COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
Tim DeMorat, FCRH ’23, took command with 4 passing touchdowns, 482 yards and two rushing scores.
Fordham Football Tramples Lafayette Leopards, 45-10
The Rams clicked on both sides of the ball, never relinquishing their lead as they continued their late-season push with postseason ambitions
The Fordham football team dominated the Lafayette College (LC) Leopards 45-10 on Nov. 12 to improve its record to 8-2 for the season. Yet another strong offensive performance has kept Fordham’s hopes of advancing to postseason play alive, improving to the No. 14 spot in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) rankings ahead of its last regular season game of the year.
The Rams’ contest against Lafayette began relatively slow. The teams took to the field in uncharacteristically warm weather for mid-November — the temperature approaching 70 degrees at kickoff — but neither team started off hot.
On Fordham’s second possession, the offensive chemistry began to take shape. Quarterback Tim DeMorat, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’23, started the drive with a 59-yard connection to Mekai Felton, FCRH ’24. A pair of rushes by Julius Loughridge, FCRH ’25, moved the Rams up to Lafayette’s 1-yard line before DeMorat thrusted through the Leopards’ defensive line and into the end zone to give Fordham a 7-0 lead with 6:54 left in the first quarter.
After a quick stop, the Rams received the ball once again. Their drive stalled, but they were able to put themselves in a position for Brandon Peskin, Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill (GSBRH) ’24, to make a field goal and extend Fordham’s lead to 10 right before the end of the opening quarter.
In a season that has featured its ups and downs, the Fordham defense made its presence known. Lafayette’s offense failed to gather any momentum. The Rams’ defense forced an interception, recovered a fumble and accumulated five sacks over the course of the game.
Fordham built on its lead late in the second quarter. DeMorat carried the ball past the goal line, running 3 yards to secure his second rushing touchdown of the game and increase Fordham’s lead to 17-0 with 3:49 left before halftime.
Little time remained, but the scoring was far from over. A 40-yard pass by quarterback Ah-Shaun Davis, LC ’25 rapidly moved the Leopards upfield. While the Rams prevented Lafayette from finding the end zone, a field goal by Jakob Trestik, LC ’24, put the struggling offense on the board with only a minute and a half to go in the period.
However, the time constraints were no challenge for Fordham’s electric offense, as DeMorat marched down the field in a matter of seconds. He swiftly connected with Dequece Carter, GSBRH ’23, for a 30-yard touchdown, and the Rams added to their lead after a 56-second drive. As the teams entered the halftime break, Fordham held a commanding 24-3 lead.
After a few failed drives by both teams, Lafayette finally got the chance to contest Fordham’s lead. On its own 48-yard line, Fordham attempted to convert a fourth down with only a yard to gain. The play collapsed, and DeMorat’s effort to salvage it backfired, as he was sacked for a loss of 20 yards resulting in a turnover on downs.
The calamitous conversion attempt gave Lafayette prime field position, starting at the Rams’ 28-yard line. The poor play continued for Fordham. On the Leopards’ first offensive play after the turnover, defensive back Stephen Williams II, FCRH ’23, dangerously connected with the helmet of wide receiver Carl Smith, LC ’24. The play was deemed targeting, and Williams was disqualified from the game. The line of scrimmage consequently advanced to Fordham’s 14-yard line, and Davis threw a touchdown pass on the very next play to cut the score to 24-10.
All in all, the win marked one of the Rams’ most successful games of the season, with both the offense and the defense playing impressively.
Fordham immediately responded, regaining its momentum after the string of uncharacteristically disjointed plays. The Rams paraded 72 yards into the end zone in only four plays. A contested 35-yard touchdown pass to Carter gave Fordham a 31-10 lead with 7:53 left in the third. Fordham scored again on its next offensive possession via a 33-yard pass to Fotis Kokosioulis, FCRH ’23, and the Rams held a commanding 38-10 lead heading into the fourth.
Fordham’s final score of the competition came with 8:36 remaining in the fourth quarter. DeMorat connected with Kokosioulis once again for a 14-yard touchdown, changing the scoreboard to its final reading of 45-10.
DeMorat’s statistics in the rout were masterful, as he finished with four passing touchdowns for 482 yards and two rushing touchdowns. Although he failed to find the endzone, MJ Wright, GSBRH ’23, caught 11 passes for 155 yards by the end of the game.
All in all, the win marked one of the Rams’ most successful games of the season, with both the offense and the defense playing impressively. As the regular season comes to a close, dominant performances like this may influence the voters who hold Fordham’s postseason destiny.
Head Coach Joe Conlin remained levelheaded after the decisive victory. “We’re just trying to play better every week,” Conlin remarked to WFUV after the game. “Whatever we did wrong this week, we gotta fix it, and we gotta move on and prepare for a good Colgate team.”
Fordham will face the Colgate University Raiders at Rose Hill on Nov. 19 in its regular season finale. Another convincing win would increase the likelihood of Fordham securing a spot in the FCS Championship for the first time since 2015.
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