Charlotte 49ers start fast, get measure of revenge against UMass with 52-17 victory

The Charlotte 49ers started fast and never looked back Saturday against Massachusetts.

Gaining a measure of revenge after being blown out last season by the Minutemen, the 49ers rolled by UMass 52-17 at Richardson Stadium.

Charlotte, which trailed 28-0 in the first quarter of last season’s game in Amherst, Massachusetts, led by that same score early in the second quarter of this year’s contest.

The 49ers (2-1) got strong performances once again from quarterback Chris Reynolds (10-of-12 passing for 155 yards) and running back Benny LeMay (113 yards). But their backups also had their moments. Quarterback Brett Kean threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Ringwold (his second of the game). Running back Aaron McAllister scored on a 69-yard run early in the fourth quarter. Another running back, Ishod Finger, ran for 71 yards and two touchdowns.

Next up for the 49ers: A game at top-ranked and national champ Clemson next Saturday.

The 49ers scored on their first three possessions — a 46-yard pass from Reynolds to Cam Dollar, a 1-yard run by Finger and a 5-yard pass from Reynolds to Ringwood. Charlotte also got a defensive touchdown when linebacker Henry Segura intercepted a UMass pass and returned it 49 yards for a touchdown.

UMass found some rhythm in the second quarter, and the Minutemen cut the lead to 28-10 at one point on a 26-yard field goal by Cooper Garcia and a 3-yard touchdown pass from Andrew Brito to Jermaine Johnson with 17 seconds left in the half.

The 49ers made good use of those 17 seconds. After McAlister returned the kickoff 17 yards to the 38, LeMay went around the left side for 26 yards and out of bounds at the UMass 36 with 4 seconds left in the half. That allowed Jonathan Cruz to kick a 53-yard field goal as time expired, giving the 49ers a 31-10 lead at halftime.

The game changed when ...

49ers quarterback Reynolds found roommate Dollar wide open up the middle of the field for a 46-yard scoring pass on just the third play of the game. It was Charlotte’s first touchdown, and the 49ers never looked back.

Helmet stickers

Chris Reynolds, Charlotte: 49ers quarterback completed 10-of-12 passes for 155 yards two touchdowns in limited action. He also ran three times for 34 yards.

Prince Bemah, Charlotte: True freshman linebacker from Gastonia’s Huss High showing promise, had 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss.

Isaiah Rodgers, UMass: Returned a punt 42 yards for a touchdown and also took a kickoff back 51 yards before being tackled by Charlotte kicker Jonathan Cruz.

Making sense of the numbers

12,812: Attendance in 15,314-seat Richardson Stadium, coming after a sellout in the season opener against Gardner-Webb and energizing performance last week at Appalachian State.

533: Total yards by Charlotte.

In case you missed it

Charlotte’s defense took another injury hit. Senior linebacker Jeff Gemmell left the game in the first quarter with an ankle injury. X-rays were negative, but Gemmell didn’t return. Defensive end Tyriq Harris (lower back) missed his third consecutive game, and safety Ben DeLuca (shoulder) was also out.

This story was originally published September 14, 2019 at 9:21 PM.