Rams, Mountain Hawks, Spiders and Bison collect wins; Conway becomes sixth player in FCS history to top 500 total tackles
AT FORDHAM RAMS (1-4, 1-1 PL) 26, HOLY CROSS CRUSADERS (0-5, 0-1 PL) 21
Moglia Stadium at Jack Coffey Field/Bronx, N.Y. 1 p.m. (ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
BRONX, N.Y. – Junior quarterback Gunnar Smith completed 14-of-21 for 254 yards, one touchdown pass, and a rushing touchdown to lead Fordham to a 26-21 victory over Holy Cross to capture the Ram-Crusader Cup for the first time since 2016.
*Graduate student linebacker James Conway recorded 19 tackles and 1.0 tackle for loss (TFL), becoming the sixth player in FCS history to surpass 500 career total tackles, helping hold Holy Cross scoreless in the second half.
*Sophomore placekicker Bennett Henderson connected on 36- and 35-yard field goals in the third and fourth quarters, respectively, in Fordham’s first win of the season.
*Rams’ junior linebacker Andrew Osmun finished with 10 tackles and the game-sealing interception with 13 seconds left in the game to seal the victory.
*The Rams took control early, as senior running back Ricky Parks rushed for a 45-yard touchdown on the second play from scrimmage to take a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.
*Fordham’s Smith capped an 11-play drive with a two-yard run to extend the lead to 14-0 with 4:15 left in the first quarter.
*Holy Cross answered nearly three minutes later on a two-yard rush for sophomore quarterback Cal Swanson to finish the six-play drive.
*Fordham pushed the lead back to 13 points, at 20-7, when Smith connected with junior wide receiver Nodin Tracy on a 31-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter.
*The Crusaders rallied in the second quarter, pulling within a score on the ensuing drive, as Swanson found sophomore tight end Mason McSweeney on a six-yard touchdown pass.
*Holy Cross took a 21-20 lead behind a five-yard touchdown run from junior running back Jayden Clerveaux. Clerveaux finished with 84 yards on 17 carries.
*Swanson completed 18-of-27 passes for 186 yards and a touchdown.
*Crusaders’ junior cornerback Cam Jones posted a team-high eight tackles, while junior linebacker Cam Santee added six tackles and 1.0 TFL.
RECAP:
HOLY CROSS |
FORDHAM
AT NO. 9/10 LEHIGH MOUNTAIN HAWKS (5-0, 2-0 PL) 44, PENN QUAKERS (1-1, 0-0 IVY) 30
Goodman Stadium/Bethlehem, Pa. Noon (ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Senior wide receiver Geoffrey Jamiel and junior running back Luke Yoder each scored two touchdowns to help No. 9/10 Lehigh remain undefeated with a 44-30 win over Penn.
*Jamiel caught eight passes for 132 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown reception. He also rushed for a 20-yard score on a fake field goal. Yoder added a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown runs, finishing with 173 yards on 25 carries.
*Sophomore running back Jaden Green rushed for 94 yards on 14 carries for a Mountain Hawks’ squad that totaled 300 yards on the ground for the second straight week.
*Lehigh sophomore quarterback Hayden Johnson completed 15-of-31 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns, including a first-quarter strike to sophomore receiver Matt D’Avino.
*Senior linebacker Brycen Edwards recorded a team-high 10 tackles and 1.0 TFL, while senior safety Nick Peltekian added four tackles, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble.
*Senior defensive lineman Matt Spatny, the Patriot League Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, recorded 1.0 sack and recovered a fumble.
*Senior placekicker Nick Garrido connected on all three field goals in the first half, helping the Mountain Hawks take a 16-14 lead into the break.
*Trailing by four in the third quarter, Jamiel took the snap as the holder on a fake field goal and rushed 20 yards for a touchdown to put the Mountain Hawks in front 23-20.
*Jamiel caught a 35-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the fourth quarter to extend the Mountain Hawks’ lead to 30-20.
*After the Quakers closed the deficit to three points, sophomore defensive back Mekhai Smith registered his fourth interception of the season to set up a one-yard touchdown run by Yoder five plays later with 7:22 remaining in the game.
*Penn’s field goal on the next drive brought them back within one score, but Yoder closed the door with a 25-yard touchdown run with 1:03 left in the game to seal the win.
RECAP:
LEHIGH
AT COLUMBIA LIONS (1-1, 0-0 IVY) 19, GEORGETOWN HOYAS (2-3, 0-1 PL) 10
Robert K. Kraft Field at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium/New York, N.Y. Noon (ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
NEW YORK, N.Y. – Sophomore running back Jayden Sumpter rushed for a career-high 92 yards and a touchdown, but Georgetown fell to Columbia, 19-10, for the Lou Little Trophy.
*Sumpter carried 25 times for 92 yards, including a 21-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to bring the Hoyas within six points, at 16-10.
*Still trailing by six points in the fourth quarter, Georgetown drove inside the Columbia five-yard line but was held scoreless on the possession. The Lions added a field goal with 3:22 remaining in the game to seal their win.
*Hoyas’ junior cornerback Quincy Briggs intercepted his fourth pass and returned it 26 yards to help set up a 45-yard field goal by sophomore placekicker Thomas Anderson late in the second quarter.
*Freshman linebacker Jack Casey recorded five tackles and 2.0 TFLs, while junior linebacker Cody Pham recorded a team-high nine tackles.
*Senior linebacker Naiteitei Mose added seven tackles and 1.0 TFL.
RECAP:
GEORGETOWN
AT rv/rv RICHMOND SPIDERS (3-2, 0-1 PL) 13, HOWARD BISON (3-2, 0-0 MEAC) 12
Robins Stadium/Richmond, Va. 2 p.m. (ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
RICHMOND, Va. – Richmond scored two touchdowns within two-minutes in the fourth quarter to earn a 13-12 comeback victory over Howard at Robins Stadium.
*Junior defensive back CJ Fraser intercepted a pass and returned it 55 yards to the Howard 42-yard line. *Sophomore wide receiver Isaiah Dawson took an end-around 42 yards for a score to make the score 12-7 on the next play.
*During the Bison’s next drive, senior defensive lineman Matei Fitz intercepted a pitch at the Howard seven-yard line to give the Spiders’ offense the ball. Fitz added seven tackles, 2.0 TFLs and one sack.
*One play later, junior running back Aziz Foster-Powell caught a seven-yard pass from senior quarterback Ashten Snelsire to put Richmond in front, 13-12, with 10:17 remaining in the game.
*The Bison missed a 38-yard field goal on its next drive after driving for more than seven minutes.
*Sophomore linebacker Peyton Seelmann recorded a game-high 16 tackles, while senior defensive back Jordan Allen added 14 tackles and a half TFL.
*Senior defensive lineman Camden Byrd finished with five tackles, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble, and senior defensive back D’Angelo Stocker had five tackles, including 2.5 TFLs.
RECAP:
RICHMOND
PRINCETON TIGERS (2-0, 0-0 IVY) 38, AT rv LAFAYETTE LEOPARDS (3-2, 1-0 PL) 28
Fisher Stadium/Easton, Pa. 3:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
EASTON, Pa. – Junior running back Ethan Weber rushed for 76 yards and two touchdowns, but Lafayette had its three-game win streak snapped in a 38-28 loss against Princeton.
*Weber’s 76 rushing yards came on 18 carries, including a nine-yard touchdown run in the first quarter to tie the score at seven, and a one-yard plunge with 12 seconds left in the first half to cut the Tigers’ lead to 14.
*Sophomore running back Jakyre Henley added a three-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter. Junior running back Kente Edwards carried five times for 26 yards.
*Senior quarterback Dean DeNobile completed 27-of-36 passes for 256 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
*Leopards’ senior receiver Elijah Steward caught seven passes for a game-high 81 yards, and freshman tight end Hunter Ditrano caught a two-yard touchdown pass with 37 seconds left in the game.
*Junior linebacker Darson Jeanty posted a team-high nine tackles and a half TFL, and sophomore defensive back Dhonte Jackson added eight tackles.
*Freshman linebacker Beckham Dee finished with six tackles and 1.0 TFL.
RECAP:
LAFAYETTE
AT BUCKNELL BISON (3-2, 0-1 PL) 30, SAINT FRANCIS RED FLASH (0-5, 0-1 NEC) 23
Christy Mathewson - Memorial Stadium/Lewisburg, Pa. 6 p.m. (ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Sophomore running back Tariq Thomas rushed for a seven-yard touchdown and fifth-year quarterback Ralph Rucker IV completed a two-point pass to senior receiver Josh Gary to lift Bucknell to a 30-23 victory over Saint Francis.
*Bison junior safety Brad Gerken sealed the win with one second remaining, intercepting a Saint Francis pass attempt in the end zone to halt a 15-play drive.
*Thomas rushed for 95 yards on 10 carries to lead a Bison ground game that compiled 209 yards.
*Rucker completed 15-of-26 passes for 168 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown pass to junior receiver TJ Cadden in the first quarter. Rucker also rushed for 66 yards and a touchdown.
*Cadden caught six passes for a team-high 78 yards, while junior receiver Sam Milligan added three catches for 39 yards.
*Sophomore linebacker Brandon Biagiarelli tallied nine tackles and 1.0 TFL, while senior cornerback Aaron Davis and junior safety Drew Cormier each recorded eight tackles. Cormier added 1.0 TFL.
*Trailing 17-10 in the third quarter, the Bison put together consecutive scoring drives with Rucker rushing for an 11-yard touchdown, and sophomore running back Michael Cadden scoring from 20 yards to take a 22-17 lead by the 6:13 mark of the third frame.
*Saint Francis regained the lead with a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter before Thomas capped the eight-play, 75-yard drive with his third score of the season.
*Gerken prevented any last-minute heroics from the Red Flash with his first collegiate interception, ending a 15-play Saint Francis drive that saw them work the ball down to the Bison's two-yard line. RECAP:
BUCKNELL
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