Rawlings guides Yale to 48-24 victory over Fordham

Oct 5, 2019, 09:52 pm

NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Kurt Rawlings passed for 301 yards and two touchdowns and ran for two scores to help Yale double up Fordham 48-24 on Saturday.

Rawlings completed 16 of 22 passes with one interception for the Bulldogs (3-0).

Yale took control in the first half and never looked back. Reed Klubnik capped a nine-play, 82-yard drive with a 3-yard TD run for a 7-0 lead. Sam Tuckerman's 33-yard field goal put the Bulldogs up 10-0, but on Fordham's first play after the ensuing kickoff Tim DeMorat connected with Fotis Kokosioulis for a 70-yard score to pull the Rams (2-4) within 10-7. Rawlings answered with a 3-yard TD run and then hooked up with Mason Tipton for a 48-yard scoring strike 7 seconds into the second quarter to put Yale up 24-7.

Fordham closed within 24-10 on an Andrew Mevis 37-yard field goal, but Rawlings hit J.P. Shohfi for a 69-yard score and added a 1-yard TD run after Shohfi returned a Fordham punt 37 yards to the 2-yard line. Kyle Ellis ended Yale's 45-point first half when he returned an interception 23 yards for a TD.

DeMorat, who finished 19-of-34 passing for 298 yards and three TDs, had scoring tosses of 33 yards to Jeff Ciccio and a 22-yarder to Dequece Carter in the fourth quarter for the Rams. Kokosioulis finished with eight catches for 136 yards.

Shohfil had five receptions for 139 yards for Yale.

Second-year coach Joe Conlin was Yale's offensive coordinator in 2017 before taking the Fordham job.

The Rams were last among FCS teams a year ago when they averaged just 50.7 yards rushing per game. They entered the game against Yale averaging better than 156 yards this season, but were held to 36 yards on 26 carries against the Bulldogs.