Edmonds’ Record Day Vaults Fordham Past Lehigh, 59-42

By Joe DiBari

Special to College Sports Journal

 

Editor’s Note: This story is courtesy of Fordham athletics.

 

Bronx, N.Y. – When Fordham running backs coach Shane Fogarty was asked what his game plan was before today’s contest with Lehigh he simply said: “Give the ball to number 22.” 

 

And that’s just what the Rams did as sophomore running back Chase Edmonds carried 31 times for a Patriot League record 347 yards and three touchdowns to lead #10/11 Fordham to a 59-42 Patriot League win over Lehigh on Jack Coffey Field.

 

With the win, Fordham’s sixth straight, the Rams improve to 7-1 overall, 3-0 in the Patriot League, while Lehigh falls to 3-4 overall, 1-1 in the league.

 

Edmonds’ 347 rushing yards easily surpassed the former Fordham school record of 272 yards set by Chip Kron against Georgetown in 1985 and was 43 yards better than the former Patriot League mark of 304 yards set by Lafayette’s Ross Scheuerman against Lehigh in 2014.

 

The 347 yards also ties Edmonds with Lamar’s Kade Harrington for most rushing yards in a game in the NCAA Division I (both FBS and FCS) this year.

 

Edmonds, who ran for scores from 9, 60 and 75 yards, also caught two passes for 55 yards and a score to bring his all-purpose total to 402 yards, breaking his own Patriot League record of 385 all-purpose yards set in last year’s NCAA Championship game at New Hampshire.

 

Edmonds now has 3,231 career rushing yards in just 22 career contests, the fourth best career rushing total in school history. He has also amassed 41 rushing touchdowns, second on the school’s all-time list.