Charlotte stuns Georgia State as Chris Reynolds returns to action, throws 5 TD passes

Chris Reynolds’ return was exactly what the Charlotte 49ers needed. The sixth-year senior engineered a game-winning drive in the final minute of play to lift the 49ers to their first victory of the season, 42-41 over Georgia State in Atlanta on Saturday.

After missing the previous two games with an upper-body injury, Reynolds totaled 401 yards and five touchdowns in the win, including the game-winning touchdown to Grant DuBose with 17 seconds to play to put Charlotte in the win column.

As soon as Reynolds took the field the 49ers’ demeanor changed.

“I love James Foster and I love Xaiver Williams, but No. 3 is different,” head coach Will Healy said of Reynolds. “Just felt a little different knowing he was going to play. We looked like a different football team. One of the reasons why you feel like there’s light at the end of the tunnel, and we can be a good football team is because he was coming back.”

After Georgia State’s Darren Grainger led a lead-changing drive of his own, where he found Jamari Thrash for a 32-yard score with fewer than two minutes to play, Georgia State clung to a 41-35 lead.

Reynolds and Charlotte’s offense took the field with 1:33 to play and two timeouts — a situation that reminded Reynolds of his “why.”

“It reminds you that you do all of the hard stuff for a reason, and you don’t make it easy on yourself. It’s so easy when you’re battling adversity to quit, it’s usually the normal thing to do. But to have a bunch of resiliency from these guys and watch it pay off, it reminds them. Now you see that it works, that working hard and fighting adversity works, now it’s like okay, on to the next one. Enjoy tonight and then let’s do it again.”

Reynolds walked the offense right down the field, completing four of his five passes to lead Charlotte to the Panthers’ 2-yard line. Reynolds had connected with DuBose for Charlotte’s first points and would again for the last, as the Panthers left their cornerback on an island with the 6-foot-2 wideout.

“In that moment, when your number is called make a play,” DuBose said about the game-winning catch. “In big-time games like that, that’s what you want. That’s what you practice for. It was a sense of calmness. We’ve been in that position before. It’s a feeling of excitement and a feeling of relief.”

Charlotte was a 20-point underdog at kickoff, with the chance of falling to 0-4 for the first time since 2017 on the line. Although it came down to the wire, all three phases saw improvement from the first quarter of the season.

Here are three things we learned from Charlotte’s first win.

TIMELY TURNOVERS

How many stops can the defense get? That was the key question for Charlotte all offseason, and following the first three contests, in which they allowed more than 500 yards and 45 points per game. The 49ers have finally found answers in the form of a pass rush.

There’s still plenty to clean up, but Greg Brown’s unit played far and away its best game of the season and made just enough plays to give Charlotte its first win.

After allowing touchdowns on the Panthers’ first two drives, Charlotte’s pass rush came alive as Prince Bemah recorded his first sack of the season, stripping Grainger and setting up a 52-yard scoop and score for fifth-year senior Markees Watts.

“I thought the sack fumble my Markees (Watts) got our season started defensively, and it wasn’t clean by any stretch but that was a massive play,” Healy said

On the Panthers’ next drive, Miami transfer Jalar Holley played his best series since arriving at Charlotte a season ago. Holley disrupted the first two plays of the drive and effectively ended it by hitting Grainger as he threw, resulting in B.J. Turner recording the first interception of his career.

Central Michigan transfer Amir Siddiq recorded his first sack as a 49er, and Charlotte recorded a season-high of five tackles for loss. Linebacker Derek Boykins recorded his season-high of seven tackles in the win and spoke about the defense’s mentality following the game.

“We huddled up on the sideline and decided we had to make a play. Our backs have been at the wall all season,” Boykins said. “I’m glad Markees took one to the crib, that gave us a lot of momentum,”

There’s no ducking the fact that Georgia State scored a touchdown in every quarter and added 41 points and 596 yards in a losing effort, but the 49ers made just enough plays to come out on top. It wasn’t ever going to be a lockdown defense, but if it can take some of the pressure off Reynolds’ shoulders, this team can compete in Conference USA.

HENRY THE SCHOLAR

Two weeks ago, Charlotte tailback Henry Rutledge was a walk-on fighting for a scholarship. Ahead of last week’s game against Maryland, Carolina Panthers’ legend Luke Kuechly attended Charlotte’s practice — but he wasn’t there just to watch.

Kuechly announced that Rutledge, a redshirt freshman and Charlotte native, was the newest 49er on scholarship.

“Those are some of the most incredible moments you can have as a head coach,” Healy said about Rutledge earning the scholarship. “A guy on your roster that earns a scholarship, that’s probably one of the most rewarding things that you can say about somebody, and Henry has earned every bit of it.”

Rutledge, after recording just one carry for eight yards a season ago, turned in his career-best game of five catches for 88 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown. Rutledge caught all five of his targets and did the rest himself, accounting for 70 yards after catch.

Offensive coordinator Mark Carney used Rutledge in a plethora of packages, including snaps in the slot, plenty of orbit motion and screen passes out of the backfield.

Reynolds spoke about the Charlotte Christian alumni postgame.

“He’s a special player. He’s got some juice to him,” Reynolds said. “First of all, for him to get a scholarship – he’s more than deserving. For him to come out here and respond to getting a scholarship by making great plays, whether it’s on a wheel route or a screen pass – the first thing he did was give me a big hug and thank me. I was like, ‘dude, why are you thanking me, you made the play’.”

REYNOLDS’ RETURN

Reynolds’ presence in the starting lineup made a world of difference for the 49ers. The sixth-year senior missed the past two weeks after suffering an upper-body injury against Florida Atlantic in Week 0 and was a game-time decision Saturday night against the Panthers.

It didn’t take long for Charlotte’s offense to click with No. 3 calling the shots, and the 49ers marched 75-yards in nine plays on their opening drive, capped off by Reynolds finding DuBose on a jump ball in the corner of the end zone.

Reynolds completed 31 of his 43 passes, posting a 184.1 passer rating and throwing the fourth game-winning touchdown pass in the final minute of his career.

Reynolds found Charlotte’s Big Three consistently throughout the contest, as DuBose, Victor Tucker and Elijah Spencer all reeled in touchdowns, combining for 19 catches 214 yards and four total scores.

Boykins elaborated on his perspective watching Reynolds lead the team in the final seconds.

“I can’t lie, I was hurt. I thought we gave the game up. Just to have No. 3 back, man. It’s comforting for everybody — coaching staff, players, offensive line, offense, defense. We know we got him, and he’s got us. No. 3, that’s our guy.”