Football Falls at FAU

Boca Raton, Fla. – Tonight's game with Florida Atlantic University got off to a later start than anticipated, thanks to some late afternoon lightning strikes in the area around FAU Stadium. The late start didn't seem to affect the Ram defense as they held the Owls in check early but the Fordham offense couldn't seem to get on track as Fordham fell to FAU, 45-14, on Saturday night.
 
With the loss, Fordham falls to 0-3 on the season while Florida Atlantic improves to 2-1.
 
Senior linebacker Ryan Greenhagen continued his torrid opening to the season recording a game-high 17 tackles, while freshman linebacker James Conway, the reigning Patriot League Rookie of the Week, also finished in double figures with 15 stops, and he recovered a fumble.
 
Offensively, junior wide receiver Dequece Carter caught three passes for 111 yards and one score.
 
The Rams trailed by 21, 28-7, when senior quarterback Tim DeMorat hooked up with Carter on a 48-yard scoring pass to make it a 28-14 game with 9:45 left in the fourth. But the Owls scored 17 unanswered points to put the game away.
 
Takeaways
• The game was Fordham's second vs. an NCAA FBS opponent this year and the 12th FCS game for the Rams since 2011.
 
• It as just the second game played in the Sunshine State by the Rams, the first being a 1954 contest at Miami.
 
• It was the first meeting between Fordham and Florida Atlantic on the gridiron (the Owls started playing football in 2001).
 
• Rams are 1-2 all-time vs. current Conference USA schools (a win over Rice in 1939 and a loss at Charlotte in 2018).
 
• Temperature was 86 degrees at kickoff with 79 percent humidity to make it feel like 99.
 
• First game on natural grass for the Rams this season.
 
• A large contingent of former Fordham football Rams were in attendance.
 
By the Numbers
 
1.8 – Miles to the beach from FAU Stadium (according to numerus reminders in the stadium).
 
3 – Fumble recoveries by the Rams.
 
5 – Rams who hail from Florida (Tim DeMorat, Alfonzo Dixon IV, Nick Leinenweber, Trey Sneed, and Stephen William II).
 
17 – Total tackles for Ryan Greenhagen, his third straight double-digit
 
40 –Career touchdown passes for Tim DeMorat, fifth all-time at Fordham.
 
533 – Career completions for Tim DeMorat, good of fourth on the Rams' career list.
 
6,081 – Career passing yards for Tim DeMorat, fifth all-time at Fordham.
 
 
What's Next?
• The Rams travel out to Long Island to face the Stony Brook University Seawolves in LaValle Stadium next Saturday, September 25, at 3:30 p.m.
 
• It will be the fifth meeting between the Rams and the Seawolves.
 
• Stony Brook leads the all-time series, 3-1.
 
• It will be the third meeting on the NCAA FCS level as the first two meetings occurred on the NCAA Division III level.
 
• The game will be only Fordham's third contest on Long Island since 1994.