Football
The Rams and the FCS’s No. 1 scoring offense takes on CAA co-champion Wildcats on Saturday
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – No. 13/16 Fordham (9-2, 5-1 PL) will open play in the NCAA DI FCS Championship when they travel to take on CAA co-champion No. 16/15 New Hampshire in the first round. Live coverage on ESPN+ begins at 2 p.m. with Ben Shulman and Craig Haubert on the call. An audio broadcast will also be available on WFUVSports.org with Andrew Gullotta and Danny Scott in the booth. The winner of the Rams – Wildcats game will take on Patriot League Champion Holy Cross at Fitton Field on Worcester, Mass. on Saturday, Dec. 3.
NO. 13/16 FORDHAM RAMS (9-2, 5-1 PL) AT NO. 16/15 NEW HAMPSHIRE WILDCATS (8-3 CAA)
Durham, N.H./Wildcat Stadium 2 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
LIVE STATS
BROADCAST (ESPN+): PxP – Ben Shulman; Analyst – Craig Haubert
RADIO BROADCAST (WFUV 90.7 FM/WFUVSports.org): PxP Andrew Gullotta; Analyst – Danny Scott
SERIES HISTORY: Fordham and New Hampshire meet for the second time in series history. The Rams suffered a 44-19 victory over the Wildcats in the second round of the NCAA DI FCS Championship in 2014.
LAST MEETING (Dec. 6, 2014) – At No. 1 New Hampshire 44, Fordham 19 – Fordham RB Chase Edmonds rushed for 208 yards, including a 91-yard touchdown on 18 carries, but the Rams fell to No. 1 New Hampshire, 44-19, to end their season. Edmonds, then a freshman, set a Patriot League single-season record by reaching 2,473 all-purpose yards. Placekicker Michael Marando connected on a pair of field goals to give him 47 field goals, a Patriot League career record. DB JQ Bowers had a team-high 12 tackles in the loss.
NOTES: FORDHAM
HOLY CROSS AND FORDHAM MAKE THE NCAA DI FCS CHAMPIONSHIP FIELD
Holy Cross received the No. 8 seed in the NCAA DI FCS Championship to earn a first-round bye, the first League program to accomplish the feat since Colgate in 2018. Fordham also made the field, giving the Patriot League two representatives in the FCS Playoffs for the first time since 2015, when the Rams and Colgate received bids. This season marks the sixth time the League has had two bids since 1997.
PATRIOT LEAGUE ANNOUNCES MAJOR AWARDS AND ALL-LEAGUE TEAMS
Fordham Sr. QB Tim DeMorat claimed Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year for the third-straight season. Lafayette Sr. DL Malik Hamm received his second defensive player of the year honor when the League announced 2022 football major awards and All-League honors. Lehigh Fr. WR Geoffrey Jamiel collected rookie of the year honors. Holy Cross head coach Bob Chesney collected Dick Biddle Coach of the Year for the second straight season, and third time overall, after leading the Crusaders to their fourth-straight League title.
EIGHT NAMED FINALISTS FOR STATS PERFORM NATIONAL FCS AWARDS
Seven Patriot League football student-athletes and one coach were named among the finalists for FCS National honors when they were announced by Stats Perform. Fordham’s DeMorat, Sr. WR Fotis Kokosioulis and Holy Cross Jr., QB Matt Sluka were named among the finalists for the Walter Payton Award, given to the national offensive player of the year. Lafayette’s Hamm and Fordham Gr. LB Ryan Greenhagen are among the candidates for the Buck Buchanan Award for national defensive player of the year. Georgetown Fr. DB Wedner Cadet is a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award, given to the FCS freshman of the year. Holy Cross Sr. RB Peter Oliver is a finalist for the Doris Robinson Award for the second straight season, given to the FCS student-athlete of the year. The Crusaders’ Chesney is a candidate for the Eddie Robinson Award, presented to the FCS Coach of the Year. Winners will be announced on Jan. 7.
DEMORAT ETCHING HIS NAME ATOP CAREER LEADER LISTS
Fordham Sr. QB Tim DeMorat tied Holy Cross’s Dominic Randolph by earning his third-straight Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year. Tim DeMorat is in the midst of his record-breaking season. He owns the League’s single-season records for passing yards (4,561), passing touchdowns (53) and touchdowns responsible for (58) while leading the FCS in all three categories. He broke Randolph’s records for career touchdowns responsible for (137) and touchdown passes (120). He is now 324 passing yards shy of Randolph’s career record for passing yards. DeMorat leads the FCS with 414.6 passing yards per game.
PL CAREER-PASSING LEADERS
1. Michael Nebrich, Fordham (2006-09), 13,455
2. Tim DeMorat, Fordham (2018-pres.), 13,131
HAMM FINISHES FOURTH IN CAREER SACKS
Lafayette Sr. DL Malik Hamm recorded a game-ending sack against Lehigh (Nov. 19) to give him 32.0 career sacks during his decorated career on College Hill. The two-time Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year is third among active FCS players, and he is also 15th in the FCS with 0.77 sacks per game this season.
PATRIOT LEAGUE CAREER SACKS LEADERS
1. Andrew Hollingsworth, Towson (1997-90), 43.0
2. Tom Smith, Holy Cross (1986-88), 34.0
3. Nick Wheeler, Colgate (2016-19), 33.0
4. Malik Hamm, Lafayette (2018-pres.), 32.0
RAMS’ KOKOSIOULIS CLIMBING CAREER TD RECEPTION LIST
Fordham Sr. WR Fotis Kokosioulis took over sole possession of second place with two touchdown receptions in the Rams’ regular-season finale against Colgate. He is three touchdown receptions shy of Lehigh’s Troy Pelletier for the Patriot League career record. Earlier this season, he posted a record-breaking performance with 320 receiving yards and four touchdowns at Ohio University. His 14 receiving touchdowns are second in the FCS and tied for the second-best single-season total in Patriot League history, two shy of breaking former Lehigh All-American and current Bucknell head coach Dave Cecchini’s record of 15, set in 1993.
PATRIOT LEAGUE CAREER TOUCHDOWN RECEPTIONS LEADERS
1. Troy Pelletier, Lehigh (2014-17), 37
2. Fotis Kokosioulis, Fordham (2019-pres.), 35
GREENHAGEN IN STRIKING DISTANCE OF TACKLES RECORD
Fordham Gr. LB Ryan Greenhagen finished third in the Patriot League and 24th in the FCS with 9.4 tackles per game, compiling more than 100 tackles for the third time during his decorated career. Greenhagen sits in fourth place in Patriot League history with 414 total tackles, 12 shy of the League’s career record of 425, set by Lehigh’s Lee Picariello (1988-91) and Holy Cross’s David Streeter (1993-96).
PATRIOT LEAGUE CAREER TACKLES LEADERS
1. Lee Picariello, Lehigh (1988-91), 425
1. David Streeter, Holy Cross (1993-96), 425
3. Rob McGovern, Holy Cross (1986-88), 420
4. Ryan Greenhagen, Fordham (2018-pres.), 414
HOLY CROSS’S NG BREAKS LEAGUE KICK SCORING RECORD
Holy Cross Sr. PK Derek Ng’s five-point performance vs. Lafayette helped him surpass Fordham’s Michael Marando for the Patriot League career kick-scoring record on Oct. 22. Ng, who has 46 field goals during his time in Worcester, is also closing in on Marando’s career field goals record of 47. The Las Vegas native moved into fifth place on the Patriot League career scoring list ahead of Lehigh’s Dom Bragalone, who accumulated 312 points between 2015-18. Fordham’s Chase Edmonds is the League record-holder with 444 career points
PATRIOT LEAGUE CAREER-SCORING LEADERS
3. Nate Eachus, Colgate (2008-11), 330
4. Joe McCourt, Lafayette (2001-04), 326
5. Derek Ng, Holy Cross (2018-pres.), 315
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athlete can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.
