Football Drops Disappointing Opener at Bryant

After an eventful offseason that included the infusion of scholarship freshmen and the departure to the NFL of Fordham's all-time leading passer, John Skelton, the time finally came for the post-Skelton Rams to hit the field and try to build on a disappointing, 5-6 campaign a year ago.

One would think a matchup with Bryant, a team that Fordham trounced 35-7 last season, would be the perfect way for the Rams to get off on the right foot.

Wrong. On the back of a multitude of mental mistakes and a devastatingly slow start, Fordham dropped the season opener at Bryant, 44-30.

After starting the game with the ball, Bryant struck first on the game's opening drive. Junior quarterback Mike Croce connected with freshman wide receiver Jordan Harris on a jump ball for a 44-yard touchdown.

"They hit on a big pass play and from there we were on our heels," Head Coach Tom Masella said.

Fordham responded with a quick three-and-out, losing five yards on three rushes by senior Xavier Martin. That is when the Rams unraveled.

Freshman defensive back Jeremy Woodson took the following punt back 70 yards for a touchdown, giving Bryant a quick 14-0 lead.

"[Sophomore punter Patrick Murray] outkicked his coverage," Masella said. "We missed three tackles and it was a good run."

It only got worse for the Rams. After a personal foul derailed the following possession, Bryant blocked Murray's punt, and recovered the ball at the Fordham 4-yard line.

"There was a breakdown with a young player," Masella said. "It was a simple look and he missed an assignment. It was a young player who hasn't played before and made a mistake."

Three plays later, senior running back Mike Canfora punched in a 2-yard touchdown. However, senior kicker Chris Bird missed the extra point, so the score remained 20-0.

With an early 20-point deficit, Fordham needed to play perfect football to get back in the game, and the team almost did.

On the ensuing possession, the Rams used the run game to slow the pace and get some points on the board. After only eight plays, highlighted by sophomore quarterback Blake Wayne scrambling twice for 26 yards, the Rams got on the board when sophomore running back Koonce Carlton scored a 10-yard touchdown. Murray missed the extra point and the Rams cut the lead to 14.

Bryant did not allow Fordham back in the game easily. Bryant worked its way downfield to tack on three points on the ensuing possession, and after stopping Fordham on fourth down and trading punts, the Bulldogs struck for something bigger.

Woodson made another huge special teams play, taking a Murray punt back 48 yards to the Fordham 13-yard line. Bryant took advantage of the great field position after a 7-yard pass from Croce to sophomore fullback Stant Sturgis and sophomore running back Jordan Brown ran in a 5-yard touchdown to make the score 29-6.

However, it was still early in the second quarter and Fordham had its chance to make it a game.

Fordham added a field goal before half and missed another wide right from 35 yards out to end the half, keeping the score at 29-9.

The comeback was on when the second half started, and Fordham wasted no time getting to work. After Martin started the drive with a 23-yard rush, Wayne took to the air, getting the Rams in the end zone on four plays, capped with a strike to senior wide receiver Aaron Mays for a 27-yard touchdown.

The two teams traded one-play drives that ended with fumbles before Bryant responded with a drive ending in a Brown touchdown, making the score 36-16.

Fordham's comeback did not stop there, though. The Rams moved the ball easily and scored on an eight-play drive, resulting in a 3-yard Martin touchdown, cutting the lead back to 14.

In the third quarter, Fordham picked up 81 yards on 11 carries and completed six of seven passes for 60 yards. Despite the slow start, the seeds were planted for what could be a successful offense.

On the first drive of the fourth quarter, Fordham continued to put pressure on Bryant. The Rams systematically worked their way downfield, capping an 11-play drive with a 4-yard Wayne rush to bring the Rams within six.

However, that was as close as Fordham could come to completing the comeback.

On the following drive, the Rams forced Bryant into a third-and-4, which could have resulted in a quick three-and-out; however, the Bulldogs converted with a 9-yard completion and two plays later found pay dirt with a 62-yard touchdown run. After a successful two-point conversion, Bryant stretched the lead to 44-30, the final score of the game.

Despite strong play from the offense, and Wayne, in particular, Fordham was unable to overcome its early mistakes and poor defense and special teams.

"We got behind in the first seven minutes and it hurt," Masella said. "We got too far behind."

Even though the Rams dropped a winnable game, there were positives to take away. The Rams gained 502 yards of offense and moved the ball with ease throughout the afternoon.

"When we look at the film we see some things that are extremely positive," Masella said.

Without Skelton there was much debate over who should take over the quarterback job. Even though it was only one game, Wayne looked very promising in his debut. He completed 20 of 34 passes for 223 yards, throwing one touchdown and one last-second interception. He also added in 109 yards on the ground on 16 carries, netting another touchdown.

"[Wayne] is not going to be Skelton," Masella said. "He doesn't have to fill [Skelton's] shoes, they're totally different. He protected the ball well, the interception wasn't his fault and he played outstanding for his first start."

Outside of the glaring special teams miscues, which included two big punt returns (one for a touchdown), a blocked punt, a missed field goal and a missed extra point, the defense proved to be very disappointing.