By Jack McLoone
With the loss, the Rams fell to 2-2 on the season. (The Ram Archives)
In a game colored by Fordham’s defensive struggles, the Monmouth Hawks took a gamble in overtime. They went for the win instead of the tie by going for two and managed to convert, defeating the Rams 42-41.
The Rams dominated the game early on. Junior running back Chase Edmonds pulled off an absolutely beautiful 77-yd touchdown run on their second drive of the game. The ensuing point-after try from senior kicker Makay Redd was blocked at the line, making the score 6-0 Rams. That one point would loom large later in the game.
While the Fordham defense was porous at times, it still continued to force turnovers at an impressive rate. On the ensuing Hawks drive, a bobbled handoff resulted in sophomore linebacker Noah Fitzgerald coming up with the ball for the Rams on their own 35-yard line. Fordham took advantage, as senior quarterback Kevin Anderson eventually found junior wide receiver Robbie Cantelli for a 25-yard score. The Rams went up 13-0 with under seven minutes to go in the first.
The Rams defense showed its soft underbelly on the next Monmouth drive. The Hawks started the drive on their own 39 and were able to methodically move their way down the field. The Rams were especially vulnerable to runs right up the middle. However, they stood tall once the Hawks threatened to enter the end zone, with Fitzgerald wrapping running back Zach Welch for a loss on the 8-yard line to force a field goal. The score was 13-3 Fordham with a little over two minutes left in the first.
The Rams were aggressive on fourth down all game, but ended up with nothing to show for it. They went for it three times but did not convert once. The first time came on the ensuing drive, with the fourth down play almost resulting in an interception from Anderson. The quarterback has been bailed out with dropped interceptions on multiple occasions this season.
The Rams defense stepped up and forced another fumble right away on the next Hawks drive, with Fitzgerald again on the recovery, but the Rams would give it right back. On the second play of the drive, Anderson dropped back to pass, was blindsided and fumbled the ball, which was recovered by Monmouth on the Fordham 44.
The defense continued to bend but not quite break on the next drive, using a couple of pass breakups from senior defensive back Jihad Pretlow and senior linebacker George Dawson to force another field goal. The score was 13-6 Fordham with 12:05 left in the half.
Fordham punted on its next drive, and a penalty on the return put the Hawks all the way back on their own 11. However, Monmouth proceeded to embark on a 16-play, 89-yd drive that ate nearly eight minutes from the clock. The Rams finally gave up their first touchdown, leaving the score tied at 13 with 2:14 left in the half.
The Rams ran the clock down to under a minute before scoring on their next possession, a 54-yd bomb from Anderson to sophomore receiver Austin Longi, who had gotten behind the defense. They scored again just 20 seconds later after a Monmouth fumble on a backwards pass gave them good field position and an opportunity to punch it in with Edmonds. The Rams were up 27-13 at the half.
The Rams faltered in the second half. After forcing a Monmouth punt to start the half, sophomore receiver Jordan Allen coughed up the football and turned it over after being leveled in the middle of the field.
Monmouth gave it right back on another fumble of their own, but the Rams got nothing out of it after going for it on fourth-and-5 from the Monmouth 28 and failing to convert.
On the first play of the next drive, Hawks quarterback Cody Williams threw a simple screen to Reggie White, Jr., which he took to the house thanks to a couple of missed tackles, making it 27-20 with 5:57 left in the third.
The Rams went for it on fourth down once again on their next drive, this time with Anderson looking for Cantelli down the sideline but failing to connect. After starting on their own 31, the Hawks marched to the Fordham 36 before getting stonewalled on third-and-9 thanks to pressure from freshman linebacker Max Roberts. They went for it on fourth down, and unlike Fordham, they were able to convert thanks to a scramble by Williams. Dawson had him stopped short, but he managed to slip the tackle.
A few plays later, White was in the end zone again and the score was knotted at 27 with 13:32 left.
After the Rams failed to do anything on offense for a third straight drive, the Hawks marched down the field to make it 21 unanswered points. The Rams forced another fourth down attempt near midfield, but once again the Hawks converted. Monmouth would ground and pound its way into the end zone, making it 34-27 with just 5:03 left in regulation.
Fordham answered with a score from Edmonds. He broke loose for his third touchdown of the game on the Fordham 45, running through a linebacker and getting past a few other Monmouth defenders to knot the game at 34 with just over two minutes left.
After the defense finally forced a Hawks punt, the Rams had a chance to win the game in regulation thanks to two incredible runs by Kevin Anderson. However, Redd was unable to convert on the 48-yd field goal, sending the game to overtime.
Monmouth won the toss and chose to play defense first, sending the Rams offense on the field to start overtime. After a couple of plays and a first down, Anderson found Longi over the middle, putting the Rams on the 2-yard line. Like clockwork, Edmonds found paydirt a couple of plays later and put the Rams up 41-34.
The Fordham defense continued to struggle in overtime. Monmouth found the end zone quickly, once again on a run up the middle. The Hawks coaching staff then had a decision to make: go for the win, or continue overtime? After calling a timeout, they decided to continue attacking the ineffective Fordham defense and went for the win. While Dawson came in unblocked off the edge, White was somehow left alone in the end zone for an easy completion and a 42-41 Monmouth victory.
The Rams fall to 2-2 with the loss. Their next game will be at home at 1 p.m. against Lafayette, their first Patriot League opponent.
Notes:
- Edmonds had a great day, rushing for 208 yards and four touchdowns on 25 carries. His second touchdown set a new school rushing touchdown record. He has 52 and counting after less than three seasons as a Ram.
- The Rams forced four fumbles, bringing their season total to 10. They now have 15 total turnovers on the season.
- The Rams gave up 481 yards of offense, including an average of 9.1 yards per completion.
- The fumble recovery late in the fourth quarter was originally ruled an incomplete pass. In a rare event in FCS play, video replay was used to overturn the call and give the ball to the Rams.
