The Joe Moorhead era got off to a fast and historic start with a laugher at Jack Coffey Field.
The Rams routed Lock Haven 55-0 in their home opener on Thursday night, giving Moorhead his first win as Fordham’s head coach.
Moorhead, the first Fordham alum to coach the Rams since Jim Lansing brought the program back to varsity level in 1970, also became the first head coach to win in his debut since Dave Rice won his first game in 1975.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling, to be able to come back here to the place where you played ball and got your education and be the head football coach,” Moorhead said. “It was a surreal day capped off by an unbelievable win.”
The game was never close as the Rams wasted no time pouring on the points. Fordham scored on four of its first five drives, with Ryan Higgins and Michael Nebrich scoring two touchdowns each. Higgins was 11-for-14 with 179 yards and two total TDs (1 rush, 1 pass) and Nebrich added two rushing touchdowns.
“Ryan did a great job, we were very pleased with both of our guys,” Moorhead said. “Ryan came in an executed the gameplan very well Higgins and Nebrich combined to throw for 265 yards and six total touchdowns (four rushing, two passing). Nebrich, a UConn transfer, came in on the Rams second drive for the first play of his Fordham career and was able to come through.
“It was a little weird for me because I didn’t feel like I did anything in the drive,” Nebrich said. “I felt like I stole something from [running back Carlton Koonce. It was a cool feeling getting that first touchdown in.”
The Rams ran exclusively out of the no-huddle offense, with Higgins starting the game before handing the reins to Nebrich for the third series. Nebrich played into the fourth quarter as Moorhead planned to use both quarterbacks in the game.
“I can’t say I was surprised by the success,” Moorhead said. “We’ve been practicing this system sincethe first day of spring ball and we stress tempo, we want to snap the ball as soon as its spotted. For the first time operating the system against an opponent, I thought the guys did really well.”
Higgins won the starting job this preseason and has been itching to start his senior season.
“I’m not saying you get bored doing the 7-on-7s and throws, but you just want to get out there and play, Higgins said. “I think tonight was a great sign of that.”
In addition to the two-headed quarterback attack, Koonce joined in on the offensive onslaught, carrying the ball 19 times for 146 yards. Fordham tallied 268 total yards on the ground.
The Rams were relentless in their offensive attack, handing Lock Haven its 43rd consecutive loss. Veteran players used past defeats and embarrassments to keep themselves motivated despite the laughable score.
“The biggest thing I wanted, myself included, to underestimate the opponent,” Koonce said. “Two years ago we lost to Assumption, a [division-II] school. I wanted us to go out there and compete and not take a play off, get after it.”
Preseason All-American kicker Patrick Murray also booted a school-record 52-yard field goal on Fordham’s first drive of the second half. Murray would add another field goal for the Rams and only needed to punt once.
The Rams’ defense also chipped in, twice stopping the Bald Eagles on fourth down in Fordham territory, including a goal line stand to end the first half as DeAndre Slate stuffed Lock Haven running back Matthew Gibson on Fordham’s three-yard line.
The Rams also sacked quarterbacks Jarrett Kratzer and Dillon Mazzoni four times and cornerback Ian Williams intercepted a Kratzel pass for 21 yards in the third quarter.
“You can tell by how the defense is playing, how the offense is playing and how everything is meshing, that we are all ready to get this season underway,” Higgins said.
The win made Fordham the fifteenth school in NCAA history to win 750 games, the fifth to do so as a Division I-AA school, and was Fordham’s first shutout since the Rams blanked Georgetown in 2008.
“We said let’s try and bring back that tradition, back from the old days with Vince Lombardi,” Higgins said. “I think we did that tonight.”