On Saturday in Pennsylvania, Fordham’s Football team couldn’t get anything going for three quarters, and by the time their offense woke up, the game was out of reach. The Lafayette College Leopards’ defense set the tone early and handed the Rams a 24-10 loss at Fisher Stadium.

The Leopards held the Rams scoreless until the fourth quarter, despite another strong outing from junior quarterback Gunnar Smith, who threw for 354 yards and a touchdown.

Sophomore receiver Jack Freeburg is making a name for himself this season. Freeburg had a career-best 113 receiving yards against Lafayette, while freshman Troy Worrell added 91 yards and a touchdown.

Graduate student linebacker James Conway led the Rams’ defense once again with 11 tackles, adding to his Patriot League record of 522. Defensive back Boogie Owens added nine tackles and an interception, as Fordham’s defense held Lafayette to just 83 rushing yards, which was well below its season average of over 200.

Lafayette was led by quarterback Dean DeNobile. DeNobile passed for 314 yards and two touchdowns on 25 completions, helping the Leopards to stay in control. He also played a key role in keeping Lafayette’s offense efficient during their early scoring drives.
With the loss, Fordham falls to 1-5 overall and 1-2 in the Patriot League. Lafayette moves to a record of 4-2 and remains undefeated in Patriot League play at 2-0.

In the end, Fordham’s attempt at a late rally was not enough to overcome a slow start and Lafayette’s strong defense. With the season entering its second half, the Rams will need to build on the positives and regroup quickly to turn things around. They have a bye week next week, and then will return home to face Dartmouth College for homecoming Oct. 18.