Box Score Albany, N.Y. - August 26 is National Dog Day and the University at Albany Great Danes celebrated with a 34-13 season-opening win over Fordham University at Bob Ford Field at Tom and Mary Casey Stadium.
 
It was a much different game than the last time the two teams met, a 48-45 Fordham win last year on Jack Coffey Field, as the Ram offense wasn't able to get on track, being held to 235 yards of total offense. Sophomore quarterback CJ Montes, making his Fordham debut, completed 18 of 31 passes for 198 yards and one touchdown with grad student receiver MJ Wright catching six of Montes' passes for 61 yards. Junior running back Julius Loughridge led Fordham on the ground, gaining 48 yards on 12 carries.
 
Defensively sophomore linebacker Marc Pretto led Fordham with six tackles, five solo, while sophomore defensive lineman Sam Buerkle added a pair of tackles for loss.
 
The Great Danes scored first to take a 7-0 in the first quarter but a pair of Brandon Peskin field goals, one late in the first and the second early in the second quarter, cut the UAlbany lead to one, 7-6.
 
UAlbany scored late in the second quarter to take a 14-6 lead and then took advantage of a Fordham turnover right before the half to score again and take a 21-6 lead into intermission.
 
The Rams came out and covered 76 yards on nine plays to open the second half, scoring on a 24-yard pass from Montes to Cole Thornton to cut the UAlbany lead to eight, 21-13, with 11:45 left in the third but that would be all the scoring for Fordham.
 
Takeaways
• The touchdown catch as the first of Cole Thornton's career.
 
• Freshman wide receiver recorded his first collegiate reception, an eight-yarder.
 
• It was the first game since 2018 that the starting Fordham quarterback wasn't named Tim DeMorat (DeMorat had started the past 35 games for the Rams).
 
• The game took a bit longer to play than usual due to a 25-minute halftime for a fireworks display.
 
• The Rams' season-opener is the earliest season-opener in Fordham history (previous earliest opener for the Rams came in 2013 when the Rams commenced the season on August 29 by hosting Rhode Island).
 
• The Fordham University Rams are 50-36 all-time in season openers since 1920, 11-24 since moving to the NCAA FCS in 1989.
 
• Over the past nine years, the Fordham Rams are 26-18 in non-conference play (not including the NCAA FCS Championship games).
 
By the Numbers
24 – Yards after catch by Julius Loughridge.
 
33 – Punt return by Cole Thornton, his career-high.
 
44.8 – Punting average for Will Haslett.
 
61.5 – Average kickoff yardage for Brandon Peskin.
 
109 – Combined rushing (48) and receiving yards (61) for Julius Loughridge.
 
What's Next?
• The Rams will return home to Jack Coffey Field to host the Wagner College Seahawks on Saturday, September 2, at 6:00 p.m.
 
• The Seahawks lead the all-time series, 8-5.
 
• Fordham has won the past two matchups; including a 48-31 opening-night win at Wagner last September 1 as Tim DeMorat completed 18 of 25 passes for 386 yards and five touchdowns and ran for another.