No amount of post-bye week rust or torrential rain could slow down Fordham Football on Saturday afternoon against Stonehill College at Moglia Stadium. The Rams rolled to a 44-0 victory over the Skyhawks behind superb defensive play that saw Fordham record their first shutout since 2018.
Despite the rain, sophomore quarterback CJ Montes turned in another solid performance. He completed 14 of 21 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns, a more modest statline then previous weeks thanks in large part to the weather. But Montes made the throws he needed to as the Rams improved to 3-1 on the season.
Fordham’s defense were the stars of the show this time, limiting Stonehill to just 257 total yards on the day. Junior linebacker James Conway led the way with 10 tackles and a blocked field goal in the second quarter. The defense didn’t get any sacks, but they used the sloppy conditions to their advantage, making it difficult for the Stonehill offense to make any substantial gains.
The game started like most rain-soaked affairs, with neither team able to make any strides on offense in a scoreless first quarter. Stonehill came close to opening the scoring early in the second quarter, when a 13-play drive was capped off by a 40-yard field goal attempt by Perry Shelbred. Shelbred missed the kick, and Fordham took advantage of the break on their ensuing possession.
Senior kicker Brandon Peskin got the Rams on the board with a 25-yard field goal on a drive bolstered by a 57-yard run from freshman running back Jamell James. Fordham struck again before the half-time break, as junior running back Julius Loughridge punched the ball in from one-yard out making it 10-0 Rams.
In the third quarter, the Rams blew the doors off this one. Four touchdown drives and 28 third quarter points put Fordham clear of Stonehill and ensured a victorious Saturday afternoon for the Rams.
First, Montes hit graduate student receiver MJ Wright over the middle of the field for a 28-yard touchdown, Wright’s fourth score of the season. Later in the quarter, Montes found graduate student Garrett Cody on back-to-back big plays to set Fordham up deep in Stonehill territory. Loughridge capped the drive off with a 12-yard touchdown run, his second of the day.
That made it 24-0 Fordham, and the offense didn’t stop there. On Fordham’s next possession, freshman running back Jacob Rodriguez broke a 30-yard run, which was followed by a 17-yard touchdown from Montes to senior receiver Mekai Felton.
Cody then capped off his terrific day with a beautiful play on special teams. With Stonehill set to punt the ball away, Cody broke around the edge and blocked the kick. He recovered the ball and returned it for a touchdown, making it 38-0 Fordham. Cody was Fordham’s leading receiver with 119 yards in addition to the blocked kick and touchdown.
In the fourth quarter, sophomore running back Jack Kaiser punched in a two-yard touchdown to put the cherry on top of Fordham’s performance. The Rams rushed for 245 yards on the day, with six different running backs getting carries. Loughridge was Fordham’s top ball-carrier with 108 yards and two touchdowns.
After the game, Fordham head coach Joe Conlin was once again complimentary of his defensive unit. “The defense were helped out I think by the weather in a couple spots, but I thought they played great for the most part and were pretty opportunistic.”
Conlin then joked about his defense’s inability to secure interceptions, saying, “We still can’t catch to save our lives… It’s now becoming a thing. I’m waiting to see a TikTok of our guys dropping balls! Other than that, great win.”
Now sitting at 3-1, Fordham were ranked #15 in the latest FCS Coaches Poll after being ranked #22 the previous week.
The Rams head into their first Patriot League Contest of the season against Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. this Saturday. Fordham rolled over the Hoyas 59-38 last season thanks to a 348-yard performance by Tim DeMorat.
Georgetown currently sit at 2-2, but one of their losses includes a 23-20 defeat at home against the same Stonehill team Fordham just trounced.
All Patriot League games are difficult, especially those on the road, but Fordham will be looking to get their conference schedule started on the right foot this weekend.
Fordham vs. Georgetown is set for a 2 p.m. kickoff on Saturday and can be streamed live on ESPN+ or listened to on WFUV 90.7 FM.
