Moorhead, an Eddie Robinson Award finalist as the NCAA FCS Coach of the Year for the past two seasons, led Fordham to a 12-2 record this fall and the Rams advanced to the second round of the NCAA FCS Championship for just the second time in school history.

Moorhead, the 2013 AFCA Regional Co-Coach of the Year, Patriot League Coach of the Year and a Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year finalist, led the Rams to unprecedented success in 2013, winning the first ten games of the year for the first time in school history and being ranked as high as fifth in the NCAA FCS polls, Fordham’s highest ever ranking on the FCS level. The Rams set a school record for most wins in a season in the modern era (since 1920) and accomplished a plethora of firsts, including the first win over an NCAA FBS team (Temple), the first win over a top-ten ranked NCAA FCS team on Jack Coffey Field (Villanova) and the school’s first ever home NCAA FCS championship win on Jack Coffey Field (Sacred Heart). For his accomplishments, Moorhead was named the 2013 Patriot League Coach of the Year.

A former Fordham quarterback, Moorhead and revamped the Rams’ offense, a unit that led the NCAA FCS in pass completion percentage (70.6%), was third in passing offense (360.9 yards/game) and total first downs (364), and seventh in total offense (515.3 yards/game) this fall.
After catching 26 passes for 312 yards over his first two years at Rose Hill, Ajala, who earned All-America honors from the Associated Press, Beyond Sports Network, College Sports Madness and The Sports Network and was also named first team All-Patriot League in 2013, had a coming out party this year, hauling in 93 passes for 1,646 yards, both team highs, with 14 touchdowns, tying for the team lead. He broke Javarus Dudley’s 2003 school record of 1,439 receiving yards in a season and tied Dudley’s school record for receiving touchdowns in a season, also set in 2003. Ajala is second in the NCAA FCS in receiving yards and is second in the Patriot League and fourth in the NCAA FCS in receiving yards per game (117.6). He also ranks among the top 20 nationally in receiving touchdowns (tied for third) and receptions per game (12^th).
Over his career, Ajala has 119 receptions for 1,958 yards and 16 touchdowns. He is sixth on the school’s all-time receiving yards list, seventh on the career receptions list and tied for sixth in receiving touchdowns.

Nebrich, a 2013 Beyond Sports Network and College Sports Madness All-American and the 2013 Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year, enjoyed one of the best regular seasons for a quarterback in school history.  He completed 353-of-480 passes (73.5%) for 4,380 yards with 35 touchdowns, and also rushed for 513 yards and nine scores. His completion percentage leads the nation as does his total offense (376.4 yards/game) while he also ranks in the top five nationally in passing yards per game (336.9 – third), passing efficiency (171.3 – second), completions per game (27.15 – third), and points responsible for per contest (20.5 – third). He went 11-0 as the starting quarterback during the regular season in 2013, one of only two FCS signal-callers to put up an undefeated mark for the season. He set every school single season passing record this fall, eclipsing John Skelton’s 2009 record of 284 completions for 3,708 yards and Mark Carney’s 2001 mark of 27 passing touchdowns. Nebrich also set a Fordham record with 524 passing yards in a win against Holy Cross on Nov. 2.

Light, one of the top tight ends in Fordham history who earned first team all-league honors for the second straight year and was a 2013 Beyond Sports Network All-American, caught 66 passes (a school record for tight ends) for 588 yards (the second most receiving yards for a Fordham tight end) and two touchdowns this year. He ranked second among all NCAA FCS tight ends in receptions per game (4.7) and third in receiving yards per game (42.0) and was eighth in the Patriot League in receptions per game (4.7) and tenth in receiving yards per game (33.2).

Over his career, Light has 134 receptions, a school record for tight ends, for 1,209 yards, second best among all tight ends in Fordham history, and three touchdowns.

The final 2013 NCAA FCS polls have been released and the Fordham University Rams finished the season ranked ninth in the NCAA FCS Sports Network poll and tenth in the NCAA FCS Coaches Poll. This is the highest ranking ever for the Rams at the end of the year (the previous best was 12th following the 2002 season).

The Rams enjoyed one of the most successful seasons in Fordham history, going 12-2 this fall, winning the first ten games of the year for the first time in school history and being ranked as high as fifth in the NCAA FCS polls, Fordham’s highest ever ranking on the FCS level. Along the way, the team compiled a long list of firsts, including the first win over an NCAA FBS team (Temple), the first win over a top-ten ranked NCAA FCS team on Jack Coffey Field (Villanova), the school’s first ever home NCAA FCS championship win on Jack Coffey Field (Sacred Heart) and the most nonconference wins in a season (six).

Along with the team success came a plethora of individual accolades as junior wide receiver Sam Ajala, junior linebacker Stephen Hodge, junior tight end Dan Light and junior quarterback Mike Nebrich all received All-America honors. The four also earned First Team All-Patriot League accolades, along with senior defensive lineman Brett Biestek, senior offensive lineman Thomas Fisher, senior running back Carlton Koonce, senior defensive lineman DeAndre Slate, senior defensive back Ian Williams, junior offensive lineman Mason Halter and junior placekicker Michael Marando. Nebrich and Hodge were also named Patriot League Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year, respectively.

Head coach Joe Moorhead was also honored, being named the AFCA Regional Co-Coach of the Year and Patriot League Coach of the Year as well as one of five finalists for the NCAA FCS Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year award.

– Joe DiBari

Coming off the most successful season in Fordham football history, head coach Joe Moorhead was recognized by his peers today, being named AFCA Regional Co-Coach of the Year as well as one of five finalists for the NCAA FCS Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year award.

The AFCA?recognizes five regional Coach of the Year winners in each of the Association’s five divisions:?Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Championship Subdivision, Division II, Division III and NAIA. The winners are selected by Active members of the Association who vote for coaches in their respective regions and divisions.

The 2013 Regional Coach of the Year winners will be recognized at the AFCA?Coach of the Year Dinner at the 2014 AFCA?Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. The dinner is scheduled for Tuesday, January 14.

Moorhead shares the AFCA Regional Coach of the Year award with Maine’s Jack Cosgrove.

The Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award recognizes college football coaches who demonstrate Responsibility, Integrity, Sportsmanship and Excellence both on and off the field. Endorsed by the College Football Hall of Fame and now in its eighth year, the program awards one winning coach from each NCAA division (I-FBS, I-FCS, II, and III) with $50,000 to donate to a charity of their choice, a $20,000 grant to each school’s alumni association, and the Coach of the Year trophy.

Coach Moorhead has identified The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society as his charity of choice, a decision that hits close to home for the Fordham mentor as his nephew is a cancer survivor.

Voting for the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year will reopen for fans opened this morning atwww.CoachoftheYear.com and will continue through December 22.  Fan votes will account for 20 percent of each finalist’s final score. Ballots from two committees, college football media, and College Hall of Fame players and coaches, will account for the remaining scoring weight. Winners will be publicly announced at a media event on the morning of January 6, prior to the BCS Championship Game.

Moorhead, an Eddie Robinson Award finalist as the NCAA FCS Coach of the Year for the past two seasons, just completed his second season at Fordham as the Rams went 12-2 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA FCS Championship for just the second time in school history.

This fall, Moorhead led the Rams to unprecedented success, winning the first ten games of the year for the first time in school history and being ranked as high as fifth in the NCAA FCS polls, Fordham’s highest ever ranking on the FCS level. The Rams set a school record for most wins in a season in the modern era (since 1920) and accomplished a plethora of firsts, including the first win over an NCAA FBS team (Temple), the first win over a top-ten ranked NCAA FCS team on Jack Coffey Field (Villanova) and the school’s first ever home NCAA FCS championship win on Jack Coffey Field (Sacred Heart). For his accomplishments, Moorhead was named the 2013 Patriot League Coach of the Year.

A former Fordham quarterback, Moorhead and revamped the Rams’ offense, a unit that leads the NCAA FCS in pass completion percentage, is second on total first downs, third in passing offense, and seventh in total offense this fall.

In his first year at Rose Hill, Moorhead led the Rams to one of the top turnarounds in the NCAA FCS. Inheriting a team that had gone 1-10 in 2011, Moorhead guided Fordham to a 6-5 record in 2012, the second best turnaround in the NCAA FCS that fall. The six wins were the most for a first-year Fordham head football coach since Jim “Sleepy” Crowley also won six games in his first season at Fordham in 1933.

Moorhead led the Rams to back-to-back winning non-conference records, including a perfect 6-0 mark this year.  The six non-conference wins are the most in school history, surpassing the five by the 2003 squad.

The senior football punter has received eleven awards during the 2012 football season, and is the first Football Championship Subdivision kicker to receive the Mitchell award. It is the second straight year Murray has been honored by the Associated Press, earning Third Team honors as a punter last year.

Murray will receive his Mitchell award on Feb. 18 at the National Football Foundation Chicago Chapter Awards Ceremony.

Off the field, Murray has been active in community service projects with the football team, volunteering for a program through which players read to elementary school children in the Bronx. He is also active with the Part of the Solution (POTS) program, working at local food shelters.

— Joe DiBari