Charlotte spoils ECU homecoming: 49ers record first conference win, 10-7 over Pirates
Rivalry or not, the Charlotte 49ers scored their first American Athletic Conference win on Saturday, spoiling East Carolina’s homecoming in the inaugural matchup between the two in-state programs, 10-7.
Charlotte give ECU a chance to force overtime, but a missed 48-yard field goal to tiethe score in the game’s final minute sailed wide left, sinking the Pirates’ comeback attempt.
The 49ers dominated for three-and-a-half quarters, holding the ball for over 41 minutes and limiting ECU to 127 total yards — a program record for fewest yards allowed in a game. Despite the defensive dominance, a muffed punt by Al-Ma’hi Ali set up the Pirates with first-and-goal on the 49ers’ 10-yard line. Charlotte surrendered its only points of the day two plays later, erasing what was a near-shutout and giving the Pirates a chance to steal a victory.
First-year head coach Biff Poggi was all smiles following the game, but knows Charlotte could’ve finished stronger.
“Maybe it is now,” Poggi said about this matchup being a rivalry. “We will spring forward off of this. This is a conference win over our in-state rival — the school’s first AAC win, and it’s on the road. Obviously, we are very happy. I don’t think they score unless we muff that punt — I don’t think they come close. Really, the only thing you can criticize was our special teams’ play and our mistakes.
“As soon as we step off of that bus, there are cigars waiting for every player and every staff member.”
In a game that Charlotte (2-5, 1-1 AAC) desperately needed to keep its bowl hopes alive, Poggi went with Jalon Jones at quarterback. Following a shutout loss to Navy last week with Trexler Ivey at the helm, Jones played every offensive snap on Saturday and played his best game as a 49er.
He completed 11 of 8 passes for 144 yards and an interception and tacked on 127 yards and a touchdown on the ground — which tied the Pirates’ offensive total of 127 and was Charlotte’s highest rushing total of the season. He scored the team’s lone touchdown on the first possession of the second quarter, marking Charlotte’s first touchdown since Sept. 30 against SMU.
Live by Jones, die by Jones
Poggi called Jones an “eraser” following the homecoming shutout loss against Navy, and after the victory over ECU, Poggi named Jones as his starter moving forward.
“It’s big, especially with Poggi having that belief in me. At the end of the day, I knew that no matter what was going on, they had belief in me. It means a lot,” Jones said following being named the starter.
Currently the team’s leading rusher with 320 yards, Jones requires an extra set of eyes — or two — with his ability to scramble. And he made his best two throws of the season on the game’s first drive, looking off a safety and finding Jairus Mack for 17 yards on third-and-long, and then finding Colin Weber late in the game on a 40-yard streak between the safety and linebacker.
Jones led the 49ers right down the field on the opening drive of the second half, moving 75 yards in eight plays. Following a 30-yard pass to Duane Thomas Jr., Jones called his own number and plunged in from 1 yard out to give Charlotte a 10-point advantage.
“This week, I really harped on staying in the pocket and remaining a passer,” Jones said. “Trusting in my offensive line. They did a great job today, and I don’t think I was sacked. I got to go buy those boys a meal this week.”
Jones did just enough on offense to keep Charlotte alive, but its defense bailed the 49ers out following an errant pitch on a third down when Jones could have moved the chains with his legs. Charlotte was minus-two in the turnover battle, and Jones nearly threw a pick-six in the second quarter to Julius Wood, who returned it to Charlotte’s 13-yard line.
“Jones played great on offense. However, as good as he played, he left a lot of points on the field and a lot of yards on the field. He gutted out some incredible runs where he was stopped. He’s just a tough kid. He wanted to play tough so well, so badly. He threw the ball well today, too,” Poggi said. “We’re going with the option game, and he’s really good at it — and we’re only getting better.”
The 49ers’ offense had a different look with plenty of run-pass options and designed quarterback runs, but the untimely turnovers and penalties continue to sink the 49ers’ offense in a game where they lived in plus territory, running 37% of their snaps on ECU’s side of the field.
With a chance to put the Pirates away late in the third quarter, Jones rolled to his left and passed on a wide-open tight end, electing to loft a deep ball near the end zone — throwing his worst ball of the day and frustrating Poggi on the sideline. Rather than taking the easy completion, Jones’ aggressiveness cost the 49ers, and Jake Larson’s 46-yard field-goal miss left the door open.
But yet again, Charlotte’s defense held.
Program-best defense
It took seven games, but Charlotte put together its first complete game on the defensive side of the ball. Ahead of the matchup against the Pirates, defensive coordinator Ryan Osborn said, “I told you for the next seven weeks, our defense was going to play with their hair on fire. And I don’t say something I don’t mean or isn’t going to happen.”
In the first half, the Pirates managed just 49 total yards and two first downs. Charlotte’s defense held following Jones’ interception, forcing a missed 24-yard field goal by Pirates kicker Andrew Conrad. Osborn’s unit forced seven three-and-outs and allowed just one drive over 2:30 of game time on the day.
Pirates’ starting quarterback Mason Garcia completed just 4 of 14 passes for 19 yards before being replaced by Alex Flinn midway through the third quarter. Despite the change, Flinn was rendered ineffective, passing for just 69 yards and the 10-yard touchdown to Shane Calhoun following Ali’s muffed punt.
After a historic defensive performance for the program, Eyabi Okie-Anoma said that Charlotte relishes when the defense is on the field with the game on the line.
“Put it on our back. We’d rather have it that way, I’d promise you,” Okie-Anoma said. “We will bite that bullet if we can’t come through, but we will come through. We can’t look each other in the eye and say we messed up. “
Poggi echoed those comments, calling Okie-Anoma a professional.
“Our defense is crazy good. Eyabi Okie-Anoma is a pro. You will be watching him on Sundays. He is an eraser on defense. He had seven tackles and another sack. He leads the conference in sacks. He’s really played great,” Poggi said. “They are a confident group. It’s what you would expect. Every game, we’re in the fight, and now we’re putting together how you win the fight.”
Osborn’s unit held the Pirates to just 39 rushing yards and a 14% third-down conversion rate, and recorded six tackles for loss and two sacks — one each for Stone Handy and Okie-Anoma, who sacked Flinn on the game’s final possession.
Charlotte’s defense is molding into one of the best in the AAC, but the 49ers will have to clean up many mistakes on offense, special teams and clock management if they are to compete for the conference title.
Moving forward
Charlotte left at least 13 points on the board in the win, including a troublesome two-timeout opening drive — where the second timeout triggered an official review, which ultimately turned a first-and-goal to third-and-long when Jones’ pitch to Shadrick Byrd was ruled a forward pass.
Special teams cost the 49ers repeatedly, with Larson whiffing on two field goals of 45 and 46 yards on consecutive possessions. And then the penalties. Charlotte was penalized nine times for 90 yards, compared to ECU’s one for 5 yards. Guard Ja’Khi Green was flagged for two personal fouls, and tight end Colin Weber was flagged for a crucial unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, which extended Larson’s field-goal attempt to 46 yards — contributing to the miss.
What erased a potential shutout was the decision to put Ali back for a punt return, with the redshirt sophomore playing just his second game of the season following an approved NCAA waiver — his first on special teams.
“That’s on me,” Poggi said of the muffed punt. “(Ali) returned punts for me in high school, and he’s deadly. Probably didn’t get enough reps in practice, and probably not a good idea. That led to their touchdown. I made plenty of mistakes today.”
With 70 new players and a brand-new coaching staff, including a first-year head coach, Charlotte is still learning how to win. And Saturday was a great indicator that the team is inching closer. With five games left on the schedule and a home matchup with Florida Atlantic on Friday night up next, Okie-Anoma is hungry for more.
“Our record does not define our team. I want that to be stated. Winning in college football is hard, and I know it — I’ve dealt with it. All glory to God; I’m just grateful to be in this position and take this win with these guys. Hopefully, we can share more of these and go to a bowl.”