Fordham Rams football
| Fordham Rams | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| First season | 1882 | ||
| Athletic director | David Roach | ||
| Head coach |
Andrew Breiner 1st year, 0–0 (–) | ||
| Stadium | Coffey Field | ||
| Seating capacity | 8,000 | ||
| Field surface | FieldTurf | ||
| Location | Bronx, NY | ||
| NCAA division | Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) | ||
| Conference | Patriot League | ||
| All-time record | 506–417–48 (.546) | ||
| Bowl record | 1–1 (.500) | ||
| Claimed nat'l titles | 0 | ||
| Conference titles | 3 | ||
| Division titles | 0 | ||
| Heisman winners | 0 | ||
| Colors |
Maroon and White | ||
| Fight song | The Ram | ||
| Mascot | The Ram | ||
| Rivals | Columbia, Holy Cross | ||
| Website | FordhamSports.com | ||
- For information on all Fordham University sports, see Fordham Rams
The Fordham Rams football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Fordham University located in the U.S. state of New York. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and are members of the Patriot League, the most academically selective NCAA conference after the Ivy League. Fordham's first football team was fielded in 1882. The team plays its home games at the 8,000 seat Coffey Field in Bronx, New York. The Rams are coached by Andrew Breiner, who succeeded Joe Moorhead following the 2015 season after the latter was named offensive coordinator at Penn State.
History
Fordham defeated Waynesburg 34–7 in the first televised college football game in 1939.The Rams football program boasts a national championship title (1929), two bowl game appearances (1941 and 1942), two Patriot League championships (2002 and 2007) and corresponding NCAA Division I Football Championship appearances, and the 15th most wins of any college football program. It is best known, however, for the "Seven Blocks of Granite," a name given to the team's 1928 and 1936 offensive lines. The 1936 team was coached by "Sleepy" Jim Crowley, one of the University of Notre Dame's famed "Four Horsemen," and included Vince Lombardi, the legendary professional football coach. Furthermore, it is credited with inspiring the term "Ivy League" after New York Herald Tribune sportswriter Caswell Adams compared it to the squads of Princeton and Yale, two powerhouses of the day. Adams remarked disparagingly of the latter two, saying that they were "only Ivy League." The St. Louis Rams NFL franchise was named in honor of Fordham's football heritage.
Classifications
- 1937–1954: NCAA University Division
- 1955–1963: No team
- 1964–1972: NCAA College Division
- 1973–1988: NCAA Division III
- 1989–present: NCAA Division I–AA/FCS
Conference memberships
- 1881–1954: Independent
- 1955–1963: No team
- 1955–1972: Independent
- 1973–1977: Metropolitan Intercollegiate Conference
- 1978–1984: Division III Independent
- 1985–1988: Liberty Football Conference
- 1989: Division I–AA Independent
- 1990–present: Patriot League
Notable former players
- Kurt Sohn
- Sam Bower
- Kevin Strahle
- John Skelton
- Steve Skelton
- Isa Abdul-Quddus
- Jimmy Noble
- Walt Uzdavinis
- Larry Walbridge
- Vince Lombardi 1934-1936
Year-by-year results
Championships
Conference championships
Fordham won the Patriot League in 2002, 2007 and 2014, each time earning the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA FCS (previously I-AA) playoffs.
The Rams defeated Northeastern in the first round of the 2002 playoffs, before falling to Villanova in the quarterfinals. Fordham fell to Massachusetts in the opening round of the 2007 playoffs. In the 2013 playoffs, Fordham appeared again and beat Sacred Heart in the first round, losing to Towson in the second.
Bowl game appearances
| Season | Date | Bowl | W/L | Opponent | PF | PA | Coach | Notes |
| 1940 | January 1, 1941 | Cotton Bowl | L | Texas A&M | 12 | 13 | Jim Crowley | notes |
| 1941 | January 1, 1942 | Sugar Bowl | W | Missouri | 2 | 0 | Jim Crowley | notes |
| Total | 2 bowl games | 1–1 | 14 | 13 |
NCAA Division I FCS Playoff Appearances
Fordham has made five appearances in the I-AA/FCS playoffs since 1978.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | First Round Quarterfinals | Northeastern Villanova | W 29–24 L 10–24 | |
| 2007 | First Round | UMass | L 35–49 | |
| 2013 | First Round Second Round | Sacred Heart Towson | W 37–27 L 28–48 | |
| 2014 | First Round Second Round | Sacred Heart New Hampshire | W 44–22 L 19–44 | |
| 2015 | First Round | Chattanooga | L 20–50 | |
| Playoff Record | 3–5 | |||
Rivalries
Active rivalry
Columbia Lions
The Liberty Cup was instituted in 2002 to honor the alumni of both schools who were lost in the attacks of September 11, 2001. The Cup also honors all of those who lost their lives on September 11th, including members of the various city and state agencies (FDNY, NYPD, EMS, Port Authority, etc.)
The Rams lead Liberty Cup series 8-4, including winning the past four meetings, the last a 52-7 win in 2013. The all-time series began in 1890 (only three games were played between the two schools from 1890 to 1972), with the Lions holding a 12-10 advantage.
Holy Cross Crusaders
The Ram-Crusader Cup has been contested since 1951, when the cup was dedicated to the memory of Major Frank W. Cavanaugh. The "Iron Major" spent three seasons as the head coach at Holy Cross (1903-1905, 19-10-2) and six seasons as the head coach at Fordham (1927-1932, 34-14-4). Major Cavanaugh died in August, 1933.
Fordham has won the past two games between the two squads, but Holy Cross leads the Ram-Crusader Cup series,16-12. Since the all-time series began in 1902, the Crusaders lead 27-22-2.
References
External links
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