1997 Fordham Rams football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| mode = football
| year = 1997
| team = Fordham Rams
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Patriot League
| short_conf = Patriot
| record = 5–6
| conf_record = 4–2
| champion =
| head_coach = Nick Quartaro
| hc_year = 4th
| def_coach = Vince Sinagra
| dc_year = 4th
| captain = Cory Bailey
| captain2 = Jack Pieracini
| captain3 = Dave Scoblick
| captain4 = Lance Shaw
| stadium = Coffey Field
}}
{{1997 Patriot League football standings}}
The 1997 Fordham Rams football team was an American football team that represented Fordham University during the 1997 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Fordham finished third in the Patriot League.
In their fourth and final year under head coach Nick Quartaro, the Rams compiled a 5–6 record. Cory Bailey, Jack Pieracini, Dave Scoblick and Lance Shaw were the team captains; Bill Tierney was named an honorary captain posthumously.{{cite book |title=Fordham 2019 Football Media Guide |chapter=Year-by-Year |publisher=Fordham University |location=Bronx, N.Y. |page=162 |accessdate=June 20, 2020 |url=https://fordhamsports.com/documents/2019/8/26/FordFB19.pdf}}
The Rams were outscored 247 to 215. Their 4–2 conference record placed third in the seven-team Patriot League standings.{{cite book|url=https://patriotleague.org/documents/2020/7/14/2020_PatriotFB_Record_Book.pdf|title=Patriot League Football Record Book|chapter=Football All-Time Year-by-Year Results|publisher=Patriot League|location=Center Valley, Pa.|date=2020|accessdate=August 10, 2020|page=6}} In eight years of league play, this was Fordham's best finish to date.
Fordham played its home games at Jack Coffey Field on the university campus in The Bronx, in New York City.
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| attend = y
| source = y
| September 6 | @ | Lafayette
| Fisher Field | Easton, PA | W 23 0
| 4,103 | {{cite news |title=Lafayette Lays an Egg in Loss to Fordham |first=Ted |last=Meixell |date=September 7, 1997 |page=C1 |newspaper=The Morning Call |location=Allentown, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59316391/1997-fordham-lafayette/ }}
| September 13 | | Lehigh
| Coffey Field | Bronx, NY | W 42 35
| September 20 | @ | Colgate
| Andy Kerr Stadium | Hamilton, NY | L 14 27
| 7,000 | {{cite news |title=Colgate Thwarts Fordham 27-14 |agency=Associated Press |date=September 21, 1997 |page=7D |newspaper=Rockland Journal-News |location=White Plains, N.Y.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59317622/1997-colgate-fordham/ }}
| September 27 | v | Princeton
| Lions Field | Ewing, NJ | L 7 9
| 4,050 | {{cite news |title=Princeton Happy with Narrow Win |first=Elliott |last=Denman |date=September 28, 1997 |pages=C7, C14 |newspaper=The Home News & Tribune |location=New Brunswick, N.J.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59319177/1997-fordham-princeton/ }}
| October 4 | | Brown
| Coffey Field | Bronx, NY | L 14 45
| 6,171 | {{cite news |title=Brown 45, Fordham 14 |agency=Associated Press |date=October 5, 1997 |page=D22 |newspaper=Boston Sunday Globe |location=Boston, Mass.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59362892/1997-brown-fordham/ }}
| October 11 | | Dartmouth
| Coffey Field | Bronx, NY | L 10 31
| 3,711 | {{cite news |title=Dartmouth Easily Defeats Fordham |date=October 12, 1997 |page=B3 |newspaper=The Sunday Rutland Herald |location=Rutland, Vt.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59363642/1997-dartmouth-fordham/ }} Attendance figure in {{cite news |title=Summaries |date=October 12, 1997 |page=C17 |newspaper=Boston Sunday Globe |location=Boston, Mass.}}
| October 18 | | Bucknell
| Coffey Field | Bronx, NY | L 10 36
| 3,296 | {{cite news |title=Fordham Buried by Poer, Bucknell in 36-10 Defeat |agency=Associated Press |date=October 19, 1997 |page=7D |newspaper=Rockland Journal-News |location=White Plains, N.Y.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59375631/1997-bucknell-fordham/ }}
| October 25 | | Cornell
| Coffey Field | Bronx, NY | L 13 45
| 878 | {{cite news |title=Opportunistic Red Hammers Fordham |first=Keith |last=McShea |date=October 27, 1997 |page=3B |newspaper=The Ithaca Journal |location=Ithaca, N.Y.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59376900/1997-cornell-fordham/ }}
| November 1 | | Towson
| Coffey Field | Bronx, NY | W 12 7
| 721 | {{cite news |title=Towson Fakes Itself Out, Loses to Fordham, 12-7 |first=Joe |last=Dibari |date=November 2, 1997 |page=9C |newspaper=The Baltimore Sun |location=Baltimore, Md.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59378802/1997-fordham-towson/ }}
| November 15 | @ | {{cfb link|year=1997|team=Georgetown Hoyas|title=Georgetown}}
| Kehoe Field | Washington, DC | W 42 0
| 942 | {{cite news |title=Fordham Blasts Hoyas 42-0 |agency=Associated Press |date=November 16, 1997 |page=7D |newspaper=Rockland Journal-News |location=White Plains, N.Y.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59380701/1997-fordham-georgetown/ }}
| November 22 | @ | Holy Cross
| Fitton Field | Worcester, MA (rivalry) | W 28 12
| 725 | {{cite news |title=Fordham Wins Finale Against Holy Cross |agency=Associated Press |date=November 23, 1997 |page=9D |newspaper=Rockland Journal-News |location=White Plains, N.Y.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59381830/1997-fordham-hc/ }}
}}