Football Edged by Holy Cross, 19-16

Worcester, Mass. – For Superman it's kryptonite. For Spider-Man it's Ethyl chloride. For Daredevil it's a vulnerability to powerful sounds or odors. For the past seven years for Fordham football it's been Holy Cross. Unfortunately the Rams couldn't find the magic elixir today to do away with the Crusaders as Holy Cross defeated Fordham, 19-13, in a Patriot League game on Fitton Field.
 
With the loss, Fordham falls to 0-7 overall, 0-2 in the Patriot League, while Holy Cross improves to 3-4 overall, 2-0 in the League.
 
The Fordham defense was led by senior linebacker James Conway, who finished with a game-high 17 total tackles, including one for loss, while grad student linebacker Jackson Barletta added eleven stops and grad student linebacker Mike Courtney made nine.
 
Freshman kicker Bennett Henderson provided the Rams with nine points on offense, connecting on all three of his field goal attempts, including a 52-yarder in the first quarter that gave the Rams a 6-0 lead.
 
The Rams took a 13-6 lead following a one-yard Julius Loughridge touchdown run midway through the third quarter, a score set up by a 39-yard pass from Jack Capaldi to Cole Thornton.
 
But the Crusaders came right back to tie the game on the ensuing possession and the game would remain tied until early in the fourth when Henderson booted his third field goal of the game to give the Rams a 16-13 lead with 12:29 remaining.
 
Holy Cross answered the Fordham score with a short touchdown pass to take the lead for good, 19-16, with 6:14 on the clock.
 
The Rams had two possessions following the Holy Cross score but couldn't pick up a first down on either possession.
 
Takeaways
• Bennett Henderson is the first Fordham freshman kicker to connect on three field goals in a game since Andrew Mevis did it in 2017.

• After missing the first five games of the year, senior linebacker James Conway appeared in his second straight game for the Rams.

• Conway has recorded double figures in tackles in eight straight games and eleven of his past 12 games dating back to last year.
 
• Freshman defensive back Boogie Owens recorded his first career interception in the game.
 
• The last three games between the two teams have been decided by a total of seven points (the previous two contests came down to a two-point conversion).
 
• It was the lowest scoring Fordham-Holy Cross game since a 17-13 Holy Cross win in 2018.
 
• The Rams entered the game leading the NCAA in fourth down attempts but were 0-for-2 today (Holy Cross converted its lone fourth down attempt on what proved to be its game winning drive).
 
• The Rams appeared to have recovered a Holy Cross fumble on a punt return as the ball bounced off the Crusader returner and into the hands of Walker Adkinson but the Rams were called for kick catch interference on the play.
 
• Holy Cross now leads the Ram Crusader Cup series, 23-16.
 
• The game was the Rams' first on natural grass since they played in Worcester in 2022.
 
• It will be the first of two games on grass this year for the Rams (at Lehigh).
 
• The 2024 Fordham football squad has played five of its first seven games on the road.
 
By the Numbers
23 – Career rushing touchdowns for Julius Loughridge, ninth all-time for the Rams.
 
26 - Fourth down attempts by the Rams this season, the most for any NCAA FBS or FCS team.
 
417 – Career tackles for James Conway, moving him ahead of Mark Blazejewski (1988-92) and into second on the Fordham career tackles list. He is nine shy of Ryan Greenhagen's record of 426.
 
2,618 – Career rushing yards for Julius Loughridge, seventh on the Fordham career list.
 
What's Next?
• After a week off, the Rams continue the 2024 season by traveling to Bethlehem, Pa., for a Patriot League matchup with Lehigh University at Goodman Stadium on Saturday, October 26, at 12:00 p.m.
 
• It will be the 36th meeting between Fordham and Lehigh on the gridiron.
 
• The Mountain Hawks lead the all-time series, which started in 1923, 25-10.
 
• Fordham has taken the past three meetings, including a 38-35 win at Moglia Stadium last October as Brandon Peskin connected on a 45-yard field goal, his third of the game, as time expired to lead the Rams to the Homecoming win.