Tuesday, August 7, 2018

Patriot League preseason football report: Fordham



It was three days before Christmas, and during a 7:15 a.m. telephone call, Joe Conlin had just accepted the job as head football coach at Fordham University.

He hurried into the kitchen to share the news with his wife Karen, but to his surprise, she “was crying,” Conlin said. “Did you not want me to take the job?” the stunned Conlin asked.  “No, they’re tears of joy,” Karen responded.

The 38-year-old Conlin, who was the offensive coordinator last season at Yale, which compiled a 9-1 record and won the Ivy League championship. He said giving the news of his decision to go to Fordham to the coaches and players at Yale was tough for him. He spent six years building that relationship.

Conlin also went to the NCAA FCS playoffs seven years in a row (2004-10) as an assistant at New Hampshire, is now charged with reversing the fortunes of a team that was 4-7 last year despite having running back Chase Edmonds and quarterback Kevin Anderson among its offensive weapons.

Edmonds, the league’s all-time leading career rusher even though he missed five games last season, is now in the NFL; and Anderson, who threw for 73 TDs in his career, is also gone. So, Conlin was asked during the league’s preseason teleconference call, how is the Fordham team going to look different in 2018?

“Offensively, we won’t be that different,” Conlin said … “a little more spread out … we’ll utilize more formations than they did. We’re still going to be a zone team, utilizing tempo, take shots down the field with play action … still do some of RPO (run-pass option) and things like that … we’ll end up with balance, but the offense will strive to be more ground based, kind of open up the pass game with a ground attack, try to establish ourselves on the ground each and every game.

“Defensively, I think we’ll be markedly different … a little more agressive in terms of blitz packages and things like that … more man coverage. But hopefully, you’ll just see the guys playing hard, running to the football and having fun playing the game. That’s very much a hallmark of our program, to see our kids generally enjoy playing together and for Fordham.”

But because 15 spring practices were the only exposure the Rams’ players have had to the thinking and working of Conlin’s plan, the coach, asked about expectations for 2018, said, “To think about the season at this point would be kind of a wasted exercise. Now is just about 25 practices before we play a game and making the most of every day we have to work together before we open with Charlotte. In terms of the players, we’ll keep it very simple. This is as close as these guys are to NFL players. No classes. No distractions. Excited to attack each day and get a little better.”

Fordham, you’ll remember, went four seasons (2010-13) in which its league games didn’t count in the standings because it adopted merit-based scholarships while the rest of the league was operating on need-based aid.  The Rams struggled for three years, but went 12-2 in the fourth. And in 2014-16, they compiled a 16-2 league mark, winning the title in ’14 and finishing second the other two seasons.

The big shocker for the Rams in 2017 may have come against Lafayette. The Leopards came in off a 10-7 win over Holy Cross on a last-second field goal but had allowed 166 points in four losses. Fordham had an identical 1-4 record and had allowed 211 points in its four defeats. Still, the Rams figured to be the favorite.

Fordham led 10-0 after three quarters, but Leopard freshman quarterback Sean O’Malley had what might have been his best effort of the season in the fourth period, hitting 10 of 11 passes on one drive and four more on another, teaming up with Rocco Palumbo for s pair of touchdowns that produced a 14-10 victory that put Lafayette at the top of the league standings.

PRE-SEASON ALL-LEAGUE PICKS – WR Austin Longi, TE Isaiah Searight, OL Dominic Lombard, LB Glenn Cunningham, DB Dylan Mabin.
PRESEASON LEAGUE FINISH PREDICTION – 3rd.
2018 LAFAYETTE GAME: at Fordham, Oct. 27, 1 p.m.

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