Oct. 23, 2010

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BRONX, N.Y. - Fordham TB Darryl Whiting scored a touchdown with 47 seconds left to beat Lafayette 14-10 on Saturday at Coffey field.

Trailing 10-8 with 2:28 left in the game, Fordham took over at its own 20-yard line. The Rams gobbled up large parcels of real estate quickly. QB Ryan Higgins (19-of-32 for 185 yards) hit Stephen Skelton for a 21-yard completion on the first play of the drive and a 19-yard pass to Patrick Miller picked up another first down.

Fordham (3-5) had the ball 2nd-and-2 at the Lafayette 27 when Whiting scampered 19 yards to set up the Rams' game-winning score. Fordham committed a false start penalty, but runs of six and seven yards punched the ball in to the end zone. The Rams did not complete the two-point conversion.

After the kick-off, Lafayette took over at the 22. QB Ryan O'Neil (18-of-35 for 209 yards) completed a short pass before being picked off to end the game.

A slow start to the game could have spelled disaster for the Leopards, as they gave up three scores in the first eight minutes of the game, but only trailed 8-0. Lafayette attempted to punt on its first possession, but the snap from center rolled through the endzone for a safety.

The Rams, who started the ensuing drive on the Lafayette 49-yard line, added a 39-yard Patrick Murray field goal to lead 5-0. Murray converted a 30-yarder for the 8-0 advantage with 6:59 left in the first quarter.

Late in the first quarter, Fordham was driving deep in Leopard territory before junior safety Kyle Simmons picked off a Higgins' pass. Simmons stepped in front of it at the Lafayette two-yard line and returned it 21 yards.

A lengthy drive that spanned the end of the first quarter and into the second quarter resulted in a missed 34-yard field goal by Davis Rodriguez. O'Neil found Hayes, who had six catches for 81 yards in the game, for three first downs on the drive.

The Leopards finally stopped Fordham's momentum and scored on a three-play drive. O'Neil, whose availability was in doubt coming into the game because of an injury in the win over Stony Brook, hit WR Mark Layton for a 48-yard touchdown catch. Layton broke one tackle near the 15-yard before taking it to the endzone. Rodriguez added the point after and Lafayette trailed 8-7.

The Leopards dodged a proverbial bullet at the end of the first half. Lafayette turned the ball over on downs at its own 49 after going for it on 4th-and-1. Fordham drove to the 14-yard line. On third down, Higgins delivered a late ball to a wide open Jason Caldwell in the back of the endzone, but he was unable to reel it in. Fordham settled for a 36-yard field goal attempt which missed and kept Lafayette's deficit to one at halftime.

Four minutes into the third quarter, Lafayette forced a Fordham punt that pinned the Leopards at their own two-yard line. The Maroon and White used nine plays over 4:13 to eventually convert a 32-yard field goal and take a 10-8 lead. Patrick Mputu, the reigning Patriot Legaue Rookie of the Week, picked up 41 yards on the ground on the drive, accounting for two first downs on his own. The Leopards racked up six first downs, and for a while it looked as if tenuous lead would hold up.

Fordham threatened with four minutes left in the third quarter. Facing a 4th-and-1 at the Lafayette 10, Fordham head coach Tom Masella went for the first down. Simmons and Nick Nardone were there to make the stop and turn the ball over on downs.

Nursing the two-point lead midway through the fourth quarter, the Lafayette offense needed to burn time off the clock. Lafayette took over with 8:55 left and ticked off six minutes. Tom Kondash's punt from the Fordham 38 trickled into the endzone and Fordham took over at its own 20-yard line with 2:28 left, setting the stage for the game-winning drive.

Lafayette (1-6) resumes Patriot League play for the first time since Sept. 11. The Leopards travel to Christy Mathewson Stadium in a 1 p.m. kick off with Bucknell.

NOTES:

Saturday's game vs. Fordham, while against a Patriot League opponent, does not count in the Patriot League standings as Fordham is ineligible for the conference title in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Junior WR Kyle Hayes served as the special teams captain. He made six catches for 81 yards vs. Fordham.

Fordham was without starting quarterback Blake Wayne who was out with an ankle injury.