BOX SCORE BRONX, N.Y. – Junior running back Khairi Dickson (Cleveland, Ohio/Cleveland Central Catholic) rushed for a career-high 244 yards and two touchdowns, but the Saint Francis football team dropped its season opener at No. 11 Fordham, 52-23.

Dickson carried the Flash offense, and his performance nearly put him in the SFU record books. In becoming the Red Flash's first 200-yard rusher since Kyle Harbridge (Easton, Pa./Easton Area) ran for 291 against this same Fordham team last year, Dickson came just four yards shy of moving into fifth place for yards in a game. Michael Hall had 248 against La Salle on Oct. 4, 2003.

With the Flash down 24-0 late in the first half, Dickson helped the Flash get on the board with his 37-yard carry out of the Wildcat formation. That gain was the longest of his career at the time, and it set the Flash up at the Fordham 21. Four plays later, Lance Geesey (Harrisburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) made his first field goal attempt of the season from 30 yards out.

After the Rams added two more touchdowns, Dickson blew past his previous career-high of 148 yards with a 34-yard run to the Fordham 3 early in the fourth quarter. Two plays later, he plunged in from a yard out to make the score 38-10.

He then surpassed the 200-yard barrier on the Flash's next drive. From the Fordham 48, Dickson broke through the middle and scampered into the end zone to make it 45-17. He added 20 more yards following the touchdown run to finish with 244 yards on 33 carries, a 7.4 yards per carry average.

The Red Flash defense picked up where it left off last season as it forced a turnover on Fordham's opening possession. Mike Dennis (Teaneck, N.J./Teaneck) stripped Fordham receiver Tebucky Jones after a pass completion in the flat at the SFU 21, and Solomon Leaeno (Kapolei, Hawaii/James Campbell) recovered it and returned it to the 30. It was Dennis' first career forced fumble and Leaeno's first career recovery. The Flash forced 22 turnovers in 11 games last year on its way to being one of the top defenses in the FCS.

Reigning NEC Defensive Rookie of the Year Lorenzo Jerome (Sunrise, Fla./J.P. Taravella) made his presence known, finishing with a career-high 10 tackles. He made a great pass breakup in the 2nd quarter, diving in front of quarterback Michael Nebrich's attempt to Phazahn Odom on 2^nd-and-7. DaQuan Minter (Johnstown, Pa./Greater Johnstown) followed with great coverage on third down to force a Fordham field goal attempt. The 33-yard attempt missed wide left to hold the score at 17-0 Fordham.

Fordham's high-powered and balanced offensive attack proved to be too much for the Flash. After the fumble on their first possession, the Rams scored on four of their next six possessions to take a 24-0 lead. Nebrich finished with 188 yards and three passing touchdowns. He did complete just 11 of 26 passes after completing better than 70 percent as a junior in 2013. Running back Chase Edmonds rushed for 181 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries while adding 119 more yards on three kick returns.

Kaena Moose (Honolulu, Hawaii/Iolani School) and Cody Reimers (Wilson, N.Y./Wilson Central) each had five tackles for the Flash while Minter had a pair of pass breakups. Semo Sila (Honolulu, Hawaii /Farrington) recorded a blocked punt on a partially deflected kick. Freshman running back Marcus Bagley (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights) capped the scoring with his first career rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter. He finished with 26 yards including the eight-yard score.

The Red Flash opens the home portion of the 2014 schedule next Saturday against Clarion at 1:00 p.m.