The Panthers began the season with the kind of performance Francisco Sather’s team can build on: an early lead, a punishing ground game and an answer whenever the Eagles threatened to make things interesting. Charlotte rolled to a 45-7 home victory Sunday, opening the regular season 1-0.

Terrell Stevenson set the tone with a short scoring pass to Antone Fillmore, then Colin Pettit ran in a one-yard touchdown late in the first quarter to make it 14-0. Robert Martinelli added field goals of 39 and 25 yards in the second, stretching the lead to 20-0 while the Panthers kept finding ways to finish drives.

The Eagles’ loudest moment came on the ensuing kickoff. Jeffrey Holzer returned it 103 yards for a touchdown, cutting Charlotte’s advantage to 20-7. But the Panthers did not let the swing linger: with a minute left in the half, Stevenson found Joseph Thompson for a three-yard score, restoring a three-touchdown cushion.

That response captured the afternoon. Stevenson completed 26 of 41 passes for 250 yards and three touchdowns, and added 16 rushing yards. The Panthers also controlled the game on the ground, totaling 342 yards on 42 carries. Donald Nowlin led the way with 156 rushing yards and a touchdown; John Blum added 137 yards, while Pettit contributed both a rushing score and a 27-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter.

Charlotte’s defense made the Eagles’ offense work for every inch. Philadelphia finished with 66 passing yards and minus-10 rushing yards, and managed no offensive touchdowns. The Panthers recorded two sacks and forced a fumble, while Ramiro Oster’s interception late in the fourth quarter helped shut the door after the Eagles had regained possession.

Martinelli was perfect on three field-goal attempts, and the Panthers converted the game’s final moment into one more score: Nowlin ran in from five yards with nine seconds remaining, then Blum added the successful conversion for the 45-7 final.

There were a few loose ends—Charlotte had a fumble of its own and settled for field goals on two red-zone trips—but those details could not obscure the larger opening-day message. The Panthers moved the ball through the air and on the ground, answered Philadelphia’s one breakaway play, and finished with a 38-point margin. Week 1 offers no guarantees about what comes next, but Sather’s club has put momentum on its side.