NEW YORK -- Slash and burn, indeed.
Columbia's offense and defense appeared to click exactly as described by the Lions' new coaching staff as Columbia wore down Fordham to pull away, 37-7, in
Norries Wilson's debut as head coach. The Lions posted their largest margin of victory since 1972 as
Norries Wilson became the first Columbia coach to win his first game since Buff Donelli in 1957.
The Lions' offense, dubbed "slash and burn" by Wilson, contributed to the most points by a Columbia team since a 49-21 victory over Dartmouth in October 2000, while the defense produced 14 points and held Fordham to the fewest for a Columbia opponent since 2004.
Columbia chipped away with the running game and was steady on offense
“I'm not saying the other team [Fordham] wasn't in good shape, but I thought our team was in better shape,” Wilson explained. “We competed to the end.”
Big plays were the story of the day for the Lions. A helmet-removing forced fumble by
Andy Shalbrack. A fumble recovered in the end zone by
Todd Abrams. A stripped ball by
JoJo Smith, who tracked down a Fordham receiver at the goal line, prevented a certain Fordham touchdown. An interception returned for a touchdown by
Drew Quinn. A stuff on a bold fourth-and-one for Fordham from their own 14-yard line. Two blocked field-goal attempts by
Eugene Edwards.
“The coaches set up a good kick-blocking scheme,” Edwards explained. “It gave me good chances.”
Were you surprised you blocked them?
“No, sir,” Edwards answered.
Even the second one? After Fordham had had a chance to adjust?
“No, sir.”
Many players shone for the Lions – both returnees and first-years – as the team played nearly error-free for 60 minutes.
Jordan Davis and
James Cobb combined for 100 yards rushing on just 21 attempts between them. Davis had 61 and Cobb recorded his first career touchdown when he made an agile cut and rumbled 22 yards in the fourth quarter. First-year
Austin Knowlin made a terrific grab and dashed up the Lions' sideline for a 62-yard touchdown that appeared to be the dagger for the Rams with five minutes left in the third quarter. Hormann had a solid outing with 14 completions on 22 attempts for 154 yards.
Columbia's defense may have been the real story. In addition to chipping in two scores on turnovers, the Lions' defense yielded just 212 yards. The Rams' star running back, James Prydatko, who averaged 141.5 yards through two games and rushed for 165 against the Lions last year, had 47 today.
“Columbia took away what we do best,” first-year Fordham head coach Tom Masella said.
Quinn, whose career high was six tackles entering today's contest, had a team-high nine, including 3.5 for a loss and 1.5 sacks to accompany his interception.
Tad Crawford and Abrams each had two fumble recoveries as the Lions recovered all five loose balls in the game. Crawford also looked sharp on special teams as he tracked down Isiejah Allen and forced him backwards on a punt return.
What eventually became a rout was a 13-7 dual at halftime.
Jon Rocholl, the Lions' leading scorer in 2005, opened the scoring with a 27-yard field goal at 12:47 of the second half. Rocholl would go three-for-three and add four extra points for 13 points for the afternoon.
On the Rams' next possession, Columbia made Fordham pay for a personal foul that placed the ball on the Rams' 10. Quinn brought down Prydatko for a loss of two. On third-and-12, Fordham quarterback Daniels knocked a poor snap was the air, then stumbled as he tried to back-peddle. The ball lay tantalizingly in the end zone and Abrams pounced on it to give the Lions a 10-0 lead.
Fordham answered with a 63-yard drive capped by a nine-yard touchdown pass to account for the visitors' only points of the game.
A 37-yard field goal from Rocholl with less than two minutes left in the second completed the first-half scoring.
Rocholl nailed his third field goal, a 42-yarder, with 9:01 left in the third. Fordham had intercepted a pass that was returned 30 yards for a touchdown on the third play of the drive, but a costly Fordham personal foul for roughing the passer erased a play that would have given the Rams the lead. Davis carried five times for 31 yards and Hormann connected with
Adrian Demko for a 21-yard completion as Columbia capitalized on the Fordham error with three points.
Fordham recovered an onside kick at their own 49 on a surprise play that nearly worked for the Lions. One play later, Daniels launched a pass to Clarke that split two Columbia defenders. Clarke had no one between himself and the end zone, but Smith tracked him down at the one and clubbed the ball loose. Crawford scooped the ball and returned it 14 yards. Hormann hit Knowlin up the left side for a 62-yard TD six plays later for a 23-7 Columbia advantage.
Cobb's and Quinn's fourth-quarter touchdowns blew the game open. Columbia's last triumph of 30-or-more points was also over Fordham in a season opener, 44-0 in 1972 when
Norries Wilson was 7 years old.
“I'm sitting at home last night watching [the] Toledo-Kansas [game],” Wilson noted. “Every 10 minutes, my wife kept asking 'Are you nervous? Are you nervous yet?'”
Wilson's first victory gave the Lions their second straight win in the Liberty Cup matchup, and a 3-2 advantage in the Cup series with the Rams.
The Lions, who play three more home games before their first road contest, host Georgetown Saturday, September 23 at 12:30 p.m.