The past two weeks for Fordham Football have been the calm before the storm in many ways.
After defeating Stony Brook University 26-7 on Oct. 14 away from home, Fordham had a free Saturday this past weekend thanks to their second bye week of the season. The Rams will now gear up for their biggest game of the season thus far: a mammoth clash with the College of the Holy Cross on Saturday, Oct. 28, at Moglia Stadium.
Against Stony Brook, Fordham moved past the Seawolves amidst a steady flow of rain. The game had a slightly old-school feel to it, with the Rams doing most of their damage on the ground. Junior running back Julius Loughridge led the way with 154 yards rushing and two touchdowns, while freshman Jamell James contributed 44 yards and a score. Fordham’s defense also played a key role, forcing three turnovers and limiting Stony Brook to just seven points.
And while the final score of 26-7 may flatter Fordham, the game was a lot closer until the late stages. Both teams struggled to get their offenses going in the first half, with Fordham taking a slim 6-0 lead into the second quarter thanks to two field goals from senior Brandon Peskin. A Stony Brook touchdown from quarterback Casey Case to receiver Anthony Johnson put Stony Brook on top early in the second quarter, and that score would remain going into the halftime break.
In the third quarter, Fordham drove deep into Stony Brook territory on a 12-play drive, but a touchdown was nullified thanks to an offensive pass interference penalty from graduate student Garrett Cody. Fordham then attempted a field goal from Peskin, but it was blocked by Stony Brook keeping the score at 7-6.
Fordham then got the ball back after a defensive stop. They were forced to punt, but a roughing the kicker penalty on Stony Brook resulted in a fresh set of downs. Fordham took advantage of that break and marched down the field, taking over seven minutes to do so.
On the last play of the third quarter, Loughridge punched the ball in from six yards out to give Fordham a 12-7 lead. The Rams went for two in order to make it a seven-point game, but the attempt was unsuccessful.
Fordham’s defense then took over in the fourth quarter. Case was strip sacked by junior Matt Jaworski, and sophomore Colby Spencer jumped on the loose ball on Stony Brook’s 12-yard line for the turnover.
With just 12 yards to the endzone, Fordham took no time at all in extending their lead. Loughridge picked up his second touchdown of the day on a two-yard run, making the score 19-7 Fordham.
Jaworski struck again on the next possession, once again sacking Case and forcing the fumble. This one was recovered by sophomore Sam Buerkle on the Stony Brook 19-yard line. Again with a short field, James carried the ball for the 19-yard score on the first play of Fordham’s drive. In an instant, Fordham found themselves with a 26-7 lead thanks almost entirely to the play of their defense.
The Rams then iced the game with a five-minute possession that concluded with a kneel down to send Fordham home happy as 26-7 winners.
After the game, Fordham head coach Joe Conlin commented on his defense’s ability to force turnovers against the Seawolves. “It felt great,” he said. “We know what those guys are capable of. Our defensive line, we’ve been challenging them for the last couple of weeks to be more active in the pass rush and they really came through.”
Now, the focus shifts to Holy Cross. The Crusaders had their 18-game Patriot League-winning streak snapped on Saturday with a 38-35 home loss to Lafayette.
Because of that, it’s Lafayette who currently sits atop the Patriot League. Holy Cross will have something to prove against Fordham this Saturday.
The Rams lost a heart breaker to Holy Cross last season in Massachusetts, a result that essentially handed the Patriot League title to the Crusaders. This Holy Cross team appears to be more human after they’ve lost three games already this season.
For Fordham, a win against the Crusaders would be a statement about their intentions this season. It’s also family weekend, so the crowd at Moglia Stadium should be a big one.
Fordham and Holy Cross are set to kickoff at 1 p.m. on Saturday. The game can be streamed live on ESPN+ or listened to on WFUV 90.7 FM.
