Buffalo’s Jaret Patterson gradually wears down Charlotte 49ers in Bahamas Bowl

Buffalo running back Jaret Patterson kept coming at the Charlotte 49ers on Friday in the Bahamas Bowl.

And in the end, Patterson was a major reason why the Bulls wore down the 49ers in a 31-9 victory, the first bowl triumph in Buffalo history.

Patterson, a sophomore, ran for 173 yards on 32 carries and scored twice against the 49ers. It has been a productive season for Patterson, who entered the game with 1,626 yards and 17 touchdowns. In the two games previous to the Bahamas Bowl, Patterson ran for 490 yards and scored 10 touchdowns (nine rushing).

“He’s a good back, a slippery back,” said 49ers senior linebacker Jeff Gemmell, who had six tackles in the final game of his career, in which he leaves as the 49ers’ all-time leading tackler. “Sometimes you’d think you had him, but he got away. But if we’d done a better job tackling he’d have gotten less yards.”

The 49ers kept Patterson relatively under control in the first half, holding him to 59 yards on 12 carries. But he was the difference in the fourth quarter, especially on the Bulls’ final touchdown drive, when he picked up 81 yards on 13 carries and scored on a 10-yard run.

“I started slow, but it’s a four-quarter game,” Patterson said. “We all know it’s not how you start, but how you finish. I got my rhythm and finished the game strong.”

Meanwhile, the Bulls defense held Charlotte running back Benny LeMay — who entered the game averaging 103.7 yards per game — to 45 yards on 13 carries. That tied for his lowest output for the season.

The Bulls, who ranked fourth in the nation in rush defense (95.3 yards per game), held the 49ers to 80 yards on the ground, well below their Conference USA-leading average of 213.2.

Bahamas Bowl notes

▪ 49ers sophomore defensive end Markees Watts had nine unassisted tackles, a Bahamas Bowl record. His 11 total tackles were second most in the bowl’s history.

▪ Charlotte defensive end Alex Highsmith, who entered the game with 14 sacks, didn’t have one Friday, just the third time this season that has happened. Highsmith also went sackless against Florida International and Middle Tennessee. No other 49er had a sack either. That’s not a surprise considering the Bulls have allowed just eight all season, second fewest in the nation.

▪ 49ers sophomore quarterback Chris Reynolds completed 15-of-24 passes for 198 yards and a touchdown. He also threw an interception (tipped at the line of scrimmage) and fumbled (when he was blindsided by Buffalo defensive end Malcolm Koonce). Reynolds ran for 26 yards (although 16 of those were negated by five Bulls sacks).

Reynolds said the blustery winds of up to 26 mph didn’t effect his throwing.

“I didn’t even think about it,” Reynolds said. “We practiced in worse conditions Thursday, so I wasn’t too worried about it.”

Reynolds, as he has done all season, spread out his completions to several receivers — Tyler Ringwood (five for 64 yards), Cam Dollar (four for 48 yards), Victor Tucker (three for 61, including a 45-yard touchdown), Micaleous Elder (two for 18) and tight end Ryan Carriere (one for 7).

▪ Charlotte’s Nafees Lyon’s 33 punt-return yards are the second most in the bowl’s history. Lyon (Mallard Creek High) picked up 22 on one return and 10 on another.