Football Falls to Monmouth

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Bronx, N.Y. – Some people use Weather.com when looking for a forecast. Others may tune in to their local television or radio news. Still others may rely on the Farmer's Almanac. Fordham football fans have a different way to determine the weather. Just check the schedule for the Monmouth game and they'll know it will rain. For the second straight season Mother Nature was an unwelcome guest at a Fordham-Monmouth game but the weather didn't slow down the #18/21 Hawks as they defeated the Rams, 49-28,  at Moglia Stadium.
 
With the loss, Fordham falls to 0-2 on the season while Monmouth improves to 2-0.
 
Grad student linebacker James Conway paced the Fordham defense, making a career-high 20 tackles, including one sack and 1.5 for loss, while senior linebacker Andrew Osmun added nine stops, including one for loss.
 
Offensively junior quarterback Gunnar Smith led Fordham's passing attack with 382 yards through the air, completing 27 of 49 passes and tossing three touchdowns. He also added one touchdown on the ground. Junior wide receiver Jabril Carter led the Fordham receivers with five catches for 43 yards and one score, his first collegiate touchdown, while junior running back Jamell James caught five balls for 37 yards and he gained 31 yards on the ground.

How It Happened
• Fordham grabbed a 7-0 lead over Monmouth after scoring the game's first points with 9:50 remaining in the first quarter.
 
• Monmouth then tied it up at 7-7 before the Rams responded with a 12-yard touchdown reception from to jump back in front 14-7.
 
• After Monmouth grabbed a 21-14 lead, Fordham responded with a touchdown to tie the game at 21.
 
• Monmouth twice later in the second to take a 34-21 lead at the break, but the Rams scored on their first possession of the third to close the gap to six, 34-28.
 
• Fordham didn't score again in the game and Monmouth tacked on 15 more points to finish off the scoring.
 
Game Notes
• Conway entered the game leading all active NCAA Div. I tackles in career stops.
 
• Conway recorded his second straight double digit tackle game and 30th the of his career.

• It was Conway's third career 20-tackle game. 
 
• Freshman receiver Troy Worrell scored his first collegiate touchdown in the game on a play that was originally called incomplete but overturned on review.
 
• Fordham won the time of possession battle 31:13 to 28:47.

By the Numbers
9 – Different Fordham receivers to catch a pass in the game.

20 - Tackles by James Conway, two shy of his career-high set against Lehigh in 2021.
 
70 – Long pass play for the Rams in the game, a scoring strike from Smith to Jack Betten
 
473 – Career tackles for James Conway, a school and Patriot League record.
 
6,626 – Career punting yards for Will Haslett, seventh on the Fordham career list.
 
What's Next?
• The Rams travel out to Long Island to face the Stony Brook University Seawolves on Saturday, September 13, at 3:30 p.m.

• It will be the ninth meeting between Fordham and Stony Brook on the gridiron.

• The all-time series is, 4-4, but the Rams have taken three of the past four meetings.

• Stony Brook won last year's matchup, 27-21, at Moglia Stadium as the Seawolves scored ten unanswered points in the fourth quarter to erase a 21-17 deficit.