Fordham University Athletics

Conway, S.C. – For those who don't know, a Chanticleer is the main rooster in The Nun's Priest's Tale, where a sly fox tricks the proud bird into closing his eyes to crow, leading to a dramatic capture and escape. Unfortunately the Fordham football squad couldn't manage to trick the Coast Carolina Chanticleers tonight, falling to the home team, 45-7, in Brooks Stadium.
 
With the loss, Fordham falls to 0-3 on the year while Coast Carolina evens its record at 1-1.
 
Coastal took the opening kickoff and drove 65 yards, capped by a 5-yard run, to take a 7-0 lead five minutes into the game
 
The Rams responded by driving to the Coastal eight but fumbled the ball back to the Chanticleers.
 
Senior quarterback Gunnar Smith passes for 101 yards and a score and ran for another 40 net yards. Senior Nodin Tracy led the Fordham receivers with four catches for 54 yards and a touchdown.
 
Junior Krystian Pothel led the Fordham defense with nine tackles, while senior Andrew Osmun and freshman AJ Revella each added six.
 
Fordham took over at midfield on their next possession and drove to the Coastal one where a penalty moved them back to the six. But Smith found Tracy in the endzone two minutes into the second to tie the game at seven.
 
Coastal wasted little time in reclaiming the lead, scoring on a 65-yard scoring strike two minutes later and would score twice more to take a 28-7 halftime lead.
 
Notes
• Freshman quarterback Crew Colon made his collegiate debut in the fourth quarter.
 
• Brothers Cooper and Mason LaFond played together on the offensive line for the first time.

• The Rams went from playing their first game in a domed stadium last week to their first game on teal-colored artificial turf this week.
 
• Both teams on the field on Saturday have a strong connection to Joe Moglia.
 
• Moglia is a 1971 Fordham graduate and an award-winning football coach and transformational business executive, who is just the fourth alumnus to be honored with the Fordham Founder's Award as well as induction into Fordham's Hall of Honor and its Athletics Hall of Fame.
 
• He is also a member of Fordham Prep's Hall of Honor and Football Hall of Fame, and received an honorary doctorate from the University in 2009.
 
• The Rams play their home games at Moglia Stadium which was named for the alumnus in 2023.
 
• Moglia served as head football coach at Coastal Carolina from 2012-16 and 2018, compiling a 56-22 record and lead the Chanticleers to three Big South Conference titles.
 
By the Numbers
4.0 - Tackles for loss recorded by the Rams, led by 1.5 from Lorenzo Riddick.

25 – Fordham is one of 25 NCAA FCS teams playing two FBS opponents this year.
 
44.5 – Punting average for Dominic Sansone, who entered the game leading the Patriot League in punting.
 
What's Next?
• The Rams will stay on the road for the third of three straight road contests, as they travel to Williamsburg, Va., to face one of the newest members of the Patriot League, the College of William & Mary Tribe at Walter J. Zable Stadium at Cary Field on Saturday, September 19, at 6:00 p.m.
 
• It will be the first meeting between Fordham and William & Mary on the gridiron.
 
• The Tribe in in its first year in the Patriot League after competing in the CAA from 2007-2025, winning CAA titles in 2010, 2015, and 2022.
 
• It will be just the fourth football game played by Fordham in the Old Dominion State (Fordham is 1-0 against Washington and Lee and 0-2 versus Richmond in Virginia).