Fordham Football Prepares for Homecoming

Fans+packed+the+Jack+Coffey+Field+during+the+first+home+game+earlier+this+season.+%28Luke+Momo%2FThe+Observer%29

Fans packed the Jack Coffey Field during the first home game earlier this season. (Luke Momo/The Observer)

By MOHDSHOBAIR HUSSAINI

A Tale of Two Teams. This best explains the rivalry between the Columbia Lions and Fordham Rams. And what better way to live up to this hype than this weekend’s Liberty Cup and Homecoming matchup between the two teams.

The 1:00 p.m. kickoff this Saturday Sept. 19 will be a packed one so be sure to hit the stands bright and early. The Liberty Cup showcases a matchup between two of the oldest Division I football programs in New York City.

The Rams enter Saturday with a 1-1 record, hoping to bounce back from their loss against Villanova a week ago. At last year’s matchup against Columbia, Fordham took home the trophy with a 49-7 victory, but things have changed since then. The Lions will embark on a new era with Head Coach Al Bagnoli, who hopes to bring his success from the University of Pennsylvania up to the big apple.

The matchup will mark the 24th all-time meeting between Fordham and Columbia on the gridiron and the advantage appears to be with the Rams for three reasons. The first being that Fordham has been victorious in each of the last five meetings against Columbia. The second being that Fordham has star running back and sophomore Chase Edmonds. Edmonds was named the FCS Player of the Week during week 1 and has since been averaging 75 receiving and 100 rushing yards, ranking him 1st and 2nd respectively in the Patriot League. In last year’s Liberty Cup, he rushed for 174 yards and two touchdowns, making this Saturday’s game a highly anticipated one. The last reason being Fordham has head coach Joe Moorhead. Moorhead has an overall record of 30-11, which is the best record for any head football coach at Fordham over his first three-plus years.

You’ve heard the history. You’ve heard the facts. You’ve heard the odds. You’ll definitely want to attend this clash of two titans.