CONWAY, S.C. (Interstat) — Deuce Bailey threw three touchdown passes, Dominic Lee-Knicely ran for two scores and Coastal Carolina defeated Fordham 45-7 on Saturday night at Brooks Stadium in Conway, South Carolina, in an NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision game, giving first-year coach Ryan Beard his first win with the Chanticleers. Coastal Carolina improved to 1-1. Fordham fell to 0-3.

Coastal Carolina struck first. Lee-Knicely capped the opening scoring drive with a 5-yard rush right for a touchdown at 10:09 of the first quarter. Nico Cavanillas Alti kicked the extra point. The Chanticleers led 7-0.

Fordham answered with its only touchdown when Gunnar Smith connected with Nodin Tracy on a 6-yard pass. Bennett Henderson kicked the extra point to tie the game at 7. The scoring play came on a short right pass.

Bailey then threw three touchdown passes before halftime. He hit Colton Hinton on a deep middle pass that covered 65 yards, found R. Washington on a deep right pass for 23 yards and connected with Clayton Coppock on a short right pass for 12 yards. Cavanillas Alti made each extra point. Coastal Carolina led 28-7 at halftime.

Lee-Knicely added his second rushing touchdown in the third quarter, taking a rush left 18 yards for a score at 9:15. Cavanillas Alti later made a 56-yard field goal at 0:15 of the third. The kick extended Coastal Carolina’s lead to 38-7.

Coastal Carolina finished the scoring in the fourth quarter when J. Allen-Hendrix ran up the middle for a 5-yard touchdown at 10:57. Cavanillas Alti added the extra point to make it 45-7. Fordham did not score again. Coastal Carolina finished with six touchdowns and one field goal. Fordham finished with one touchdown.

Bailey, a 6-foot, 170-pound quarterback from Bowling Green, Kentucky, directed the Chanticleers’ offense and finished with three touchdown passes. Lee-Knicely had two rushing scores. Cavanillas Alti, a 6-foot, 190-pound kicker from Madrid, Spain, converted after each Coastal Carolina touchdown and added the 56-yard field goal. Roland Podesta, Travis Roman, Brandon Rose, Zeke Marshall, Kaden Sapp and Chase Jackson were also listed among Coastal Carolina’s key performers. Karmello English is a 5-foot-11, 190-pound receiver from Phenix City, Alabama. Marcellius Pulliam is a 6-foot-3, 230-pound linebacker from Tyrone, Georgia. Xzavier Booker is a 6-foot-2, 300-pound defensive player from Mooresville, North Carolina. Nathan Schuessler is a 5-foot-11, 185-pound receiver from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Goldie Lawrence is a 6-foot, 190-pound receiver from Sanford, Florida. Tristian Gardner is a 6-foot-2, 180-pound receiver from Dallas, Texas. Clayton Coppock Jr. is a 6-foot-1, 155-pound receiver from Atlanta, Georgia. Colton Hinton is a 5-foot-11, 175-pound receiver from Ashburn, Virginia.

For Fordham, Smith, a 6-foot-5, 210-pound quarterback from Lake Mary, Florida, threw the Rams’ lone touchdown. Tracy, a 6-foot, 175-pound receiver from Imperial, Pennsylvania, caught the scoring pass. Henderson, a 6-foot, 180-pound kicker from Pittsburgh, added the extra point. Justin Johnson, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound defensive back from Carlsbad, California, was listed as a key performer, followed by Kemaury Tye, Lorenzo Riddick and AJ Revella. Andrew Osmun, a 6-foot-1, 201-pound defensive back from Spring Grove, Pennsylvania, Krystian Pothel and Andrew Bond were also listed. Ricky Gonzalez II, a 6-foot, 190-pound receiver from San Antonio, Texas, and Nodin Tracy were among the Fordham performers, as were Taariq Denson, Barrett Fallon, Yohan-Li Louis, Jamell James and Crew Colon. Yohan-Li Louis is a 5-foot-11, 190-pound running back from West Palm Beach, Florida. Jamell James is a 5-foot-10, 215-pound running back from Jamestown, Ohio. Drew Minich, a 6-foot-1, 192-pound defensive back from Cincinnati, Ohio, Dominic Sansone, a 6-foot, 190-pound kicker from Rochester, New York, Bennett Henderson, a 6-foot, 180-pound kicker from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Tyler Davis, a 6-foot-2, 227-pound defensive player from Brooklyn, New York, Will Deady, Johnny Schmitt, Colby Spencer, Josiah Crawford, KJ Reed, Alonzo Riddick, Joshua Kabaka, Owen Theoharides, Chris Tuck II, Jaylen Dawson, Tiu Afalava, Brian Oliver Jr., Kevin Nizolek, Jakub Mwangelwa and Boogie Owens were also among Fordham’s listed key performers. Will Deady is a 195-pound running back from Basking Ridge, New Jersey. Colby Spencer is a 6-foot-4, 265-pound defensive player from Pembroke, Massachusetts. Chris Tuck II is a 6-foot-3, 275-pound defensive player from New Rochelle, New York. Jaylen Dawson is a 6-foot-2, 220-pound linebacker from Goodyear, Arizona. Kevin Nizolek is a 6-foot-3, 250-pound defensive player from Madison, Connecticut. Boogie Owens is a 6-foot-2, 180-pound defensive back from Willow Park, Texas.

Coastal Carolina’s defense allowed only one touchdown. The Chanticleers kept the Rams out of the end zone over the final two quarters. Fordham could not convert its chances into points after the early score. Coastal Carolina’s special teams delivered with Cavanillas Alti’s long field goal.

The game was played at Brooks Stadium in Conway, South Carolina. It was Coastal Carolina’s home opener. Fordham’s trip to Conway was its second road game of the season. Coastal Carolina is now 1-1 after a 31-24 loss at West Virginia on Sept. 5. Fordham is 0-3 after a 38-0 loss at North Dakota State on Sept. 5 and a 24-14 home loss to Colgate on Aug. 28. The Rams have played one home game and two road games this season.

Fordham returns to action Sept. 19 at William & Mary. The Rams then host Stony Brook on Sept. 26, visit Lehigh on Oct. 3, host Richmond on Oct. 10, host Villanova on Oct. 17, host Lafayette on Oct. 24, visit Bucknell on Nov. 7, host Georgetown on Nov. 14 and visit Holy Cross on Nov. 21. Coastal Carolina travels to Delaware on Sept. 19 before hosting Liberty on Sept. 24. The Chanticleers then host Georgia Southern on Oct. 3, visit Marshall on Oct. 10, host Appalachian State on Oct. 16, visit Georgia State on Oct. 31, host Old Dominion on Nov. 7, host Arkansas State on Nov. 14, visit Louisiana on Nov. 21 and visit James Madison on Nov. 28.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Coastal Carolina 38, Fordham 9. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Coastal Carolina with a 98.6 percent probability to win.