Football Suffers 23-16 Loss At Fordham

Saturday, September 28

Bronx, N.Y.

1:00 PM

University of Richmond

1-3

Fordham

2-3

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Richmond

FORDHAM

Photo by: Anthony J Causi @ACAUSI

09/28/2019 | Football

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BRONX, N.Y. – The University of Richmond football team dropped its third-straight game Saturday afternoon as the Spiders suffered a 23-16 loss to hosting Fordham at Jack Coffey Field. The loss dropped the Spiders to 1-3 on the season. Richmond returns to action next weekend hosting Albany at Robins Stadium on family weekend. Game time is set for 2 p.m.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Beau English (Stevenson, Md.) got his second career start Saturday and played the entire game, connecting on 22-of-34 through the air for a career-high 298 yards. Senior wide receiver Charlie Fessler (Erie, Pa.) pulled in eight passes for 150 yards and his first career touchdown.

The Spiders found themselves trailing 23-16 late in the game, but the Spiders defense came up with a 3-and-out with 2:21 remaining. Richmond started its drive on its own 15-yard line and got a first down on two passes to Fessler and senior Keyston Fuller (Griffin, Ga.).

English connected with Fessler on a 36-yard pass, giving the Spiders a first down on the Fordham 44-yard line with 1:19 remaining. English would hit redshirt freshman Justin Jasper (Richmond, Va.) on a 26-yard pass on third down, setting up a first and 10 from the 13-yard line with 1:03 remaining. After an incompletion to Fuller in which a defensive pass interference was waved off, English was sacked moving Richmond back to the 20-yard line. English went to Jasper on back-to-back plays in the end zone but the two were unable to connect, turning the ball over on downs and sealing the Ram victory.

Fordham quarterback Tim DeMorat finished the game going 20-of-30 in the air for 142 yards, including two touchdowns. Zach Davis rushed for 150 yards on 13 carries for the rams, including two big second-half runs of 76 yards and 46 yards.

Richmond started off well with a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter. Freshman kicker Jake Larson (Baltimore, Md.) opened the scoring with a 37-yard field goal while Fessler added a 10-yard touchdown reception for the first score of his Spider career at the 10:43 mark. Fordham would respond though with 10-straight points before the halftime break, including a 12-yard pass from DeMorat with nine second remaining in the opening half.

The Spiders retook the lead at 13-10 at the 6:03 mark of the third quarter as Larson hit a 32-yard field goal but Fordham scored 13-striaght points, taking a 23-16 lead. The Rams took advantage of two long runs on each drive and scored rushing touchdowns to make it a two-score game.

Larson would pull the Spiders within seven at 23-16 at the 13:25 mark with a 41-yard field goal. The Spiders would have three more drives to potentially tie the game but were unable to break through against the Ram defense.

Larson finished game with a career-high 10 points score as he hit all four of his kicks. He connected on 3-of-3 field goals and hit his only extra point. Additionally, he averaged 46 yards per punt on four punts Saturday. Defensively, freshman linebacker Tristan Wheeler (Bethlehem, Pa.) made his first career start and posted a career-high 13 tackles, leading the team. Senior defensive lineman Maurice Jackson (Levittown, Pa.) finished with a sack and a forced fumble, leading to the Rams' lone turnover.

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