Lafayette starts fast, holds off Fordham 38-34

EASTON, Pa. (AP) — Selwyn Simpson ran for 102 yards and two touchdowns, including a 10-yard scoring run with 1:48 left in the game, and Lafayette jumped out to a big lead and held on to beat Fordham 38-34 on Saturday.

Lafayette (2-7, 2-1 Patriot League) raced out to a 17-0 lead after one quarter. Jeffrey Kordenbrock opened the Leopards‘ scoring with a 31-yard field goal. Lafayette’s Billy Shaeffer forced a fumble by Dan Byrnes on the ensuing kickoff and Marco Olivas recovered it at the Rams’ 26-yard line. Five plays later Simpson scored on a 14-yard run. Freshman quarterback Keegan Shoemaker connected with Julius Young for a 10-yard score to close out the quarter.

Zach Davis put Fordham (3-6, 1-2) on the scoreboard with a 10-yard TD run just 7 seconds into the second quarter, but Shoemaker capped a nine-play, 60-yard drive with a 6-yard TD toss to Jordan Hull with 33 seconds remaining and the Leopards took a 24-7 lead into halftime.

Andrew Mevis had an 18-yard field goal for Fordham, but Shoemaker hooked up with Zadok Scott for a 91-yard scoring strike and Lafayette led 31-10.

The Rams made things interesting with three straight touchdown passes by Tim DeMorat — a 17-yarder to Dequece Carter, a 6-yarder to Hamze El-Zayat and a 15-yarder to Jeff Ciccio. Mevis booted a 42-yard field goal with 3:36 remaining to put Fordham up 33-31.

Shoemaker hit Jake Taggart for 18 yards and Hull for another 42 before Simpson scored the game-winner.

Shoemaker completed 17 of 33 passes for 309 yards with two interceptions. Scott had six catches for 160 yards.

DeMorat completed 23 of 37 passes for 315 yards and three TDs. Carter hauled in eight passes for 170 yards.