Football Opens Season with Loss at Charlotte

Charlotte, N.C. – If the 2018 Fordham football season opener can be summed up in a few words it would be: Hurry up and wait. The Rams spent almost nine hours flying down to Charlotte on Friday and then were delayed numerous times during the game on Saturday by the weather. And in the end, Fordham head coach Joe Conlin will have to wait another week for his first victory as the Rams fell to the 49ers, 34-10, on Saturday night.
 
The game was scheduled to start at 6:00 p.m. but was pushed back to a 7:14 p.m. start by lightning in the area. Halftime was also extended by more lightning and the game wrapped up at 11:26 p.m.
 
Senior wide out Austin Longi led the Fordham offense with eight catches for 113 yards and one score while senior quarterback Luke Medlock completed 22 of 47 passes for 296 yards, all career-highs, and one score.
 
Defensively, sophomore Glenn Cunningham led the Rams with a game-high 13 tackles, including 3.5 for loss and one sack.
 
The 49ers took a 3-0 lead in the first on a 24-yard field goal and then stretched the lead to 6-0 with a 39-yard field goal early in the second quarter.
 
Fordham responded with a quick scoring drive, highlighted by a 70-yard scoring strike from Medlock to Longi to put the Rams up 7-6 with 11:58 left in the half.
 
However, Charlotte came right back, moving 75 yards on three plays to retake the lead, 13-7, 1:10 later.
 
The 49ers then outscored the Rams 21-3 in the second half for the win.
 
Takeaways
 
Senior Jalen Ollie appeared in his first game for the Rams and recorded his first career catch on Fordham's first possession.
 
The game was the first football game played between the two schools.
 
Charlotte controlled the time of possession in the game, 37:27 to 22:33.
 
Sophomore punter Andrew Mevis placed four of his six punts inside the Charlotte, including one that was downed on the three.
 
Besides the two lightning delays, the game also had a lighting delay in the fourth quarter as the lights on Fordham's side of the field all went out. After a brief stoppage, play was continued with just the one side of lights working.
 
The Rams boarded their flight to Charlotte at about 2:20 PM on Friday but the plane was delayed getting out of LaGuardia by traffic and then forced into a holding pattern when the Charlotte airport was shut down by weather. Running low on fuel, the Rams had to land in Raleigh to refuel and then were delayed getting back in the air. Once in the air, it was a quick 30-minute flight to Charlotte but upon landing there was no gate open so the Rams sat on the tarmac waiting for an open gate for almost an hour.
 
By the Numbers
 
9 – Different Fordham receivers who made a catch in the game.
 
9 – Players who made their first appearance for the Rams tonight.
 
22 – Completions by Luke Medlock, a career-high.
 
113 –Receiving yards by Austin Longi, his eighth career 100-yard receiving game.
 
296 – Passing yards by Luke Medlock, a career-high.
 
What's Next ?
 
The Rams travel to Richmond, Va., to face the University of Richmond Spiders next Saturday, September 8, at 6:00 p.m.