New Haven, Conn. (Oct. 19, 2013) – Chances are Joe Moorhead won’t even dominate the topic of conversation at his own dinner table tonight despite the fact that he led the Fordham University football team to its eighth straight win, becoming the first Ram squad since 1923 (the first year in which dates for all games are available) to open the season 8-0. But Moorhead won’t mind that his daughter will share the spotlight tonight after throwing a no-hitter for her softball team because Moorhead has the Rams firing on all cylinders as Fordham defeated Yale, 52-31, in the Yale Bowl.
“It’s been a tremendous ride and a testament to these young men,” said Moorhead. “They bought into the things we identified we needed to do in order to win, which includes preparation, effort and execution along with all the little things and making no excuses. My hat’s off to them as they are doing a phenomenal job.”
Not only did the Rams advance to 8-0 on the season, they also closed out their non-conference season with a perfect 6-0 record, the most non-conference wins ever for Fordham and the first undefeated non-conference season since the 1988 squad went 5-0. Fordham is now one of four undefeated NCAA FCS teams, the only one with eight wins.
The game featured an explosive Fordham offense and a bend-but-don’t break defense. Junior wide receiver Sam Ajala led the offense, hauling in ten passes for a school-record 282 yards and four touchdowns (which tied a school record). Junior quarterback Mike Nebrich was the one getting the ball to Ajala, finishing the game completing 19 of 26 passes for 421 yards and the four scores while also rushing for another touchdown. Nebrich, who had his second straight 400-yard passing game, finished just six yards shy of the Fordham single-game passing yards record.
The game was Fordham’s fourth 50-point game of the year, the most 50-points games in one year for the Rams, who had never had more than two in a season entering 2013.
Carlton Koonce rushed 20 times for 102 yards for the Rams, his fifth 100-yard rushing game of the year, while Tebucky Jones, Jr. and Wetzel each caught three passes.
After a bye week the Rams will return to action on Saturday, Nov. 2, as they host the Holy Cross Crusaders on Jack Coffey Field at 1:00 p.m. in the annual Ram-Crusader Cup game between the two Patriot League Jesuits schools.
Notes
The win is Fordham’s first ever at the Yale Bowl… The other undefeated NCAA FCS schools are North Dakota State (7-0), Coastal Carolina (7-0) and Harvard (5-0)… The previous school record for receiving yards in a game was 246, set by Javarus Dudley in 2003, while Ajala tied the school mark for receiving touchdowns in game set by Dudley in 2003 and matched by Jason Caldwell in 2009… John Skelton has the Fordham single-game passing yardage record with 427 set against Holy Cross in 2009… Nebrich has 2,587 passing yards so far in 2013, the ninth best single season in school history while his 21 touchdowns passes is fifth best… Nebrich saw a streak of 222 pass attempts without an interception broken with a first quarter interception… Koonce’s 102 rushing yards brings his career total to 2,700, moving him into fourth place on the Fordham career list… The Rams entered the game ranked third in the NCAA FCS in fumbles recovered and sixth in turnovers gained… Fordham gained 614 yards of total offense, the Rams’ third 600-yard total offense game of the year.
To read more about the Rams-Yale game or to see video highlights, visit www.fordhamsports.com.
