After winning six straight games, the Rams winning streak came to an end Saturday, Oct. 31 on the road against Colgate. Coach Joe Moorhead’s team had not tasted defeat since early September against Villanova when the leaves were still green, yet this game served as a wake up call. Chase Edmonds string of unbelievable performances came to an end as well with his mediocre game, nevertheless quarterback Kevin Anderson kept the game close to the final play.

The game at first appeared to be a blowout loss for the Rams. A blocked Makay Redd field goal, several sacks on Anderson, and a slow offensive start put them in a 24-9 hole by the end of the first half. To add insult to injury, junior wide receiver Robbie Cantelli suffered an injury in the first quarter that resulted in him leaving the game. In relief of Cantelli, freshman wide receiver Corey Caddle was able to come in and catch an Anderson pass for a touchdown that alleviated the first half Rams’ woes.

By the time the second half began, facing their first loss since September, the Rams looked once again like a team on a mission. Leading the charge was junior quarterback Anderson. His totals on the day saw him throw for career-highs as he threw 34 completions on 49 passing attempts for a massive 378 yards and four touchdown passes. Moorhead’s coaching staff was wise to give Anderson a chance to win the game by taking so many opportunities to tear apart Collages weak secondary, and the results were positive.

Despite Anderson’s proficiency, the Rams recent hero at running back Chase Edmonds struggled. The sophomore ran for a 51 yards on 18 carries for an average of 2.8 yards per carry and no touchdown runs. To give credit where it is due, it should be noted that Colgate’s defense planned excellently to mitigate the Rams powerful ground attack. Every time Edmonds had the ball in his hand, he failed to play like he usually does as a dynamic and powerful running back. Instead, there were always several Colgate defenders chasing him down and preventing him from succeeding.

The defense demonstrated an undesirable ability to allow Colgate to put up big time points and yardage, but the unit did just enough to give the Rams a chance to steal the victory. They held Colgate to a lone touchdown score in the second-half after making crucial adjustments during half time. The game ultimately came down to clutch special teams play on the behalf of Makay Redd’s successful onside kick that capped off the Rams 31-23 comeback by the end of the fourth quarter due to Anderson’s success. The Rams turned the recovering into another touchdown throw, yet they failed the two point conversion afterward resulting in the loss.

Although they still hold a strong record as they sit a 7-2, the Rams must be feeling that they will need to play to prove their worth as contenders within the Patriot League in the coming weeks. That journey towards redemption will start next Saturday at Jack Coffey Field in the Bronx as the Rams host the Bucknell University Bison at 1:00 pm.