With the first Saturday of November right around the corner, there’s a new animal in town. The Fordham Rams football team will be hosting the Bison from Bucknell University in what will be the last home game of the regular season at Jack Coffey Field. The Bison come into town with a 4-4 overall record, coming off a win last week against Lafayette. The Rams enter Saturday with a 7-2 record, hoping to bounce back from their loss against Colgate just a week ago.

There will be a lot of distractions this weekend at Rose Hill, as this weekend’s game coincides with Family Weekend. This is an annual opportunity for families to visit students and celebrate their many accomplishments. Despite this, Coach Joe Moorhead and his squad will have to push back any celebrating until after Saturday afternoon. The matchup will mark the 31st meeting between Fordham and Bucknell on the gridiron and history has not been on the Rams’ side. The Bison lead the all-time series with 18 wins and 12 losses, and the Rams have only managed to win 7 out of 17 games when they’ve played as host. Nonetheless, Coach Moorhead and his team have rewritten history in many cases and one can hope that this Saturday will be the same. After all, Fordham has won the past two meetings, including a 30-27 overtime victory in last year’s matchup. In fact, the victory last season helped the Rams clinch the Patriot League, making it clear that in clutch times, the maroons have delivered.

One key factor to keep in mind as Saturday’s game nears is that Fordham is the higher ranked Patriot League team. While Fordham sits in second place with a 3-1 Patriot League record, Bucknell has only managed to win one of its three league games. Adding to this is the fact that Fordham is the only nationally ranked football team in this meeting, currently ranked 16th in the STATS NCAA poll, and having now been ranked in the top 25 for 38 straight weeks. It is clear that Coach Joe Susan and his Bison will have their work cut out for them ahead of this weekend’s matchup.

A second key factor to consider ahead of this weekend’s matchup is that Fordham boasts the greater offense in this duel. The Rams have the top offense in the Patriot League, led by sophomore running back Chase Edmonds and junior quarterback Kevin Anderson. Edmonds leads the league with his 160.4 rushing yards per game, while his fellow teammate, Anderson leads the league with the highest passing efficiency. Fordham’s unique ability to score lies within its diversity, led by receivers such as Robbie Cantelli and Austin Longi. Longi, the freshman wide receiver, was just named the Corvias Patriot League Player of the Week following his spectacular performance against Colgate, when he recorded two touchdowns and 107 yards. Fordham’s ability to get the job done with a variety of players is what makes it a potent offensive threat for Bucknell.

The last factor to keep in mind for Fordham is that they are the winningest team in the New York City area since 2012. The Rams have won 36 games since 2012, besting Rutgers, Stony Brook, and even the New York Giants.

Saturday’s matchup should be a thriller and you won’t want to miss it. Be sure to pack to Jack for the 1 p.m. kickoff.