BRONX, N.Y. Fordham quarterback Kevin Eakin threw for 320 yards and one touchdown as the Rams beat аIJʿª½±½á¹û 40-31 Saturday at Jack Coffey Field in the Patriot League opener for both teams. The Rams (2-0, 1-0) rolled up 462 yards of total offense behind the steady passing of Eakin and solid running of tailback Kirwin Watson. Watson rushed for a game-high 157 yards and two touchdowns.
аIJʿª½±½á¹û, (0-2, 0-1) which was shutout in its opening week loss to Villanova, came alive offensively gaining 398 yards of offense. Quarterback Tom McCune connected on 22-of-33 attempts for 266 yards and one touchdown. Nate Thomas rushed for 103 yards on 21 carries.
The Raider defense looked tough early. Josh Sabo sacked Eakin on the second play of the game and Max Wynn intercepted the Rams’ second pass of the game at the аIJʿª½±½á¹û 34-yard line, giving the Raider offense good field position.
McCune put the Raiders up 7-0 nine plays later when he kept the ball on an option and went untouched into the Fordham end zone with 9:34 remaining in the first quarter. The аIJʿª½±½á¹û defense produced another turnover on Fordham’s next possession when defensive tackle Maurice Bowers forced an Eakin fumble. Linebacker Chris Rowland jumped on the ball, giving аIJʿª½±½á¹û the ball at Fordham’s 48-yard line.
The Ram defense held, however, forcing аIJʿª½±½á¹û to punt three plays later. Fordham mounted a 12-play, 80-yard drive on the ensuing possession, capped by a quarterback sneak from one-yard out. Matt Fordyce added the extra point, tying the ballgame at 7-7 with 13:38 remaining in the first half.
The Raiders’ next offensive series ended in disaster. Faced with a fourth-and-two on his own 29-yard line, аIJʿª½±½á¹û head coach Dick Biddle elected to attempt a fake punt. The snap went directly to backup quarterback Rob Markert, who scrambled away from pressure and threw a pass that landed in the arms of Fordham’s Adam Foley. Foley took the ball 20 yards for the touchdown, giving the Rams a 14-7 lead with 12:33 left in the second quarter.
аIJʿª½±½á¹û responded on its next possession with an eight-play, 74-yard drive resulting in a one-yard touchdown by fullback Eric Guglielmotti, tying the game at 14 apiece.
Fordham regained the lead 10 plays later when Fordyce hit a 31-yard field goal, giving the Rams a 17-14 edge with 4:06 to go in the half. They pushed the lead to 24-14 after holding аIJʿª½±½á¹û to three-and-out when Eakin hit Steve Porco on a 38-yard touchdown strike. аIJʿª½±½á¹û had an opportunity to pull within 21-17 with seconds remaining in the first half, but Akeem Greenfield blocked kicker Lane Schwarzberg’s field goal attempt from 37 yards out as time expired.
The Raiders took the opening possession of the second half and marched 80 yards in nine plays. McCune hit wide receiver Luke Graham twice in the drive for 48 yards and Thomas took care of the last 16 yards when he took a handoff from McCune and raced to the end zone, making the score 24-21 with 10:41 left in the third quarter.
Fordyce added a 27-yard field goal on the Rams’ ensuing drive, extending the Fordham lead to 27-21. Sophomore Chris Brown took the following kickoff 80 yards to the Fordham 15, giving the Raiders excellent field position. J.B. Gerald took a shovel pass from McCune three plays later and dashed nine yards for the score. Schwarzberg’s PAT made it 28-27, giving аIJʿª½±½á¹û its first lead since 9:24 in the first quarter.
аIJʿª½±½á¹û looked like it was going to extend the lead after defensive end Rashard Raigns sacked Eakin from his blind-side, causing him to fumble. аIJʿª½±½á¹û’s Brian Lemek recovered the fumble, giving the Raiders the ball at their own 47. Fordham’s defense held, however, yielding only a 29-yard field goal by Schwarzberg, which pushed the Raiders’ lead to 31-27.
Watson and the Rams roared back to take the lead seven plays later, when Watson took a handoff from Eakin and bulldozed nine yards into the end zone to regain the edge, 33-31. Fordyce missed the extra point, but the point wouldn’t hurt the Rams. Watson added another touchdown with 1:37 to put Fordham ahead for good 40-31.
The loss was Biddle’s first-ever to Fordham, which has won seven straight games dating back to last season.
GAME NOTES:
Fordham is 2-0 for the first time since the 1997 season’ the Raider defense has allowed over 400 yards in two consecutive games’ Thomas recorded his fourth game with at least 100 yards rushing’ Kirwin Watson’s 157 rushing yards is most allowed by аIJʿª½±½á¹û since October 27, 2001 when Lafayette’s Joe McCourt gained 160 yards’ Brown’s 80-yard kickoff return was the 15th longest in school history ‘ Linebacker Ryan Disch led the Raiders with 11 tackles’ Rob Hannah recorded his third sack of the season, which leads аIJʿª½±½á¹û this year’the Rams converted on 10-of-15 third downs.