Fordham Beats Holy Cross, 45-16, Retains Ram-Crusader Cup

By Max Prinz
_____________________________
Playing in their first Patriot League game since 2009, the Fordham Rams defeated the Holy Cross Crusaders 45-16, showing off their full arsenal of offensive weapons.
Senior quarterback Mike Nebrich continued his stretch of strong play, throwing for 315 yards and four touchdowns. Nebrich spread the wealth among his targets — five different receivers caught at least two passes.
Freshman Chase Edmonds was stellar yet again, racking up 142 yards and another rushing touchdown, his eighth of the year.
The talented Fordham receiving corps also played a significant role in the win, putting its depth on full display. Senior Sam Ajala, Nebrich’s favorite target, suffered a hip contusion and did not play for much of the game, but seniors Brian Wetzel, Tebucky Jones, Marcus Jones and Dan Light all stepped up and picked up the slack.
Marcus Jones, who replaced Ajala, had the best game of his career, catching six passes for 66 yards and a touchdown.
The Rams have won the battle for the Ram-Crusader Cup each of the last three seasons. (MATT ROSENFELD/THE RAM)

The Rams have won the battle for the Ram-Crusader Cup each of the last three seasons. (MATT ROSENFELD/THE RAM)

Early on in the game, it did not look like the Fordham offense would put up close to 45 points. The Rams had a field goal blocked on their second drive of the game and were held scoreless in the first quarter.
The momentum shifted dramatically when Fordham returned the favor and blocked a Holy Cross field goal attempt.
The Rams also got a helping hand from a poor 12-yard Holy Cross punt that gave them the ball just 30 yards away from the end zone. Fordham took advantage of the short field five plays later, when Nebrich found Wetzel for a nine-yard touchdown pass.
The Rams put together another scoring drive before the first half ended, capped by an Edmonds eight-yard touchdown run. Holy Cross managed a field goal on the following drive, but, despite a scoreless first quarter, the Rams had a 14-point advantage going in to halftime.
Holy Cross, however, refused to go away. The Crusaders scored on the second play of the third quarter when Holy Cross quarterback Peter Pujals found Jake Wieczorek for a 74-yard touchdown pass.
The Rams showed the same level of resiliency they have all season, coming out and scoring a touchdown of their own on the following possession. Nebrich led a 10-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Light catching an eight-yard touchdown pass.
Nebrich led another scoring drive in the third quarter, putting the game squarely in the Rams’ control. This time, Nebrich showed off his speed, faking the pass and scrambling across the goal line for a four-yard score. At three quarters of play, Fordham had a commanding 31-9 lead.
Holy Cross attempted a comeback in the fourth quarter, scoring a touchdown when Pujals found Tyler Artim for a 27-yard score, but the Rams refused to let the Crusaders back in the game. Nebrich connected with Wetzel for a 25-yard touchdown pass that put the game away.
The play-action pass, a staple of the Fordham offense, was particularly effective against the Crusaders. Three of the Rams’ scoring plays came out of a play fake, including Nebrich’s rushing touchdown, his first of the season.
The win gives the Rams their first Patriot League victory since 2009, the last year before Fordham gave out athletic scholarships to student-athletes. The Rams have not played a game that counted towards the league standings since then, and head coach Joe Moorhead stressed the importance of conference games this season.
The Rams take on Lafayette at home this Friday night in their second conference game of the season. Kickoff is slated for 6:30 p.m.

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