Football Opens Season at Bowling Green

Bowling Green, Ohio – Just a short walk from the Bowling Green State University campus is the Janis Joplin House, though it's unclear of the relationship the house has with the former singer. What is clear is that Joplin was the inspiration of Tom Petty's smash hit "The Waiting is the Hardest Part". The Fordham University football squad has been waiting since last November and preparing since last month for today's first game of the 2024 season. Unfortunately the Rams will have to wait another week for their first win of the year as they ran into a tough Bowling Green State team tonight, falling to the Falcons, 41-17, at Doyt Perry Stadium.
 
The Fordham offense was led by senior running back Julius Loughridge, who carried 16 times for 112 yards, while junior quarterback CJ Montes completed 13 of 21 passes for 159 yards and one score and he rushed for 30 net yards.
 
Defensively, freshman linebacker Jaylen Dawson led the Rams with ten total tackles, five solo, while grad student linebacker Mike Courtney added seven tackles, including one for loss. Senior linebacker James Conway did not play in the game.
 
The Rams trailed 27-3 at the half but took the second half kickoff and drove to the Bowling Green 30 where Montes found grad student wide receiver Cole Thornton down the right side for a 30-yard scoring strike to make it a 27-10 game. The big play of the drive came just before the score when Montes managed a shovel pass to Loughridge who took it 44 yards to the BGSU 30.
 
The Fordham defense held the Falcons to a three-and-out and the Rams took over on their own 29 following a punt. Fordham was able to move the ball to the Bowling Green 36 but a tackle for loss moved the Rams back to the 38 and Fordham punted the ball back to the Falcons.
 
The Fordham defense again stopped the Falcons on the next possession at midfield but a fake punt moved the ball to the Fordham 23 and Bowling Green scored four plays later to take a commanding 34-10 lead with 1:21 left in the third.
 
After the Falcons scored on a 73-yard run midway through the fourth, Fordham junior quarterback Jack Capaldi found a streaking Jack Betten over the middle for a 60-yard scoring play with 24 seconds remaining to make it a 41-17 final.
 
The game got off on the wrong foot for the Rams as Bowling Green returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown and then scored on its first three offensive possessions to take a 27-0 lead with 9:54 left in the second quarter.
 
The Fordham defense held the Falcons midway through the second quarter with Fordham taking over on its own 18 following a punt. Montes and Loughridge drove the Rams down to the Bowling Green eight where freshman Bennett Henderson connected on a 24-yard field goal as time expired to make it a 27-3 game at the break.
 
Notes
• It was the first game in his Fordham career that James Conway did not play (he started all 34 games in his career to this point).
 
• Three Fordham freshmen started in their collegiate debut: linebacker Jaylen Dawson, placekicker Bennett Henderson, and offensive lineman Cooper LaFond.
 
• Henderson converted his first collegiate field goal attempt and was good on two PATs.
 
• It was the second earliest season-opener for the Rams (the opener last year at UAlbany on August 26 was the earliest season-opener in Fordham history).
 
• Fordham is one of six teams with three wins over an NCAA FBS program since 2013.
 
• It was the third straight season that the Rams played a MAC school (Ohio in 2022 and Buffalo last year).
 
• Bowling Green is the fifth different MAC school that the Rams have played (Akron, Ball State, Buffalo, and Ohio).
• Former Fordham head coach Dave Clawson served as head coach at Bowling Green from 2009-13, winning the 2013 MAC championship.
 
• Bowling Green running backs coach Brian White served as a graduate assistant to head coach Larry Glueck at Fordham from 1986-87.
 
By the Numbers
1 – Career passing touchdowns by Jack Capaldi and career receiving scores for Jack Betten.
 
6.2 – Average gain per play for Fordham.
 
12 – Career 100-yard rushing games for Julius Loughridge.
 
32:27 – Time of possession for the Rams.
 
39.8 – Punting average for Will Haslett, who placed three of his six punts inside the 20.
 
261 – Total yards of offense in the second half for the Rams (compared to 140 in the first half).
 
What's Next?
• The Rams continue the 2024 season by traveling to New Britain, Conn., to face the Central Connecticut State University Blue Devils on Saturday, September 8, at 6:00 p.m. on Arute Field.
 
• It will be the fourth meeting between Fordham and Central Connecticut, the first since 2019.
 
• The Blue Devils lead the all-time series, 2-1.
 
• The Rams took the lone meeting with the Blue Devils in New Britain, 38-31, in 2017.
 
• Fordham is 15-15 versus current members of the Northeast Conference, winning the past three match ups.