Charlotte runs aground against Illinois: How the Illini held off the 49ers

Football has always been a game of inches, but the 49ers’ gut-wrenching, 24-14 loss against Big 10 foe Illinois was decided in a matter of just 12 seconds.

Trailing 17-14 in the waning seconds of the third quarter, the 49ers’ offense stalled inside Illini red zone. Senior kicker Jonathon Cruz’s 29-yard attempt pushed right, igniting the crowd of 30,559 in Champaign.

On the ensuing play, Chase Brown put an exclamation point on his first game back from injury, breaking free for 80-yards up the 49ers sideline to put the visitors away for good.

Brown ran rampant on the 49ers’ defense, totaling 257 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries. After missing the Texas-San Antonio and Purdue losses, Brown, much like Duke running back Mataeo Durant, posted career highs across the board. Illinois rushed for 336 total yards, marking the third team to rush for over 280 yards on Charlotte’s defense.

The momentum flipped like a switch following Cruz’s miss, and Chris Reynolds’ lone interception of the day to defensive linemen Keith Randolph Jr. put the finishing touches on Illinois’ (2-4, 1-2 Big Ten) second victory, breaking a four game skid. The Illini held the 49ers scoreless in the second half.

Reynolds had a solid showing, completing 17 of his 23 passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns. The redshirt senior was sacked three times and the loss of right tackle T.J. Moore on the game’s first possession aided Illinois’ pass rush.

It had been 336 days since Victor Tucker had caught his last touchdown, but the senior reeled in the 12th score of his career on the 49ers’ first possession of the game. Chris Reynolds completed all four of his passes on the 10-play drive, including the 22-yard pass to Tucker to put Charlotte on the board.

The Illini dominated the time of possession battle on the game, holding the ball for over 34 minutes. Brandon Peters tossed his first touchdown of the season to Daniel Barker from 12 yards out to put Illinois back in front early in the second quarter.

Peters completed just 52% of his passes for 78 yards and a score in his second game back from a shoulder injury. He missed wideout Isaiah Williams on what would have been wide-open touchdowns multiple times on the afternoon.

Freshman Elijah Spencer caught his third touchdown in as many games to put the 49ers ahead by four at the halftime break. The 49ers executed the two-minute drill to perfection going 75 yards in 10 plays, capped off with Reynolds’ second touchdown pass of the game on a 27-yard go-route to Spencer.

The 49ers battled in this one. Bouncing back against a one-win FIU team in Miami next week will be key as Charlotte hits the second leg of its two-game road trip on Friday night.

First down

The Illini posted 414 yards of total offense, a season high for Brett Bielema’s team.

Offsides

After having a kick blocked last week, Cruz’s 29-yard miss flipped the game on its head. What was a strong showing through three quarters for the 49ers unraveled immediately. The 49ers’ offense was strong in the first half, but the crucial red zone falter crushed Charlotte’s chances and took the life out of the sideline.

Touchdown

Charlotte allowed 255 yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground in Week 1 against Duke, and it was more of the same Saturday against a ground-and-pound Illinois’ team. Brown’s career-day ended all hopes of the 49ers, 11-point underdogs, leaving Champaign with a win.

ICYMI

The Illini were without defensive starters LB Jake Hansen and DB Devon Witherspoon. Hansen is a future NFL prospect and leads Illinois in tackles with 30. Witherspoon is the best cover corner on the roster.

Key numbers

9.88: yards per carry for Brown.

7: catches on the season for Spencer, three of which are touchdowns.

72: rushing yards for Charlotte, a season-low.

This story was originally published October 2, 2021 at 3:41 PM.