COURTESY: Charlotte 49ers
On a historic night that saw a record 17,444 rain-soaked fans ignore the elements to take in the Charlotte 49ers first-ever Conference USA home game, Charlotte dropped a close 17-7 decision to visiting Florida Atlantic.
It was Charlotte’s first home night game and FAU was the first FBS opponent to visit Jerry Richardson Stadium.
“It was a great environment tonight,” said 49ers head coach Brad Lambert. “It was a lot of fun for our guys. They got to wear the black uniforms and the great crowd, the band. We’ve got a lot of things moving in the right direction. We need to finish that game tonight and win it.”
FAU (1-3; 1-0) took a 10-0 lead into the fourth quarter but Tank Norman’s 28-yard interception return sparked the 49ers effort at a comeback with 10:58 left to play.
After trading possessions, the 49ers (2-2; 0-2) found themselves driving for the go-ahead score in the final four minutes. Lee McNeill narrowly missed connecting with Austin Duke behind the Owl defense. Later in the drive, the 49ers moved into FAU territory on a 10-yard run by Kalif Phillips to the FAU 48. Another short run by Phillips left the 49ers at the 46 and a three-yard completion to Justin Bolus moved it to the 43. After an incomplete pass, however, McNeill’s fourth-down pass was intercepted by Ocie Rose and returned 60 yards for the back-breaking touchdown.
Phillips rushed for a season-high 165 yards, his ninth career 100-yard game and the 49ers defense held an FAU team that came in averaging 480.7 yards per game to just 184 yards. Charlotte committed seven turnovers, however, including the one that was returned for the final touchdown, and the 49ers had a mishandled snap on a punt attempt that set up the Owls first TD.
“Our defense was really humming,” said Lambert. “I was really proud of those guys. They played extremely hard and got five turnovers. There were some good things out there. But you can’t survive with seven turnovers and a muffed punt. You have to value the ball. The weather had part to do with that. FAU had a lot to do with that. It’s amazing we had a shot to win the game at the end.”
FAU scored 10 points in the first half while holding Charlotte scoreless at the break for just the second time in the program’s short history. The Owls took a 7-0 lead following the muffed punt that set the Owls up at the Charlotte 30. Quarterback Jaquez Johnson ran in from 14 yards for that score.
A Jalen Young interception in the second quarter gave the Owls another opportunity deep in 49ers territory at Charlotte’s 20. Charlotte’s defense forced a 45-yard field goal by Greg Joseph, thanks in part to Larry Ogunjobi’s nine-yard sack on third down.
Ogunjobi finished with a career-high 11 tackles and matched his own school-record with 4.0 tackles for loss.
“We just worked really hard this week in practice,” said Ogunjobi, a red-shirt junior nosetackle. “A lot of guys helped me set up plays. It’s the entire defense – a lot of guys got to the ball.”
Charlotte finished with 10 tackles for loss and three sacks and the defense forced five turnovers with two interceptions and three fumble recoveries. Charlotte allowed just 40 yards rushing and 184 total yards of offense.
That effort kept the 49ers within striking distance but Charlotte was unable to strike through for their first conference victory.
McNeill (11-of-31; 89 yards, 4 INT) and Matt Johnson (0-3; 0 yards; 2 INT) combined for 89 passing yards and while Phillips put up 165 rushing yards, the 49ers rushed for a total of 117 given FAU’s 10 tackles for loss and the yardage lost on the muffed punt. The Owls also had five sacks to keep pressuring the 49ers offense.
It was the second straight game that the 49ers turned the ball over seven times, matching a school record.
Charlotte remains at home in the coming week to face another Owl team. Temple plays at Charlotte, Friday night, at 7 p.m. in non-conference action.
