Rams Ground the Hawks in 54-31 Victory

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On September 19th, fans in the crowd cheer on the Fordham Rams at Jack Coffey Field. (PHOTO BY LYDIA BENNER/ THE OBSERVER)

By LUKE MOMO

Coming off their celebratory stomp of Columbia last week, the Fordham Rams were determined to keep the momentum going as they played the Monmouth Hawks on Saturday at home on Jack Coffey Field. That focus and passion was evident on the field as the Rams routed Monmouth 54-31 as the offense, defense, and special teams each contributed to the victory. It was yet another beautiful fall afternoon for offensive fireworks as the Rams unleashed their aerial arsenal lead by junior Quarterback Kevin Anderson. Returning from last weeks stellar performance that merited him Patriot League Player of the Week, Anderson wasted no time out of the gate as he led the Rams on a ten play, 86 yard drive capped off by a five-yard touchdown toss to freshman Corey Caddle.

Anderson would go on to complete 19 of his 27 passes for a whopping 340 yards an 5 touchdowns. In the fold was the talented sophomore Fordham running back Chase Edmonds who would catch two Anderson touchdowns alongside earning 95 yards on the ground on 18 carries. Fordham’s diverse wide receiving core came up in the clutch for Anderson as Junior Robbie Cantelli caught 7 receptions for 119 yards. Freshman Jordan Allen amazingly made the most of his first ever collegiate reception when he caught a 60 yard bomb from Anderson for a touchdown. Overall, the offense did a good job spreading the wealth as seven players each recorded a reception-three of which were true Freshmen.

Alongside their offensive fire power, Fordham’s defense played exceptionally well as they took advantage of several Monmouth misfires. Linebacker Stephen Hodge, a Graduate student returning from an injury that kept him out of the 2014 season, played admirably making 15 tackles, breaking up a pass, and snatching a crucial interception that took the air out of any hope for a Monmouth comeback. Senior JQ Bowers also preyed on the Monmouth passing game as he recorded two game-changing interceptions.

Through combining their offensive firepower and defensive domination, the Rams kept the Hawks from making the game competitive as the closest point differential margin was a staggering 18 points. Even the Special Teams chipped in to help bury Monmouth as Junior kicker Makay Redd booted a nearly record-breaking 54 yard field goal kick.

After the game, Head Coach Joe Moorhead proudly reflected on the fact that his team truly played as a team and that the accomplishment of the day was not reflected by a handful of individuals statistics but rather shared by the collective whole. Even the players that didn’t see the field, like the scout team players, were instrumental in preparing the team for victory. With another impressive victory under their belt, the Rams are now 3-1 and will prepare throughout the week for when they travel to Easton, Pennsylvania to defend their Patriot League title from the Lafayette College Leopards in Fisher Stadium at 6:00 p.m, Saturday October 3rd.