2,802 – Career receiving yards for MJ Wright, sixth on the Fordham all-time list.
 
What's Next?
• The Rams close out the 2023 regular season by traveling to Hamilton, N.Y., to face the Colgate University Raiders for a Patriot League game on Saturday, November 18 at Andy Kerr Stadium at 1:00 p.m.
 
• This will be the 35th meeting between Fordham and Colgate on the gridiron.
 
• The Raiders lead the all-time series, which started in 1989, 25-9.
 
• The Rams took last year's meeting, 52-38, at Moglia Stadium on November  19 as Tim DeMorat completed 33 of 51 passes for 454 yards and six touchdowns while Trey Sneed rushed 30 times for 230 yards and one score.
 
• Fordham has taken two of the last three meetings including the matchup in the spring of 2021, 40-8, on Jack Coffey Field on April 3 as DeMorat completed 22 of 31 passes for 274 yards and ran for two scores while Sneed rushed 23 times for 93 yards and two touchdowns.
 
• The win snapped a three-game Colgate winning streak in the series.