A bye week is huge for any team in the midst of a long and grueling season. It’s a chance to reset, regroup and prepare for the home stretch of the campaign. Fordham Football headed into their week off on the perfect note after defeating Stony Brook University 45-14 on Oct. 15. 

Senior quarterback Tim DeMorat once again took center stage for the Rams, throwing for 371 yards and three touchdowns. But the Florida native had lots of help on the offensive side against the Seawolves. For the third consecutive week, Fordham had a 100-yard rusher out of the backfield. Sophomore Julias Loughridge ran for 111 and added two touchdowns to pace the Fordham ground game. 

Through the air, senior receiver Dequece Carter hauled in eight passes for 140 yards and a touchdown, while fellow senior MJ Wright added two scores. 

While slow starts have plagued the Rams throughout this season, they got off on just the right foot against Stony Brook. Fordham put up 31 unanswered points in the first half, highlighting both an explosive offensive performance and a stout defensive effort. 

Sophomore linebacker James Conway recorded an impressive 15 tackles and graduate student linebacker Ryan Greenhagen added eight more as the Rams defensive unit held Stony Brook scoreless through three quarters of play. The Seawolves struck twice in the fourth quarter, but Fordham was well on their way to victory at that point. Fordham’s 45-14 win was their largest margin of victory this season.

On the reasons behind the improved play of his defense, Fordham head coach Joe Conlin said after the game, “It’s a couple things. Our secondary is playing better. I think they’re being more competitive on balls downfield. I think we’ve done a really good job against the run since Monmouth and really even since the one long run against Albany … We’ve still gotta do a better job of generating a pass rush and things like that.”

Fordham’s bye week following the Stony Brook game was not a total vacation, as the Rams continued to hit the weight room and practice throughout the early part of the week. They were able to relax this past weekend before focusing their attention towards the rest of the conference schedule.

With a week of rest behind them, Fordham now heads into their biggest game of the season: a monumental clash with the College of the Holy Cross. Holy Cross is the gold standard of the Patriot League. They’ve won the conference three years in a row and have the most all-time titles with nine. The Crusaders sit at a perfect 7-0 this season and haven’t lost a Patriot League game since a November 2019 defeat to Lafayette College.

For Fordham, this weekend’s game represents a chance to measure themselves. Yes, Fordham’s offense has operated at a historic pace so far this season. Yes, they are 6-1 and could be 7-0 if not for a late-game stumble against Ohio University on the road. But Holy Cross on the road is a different beast entirely.

Last season, Fordham began conference play 4-0 before they faced the Crusaders at Jack Coffey Field. This matchup was discussed in the same light then, as a chance for Fordham to truly see how they stacked up against the Patriot League’s best. They failed the challenge, falling to Holy Cross 52-24. DeMorat struggled, completing just 12 of 27 passes for 223 yards. 

But there are plenty of reasons for Fordham fans to believe that this year can be different. For one, DeMorat’s play is on a completely different level this season compared to last. His 3,023 passing yards are first in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), and his 33 touchdowns rank second. Even though it ended in defeat, DeMorat proved he could hang with top quality opposition when he dropped 500 yards and six touchdowns on Ohio. 

The defense looks much improved in recent weeks, although they’ll certainly be put to the test against Holy Cross. An improved performance against Lehigh University followed by allowing just 14 points against Stony Brook has defensive coordinator Mark Powell’s unit moving in the right direction entering this weekend.

Holy Cross are coming off their closest game of the season, a grueling 24-21 win over Lafayette on the road this past weekend. The Crusaders were put to the test in that one, needing a late fourth quarter touchdown from Matthew Sluka to Justin Shorter to secure the win. Fordham will certainly have watched the tape on that game to decide how they want to attack the Crusaders.

Fordham and Holy Cross will kickoff this Saturday in Worcester, Mass. at 1 p.m. The game can be streamed live on ESPN+ or listened to on WFUV 90.7.