The Rams earned their first ever victory over Pennsylvania on a rainy Fall afternoon at Jack Coffey Field (Kelly Kultys/The Fordham Ram)
By Max Prinz
Fordham entered Saturday’s contest with the University of Pennsylvania with an 0-5 all-time record against the Quakers. The Rams dropped the last matchup, 35-20, in 2011.
The Rams threw that history out the window on Saturday, rewriting the Fordham record books in the process.
The Rams lit up the scoreboard against UPenn on Saturday, defeating the Quakers 60-22. The Rams racked up a single-game record 730 yards of total offense and put up their highest point total of the Joe Moorhead era.
“The past five weeks our preparation has been really good,” head coach Joe Moorhead said after the game. “When you have the ability to run the ball and pass the ball with equal effectiveness and you have a multitude of weapons to spread the ball around to it makes you very difficult to defend.”
Senior quarterback Mike Nebrich put up a jaw-dropping 566 yards passing, breaking his own single-game record. He also tied the school’s single-game record, throwing six touchdowns.
Senior Tebucky Jones, despite not playing in the second half, was Nebrich’s favorite target against the Quakers, catching 10 passes for 203 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Not to be outdone, senior Sam Ajala added a 100-yard day of his own, with eight catches for 199 yards and a score.
Nebrich was quick to give credit to his teammates after the game.
“I think myself and the rest of the offensive unit, especially the o-line and the wideouts have been playing really well for me,” Nebrich said. “Numbers like this, in my mind, they speak more to how the offensive line played and how the receivers played.”
The Fordham defense was beaten up at times, but still managed to make a number of impact plays. UPenn racked up 194 yards on the ground and another 316 through the air but, the Quakers did lose a pair of fumbles and were picked off twice.
Senior Austin Hancock put in a strong performance, recording 12 tackles, 2 sacks and a forced fumble that fellow senior DeAndre Slate recovered for a defensive touchdown. Seniors Levon Williams and De’Nard Pinckney each added an interception. The Rams also made several defensive stands inside their own 10 yard line.
“I thought we made some momentum-changing plays, particularly the sack-fumble,” Moorhead said. “That was certainly a catalyst for our success in the first half.”
Freshman Chase Edmonds continued his phenomenal freshman campaign, rushing for 101 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. Edmonds is the first freshman in Fordham history to record a 1,000 yard season on the ground.
“I came in ambitious,” Edmonds said. “I worked my butt off and came here with the mindset to compete. I don’t know whether 1,000 yards was one of my goals. I just wanted to contribute to the team as best as I could and anything positive is a blessing.”
Following the win, the Rams enter a bye week before traveling to Lehigh on Oct. 25.
Max Prinz is the Sports Editor for the Fordham Ram
