Charlotte 49ers can’t stop Buffalo Bulls running game in 31-9 loss in Bahamas Bowl

Charlotte 49ers football coach Will Healy has long said the goal for his team this season was not only to qualify for a bowl but also to win it.

Yet it would be quite harsh to say Charlotte fell short of anything in Healy’s first year with the 49ers, despite their 31-9 loss against Buffalo on Friday in the Bahamas Bowl at Thomas Robinson National Stadium.

The 49ers (7-6) finished with the first winning season in their seven-year existence, winning five games in a row on their way to playing in their first bowl.

“As disappointing as this day is, I couldn’t be more proud of this group of people — these players, this staff, (everybody) involved,” Healy said. “It took a tremendous effort to get to where we are. It was a magical opportunity to get here and a magical season. We can walk out of here with our heads held high, and I’m excited to see what the future is for us.”

The game was played in winds that sometimes gusted to up to 26 mph.

The 49ers — plagued by penalties and turnovers in the first half — fell behind 24-0 against the Mid-American Conference’s Bulls (8-5), who won six of their final seven games and won their first bowl game in program history.

Buffalo’s offense pounded the 49ers behind running back Jaret Patterson, the game’s offensive MVP who finished with 173 yards on 32 carries and two touchdowns. The Bulls defense held Charlotte running back Benny LeMay to 45 yards on 13 carries.

A 45-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Chris Reynolds to Victor Tucker in the third quarter and a 32-yard field goal by Jonathan Cruz in the fourth quarter accounted for Charlotte’s only points.

“This is not the way we wanted to play today, that’s not a secret to anybody,” Healy said. “I felt like any time we had any momentum, they’d take it away from us.”

The 49ers did a pretty good job of doing that to themselves.

Charlotte moved the ball well early in the game but had drives stall out due in part to untimely penalties. Reynolds turned the ball over twice — once on a tipped ball that went for an interception by Bulls linebacker James Patterson (twin brother of Jaret), the other a fumble when he was blindsided by Bulls defensive end Malcolm Koonce (the game’s defensive MVP).

A holding call helped stall Charlotte’s first drive. On their next drive, the 49ers moved to the Bulls’ 12, but an ineligible player down field penalty helped stop that opportunity. Pushed back 5 yards, Cruz missed a 33-yard field goal wide left and Charlotte again had come up empty-handed.

Buffalo, which led 17-0 at halftime, scored on its first possession, getting a 12-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Kyle Vantrease to Antonio Nunn, who outleaped 49ers cornerback Nafees Lyon for the ball.

The Bulls scored again in the second quarter when Vantrease sneaked it in from 1 yard out, capping a drive that went 74 yards in 8:26. Buffalo made it 17-0 on a 31-yard field goal by Alex McNulty with 1 minute 25 seconds left in the half.

The game changed when ...

The 49ers, down 7-0, were struggling to overcome mistakes but still had a chance to score early in the second quarter. But going for it on fourth-and-2 at the Bulls’ 27, Charlotte’s LeMay was tackled by Buffalo’s Ledarius Mack (brother of the Chicago Bears’ Khalil Mack, who also played at Buffalo). Getting the ball back, the Bulls went 74 yards on 15 plays to go up 14-0 on a 1-yard dive by Vantrease.

Helmet stickers

Jaret Patterson: Bulls sophomore running back was as good as advertised, picking up 173 yards on 32 carries and two touchdowns.

Malcolm Koonce: Buffalo’s linebacker had five tackles and two sacks.

Markees Watts: Charlotte sophomore defensive end led the team with 11 tackles, second most in Bahamas Bowl history. His nine unassisted tackles are a Bahamas Bowl record.

Making sense of the numbers

0: Sacks by Charlotte defensive end Alex Highsmith, who had 14 entering the game (second nationally).

4: Yard difference in total yards between the two teams (Buffalo 282, Charlotte 272).

100: Percent red-zone efficiency by Buffalo — five-for-five (four touchdowns and a field goal).

This story was originally published December 20, 2019 at 5:19 PM with the headline "Charlotte 49ers can’t stop Buffalo Bulls running game in 31-9 loss in Bahamas Bowl."