Charlotte loses opener to Eastern Michigan, 24-7

Published 12:57 am Saturday, September 2, 2017

YPSILANTI, Mich. (AP) — Brogan Roback passed for 267 yards, Ian Eriksen ran for two touchdowns and Eastern Michigan opened the season with a 24-7 win over Charlotte on Friday night.

Eriksen gave the Eagles the lead for good at 14-7 on his first TD run, a 2-yarder with 2:35 left in the first quarter, and capped the scoring on a 5-yard carry with 3:58 left in the third.

Shaq Vann led Eastern Michigan with 90 yards rushing and Eriksen added 37. Sergio Bailey II had five catches for 78 yards.

Hasaan Klugh had 114 yards passing and 101 yards rushing for the 49ers.

SYRACUSE 50, CCSU 7

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Eric Dungey threw for three scores and ran for two more and Syracuse dominated in every aspect Friday night to defeat Central Connecticut State 50-7 in the season opener and first-ever matchup between the schools.

The Orange led 21-0 after the first quarter and never looked back. Syracuse gained 586 yards, 326 in the first half, while the Blue Devils managed 167 for the game, just 54 on the ground. Six of Syracuse’s scoring drives took less than three minutes, including two of 58 and 53 seconds.

Syracuse had 34 first downs to seven for Central Connecticut.

Jacob Dolegala was 6 of 19 for 86 yards for the Blue Devils.

Dungey, who tied Ryan Nassib for the most 300-yard games in Syracuse history with seven, was 28 of 36 for 328 yards and ran for scores of 11 and 2 yards. Steve Ishmael had a career-high 12 receptions for a career-best 134 yards.

Syracuse scored on its first three possessions of the game, including Dungey’s 11-yard scamper around left end.

The one downside for Syracuse: a lower-leg injury suffered in the first quarter by safety Antwan Cordy, who missed the final 10 games last season due to a broken forearm.