Fordham Believes, and then Starts Winning

[JoltinJoe]

The New York Times has a nice feature story today on that team that lost to Dayton.

First story that I have seen the makes what I thought was an obvious point: that this has been a different team since the second half of the Colgate. Something clicked at the halftime of the Colgate game. Prior to the second half of the Colgate game, we were a young team prone to turnovers and misplays. Since the second half of the Colgate game, we have cut down on turnovers dramatically and are therefore not as prone to give away points anymore.

Fordham Believes, and then Starts Winning (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/10/sports/ncaafootball/10fordham.html?_r=1&ref=sports&oref=slogin)

[Fordham]

Here's the article - great press again.

Fordham Believes, and Then Starts Winning
G. Paul Burnett/The New York Times

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/11/10/sports/10fordham.xlarge1.jpg
In his second season, Fordham Coach Tom Masella has helped the Rams clinch at least a share of the Patriot League title.

By BILL FINLEY
Published: November 10, 2007

It was halftime of the fifth game of the season, and Fordham had been playing like a team going nowhere — not necessarily a surprise for a program having not only a bad year but also a bad decade. The Rams trailed Colgate, 24-13, and seemed headed to a loss and a 2-3 record.

Fordham scored 21 consecutive points in the third quarter and went on to beat Colgate, 34-31. A week later, the Rams defeated Lehigh for the first time since 1997. The players, some of whom had endured 2-9 and 3-8 seasons, suddenly started to believe they were on their way to being something special. They were not wrong.

Fordham (8-2, 5-0 Patriot League) has won six in a row, clinched a share of the league title and secured a berth in the N.C.A.A. Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

“The Colgate game gave us the confidence that we could play with anybody in our league,” said Fordham Coach Tom Masella, a former New York City firefighter. “To follow up with a good win over Lehigh, which we hadn’t beaten in 10 years, really gave this team great confidence.”

Fordham’s resurgence has resulted from more than merely a renewed sense of confidence.

The sophomore quarterback John Skelton has emerged as one of the better offensive players in the Patriot League and has 18 touchdown passes versus 8 interceptions. Running backs Jonte Coven and Xavier Martin are each averaging more than 5 yards a carry. Linebacker James Crockett has 60 tackles, and he had a fumble recovery and an interception in Fordham’s 24-21 win last weekend against Holy Cross.

“The great thing about this is it hasn’t been one player,” Masella said. “If you look at our games, it’s been different players playing well and making big plays. That’s when you know you’ve got a pretty good football team.”

After Fordham went 2-9 in 2005 under Ed Foley, Masella was brought in to resurrect a program with a lot of history. The Rams, now playing in their 125th season, beat Missouri, 2-0, in the 1942 Sugar Bowl, and once featured an undersized defensive lineman named Vince Lombardi.

Masella, who won Northeast Conference titles in 2004 and 2005 with Central Connecticut State, did not get off to a good start. The Rams were 3-8 last year in his first season and were picked to finish sixth out of seven teams in the Patriot League in this year’s preseason poll.

But Masella continued to preach to his players that they had the talent to turn things around, and he made holding a practice on Thanksgiving Day one of the team’s goals. Only a team preparing for the postseason would practice on Thanksgiving. Even some of his players were not necessarily believers.

The only downside in this remarkable season was the team's disappointing homecoming loss to Dayton. Players and coaches insist it has nothing to do with the quality of football that Dayton plays, nor do they focus on the school's academics. "We really left our fans hanging by losing that one, since everyone knows they have the most annoying message board poster in FCS football," Masella lamented.

“We knew we could do better than 3-8 this season,” said Skelton, whom Masella plucked out of the fertile Texas high school football system. “One of our team goals was to have a winning season. But do this well, this fast? I knew we would improve, but to win a Patriot League title after the season we had last year was hard to believe.”

Masella knew that he had to change the team’s mind-set; that it had to start believing that its past should have no bearing on the present.

“The coach made a couple of goals for us for the season and one for us to always to compete at all times and to always do the right things the right way at all times,” the sophomore defensive back Isiejah Allen said. “It took us a couple of weeks, but once we bought into it, we’ve been firing on all cylinders.”

The Rams, who have climbed to 23rd in the F.C.S. Coaches Poll, have a bye this weekend before closing out the regular season with a home game against Bucknell.

The Rams could possibly finish tied for the league title. But based on tie breakers, they are guaranteed the Patriot League’s automatic berth in the playoffs, which consist of 16 teams. It will be their first postseason experience since a second-round loss to Villanova in 2002.

With teams like North Dakota State, Northern Iowa, Montana and McNeese State, all of which are undefeated, standing in its way, Fordham probably does not have much of a chance of winning a national title. But that does not mean the Rams will be intimidated once the playoffs start.

“The team is healthy, and that’s always a good thing going into Week 11,” the senior linebacker Dominique Owens said. “The sky is the limit for us. We think that nobody can beat us if we play our hardest game. We don’t think we’ve played our best game yet. That’s a good thing. We’re champions, and we haven’t even played our best game.”

[Lehigh Football Nation]

I just choked on my cornflakes:


The only downside in this remarkable season was the team's disappointing homecoming loss to Dayton. Players and coaches insist it has nothing to do with the quality of football that Dayton plays, nor do they focus on the school's academics. "We really left our fans hanging by losing that one, since everyone knows they have the most annoying message board poster in FCS football," Masella lamented.

xlmaox
xlmaox
xlmaox
xlmaox

[flyenhigh]

Props to Fordham and good luck in the Playoffs I will be rooting for you guys!!!

[flyenhigh]

"The only downside in this remarkable season was the team's disappointing homecoming loss to Dayton. Players and coaches insist it has nothing to do with the quality of football that Dayton plays, nor do they focus on the school's academics. "We really left our fans hanging by losing that one, since everyone knows they have the most annoying message board poster in FCS football," Masella lamented."

This is some good stuff...very good stuff.xcoffeex xlolx

[RabidRabbit]

With teams like North Dakota State, Northern Iowa, Montana and McNeese State, all of which are undefeated, standing in its way, Fordham probably does not have much of a chance of winning a national title. But that does not mean the Rams will be intimidated once the playoffs start.

Interesting that NDSU, who will NOT be in the play-offs, is the first listed. :p

[TheValleyRaider]

With teams like North Dakota State, Northern Iowa, Montana and McNeese State, all of which are undefeated, standing in its way, Fordham probably does not have much of a chance of winning a national title. But that does not mean the Rams will be intimidated once the playoffs start.

Interesting that NDSU, who will NOT be in the play-offs, is the first listed. :p

The good old Times xrolleyesx xcoolx

[kardplayer]

"The only downside in this remarkable season was the team's disappointing homecoming loss to Dayton. Players and coaches insist it has nothing to do with the quality of football that Dayton plays, nor do they focus on the school's academics. "We really left our fans hanging by losing that one, since everyone knows they have the most annoying message board poster in FCS football," Masella lamented."

This is some good stuff...very good stuff.xcoffeex xlolx

Great addition to the article Fordham!