Western Kentucky hands Charlotte 49ers their fourth consecutive loss
The Charlotte 49ers’ midseason slump continued Saturday in a 30-14 Conference USA loss against Western Kentucky at Houchens-Smith Stadium.
It was the fourth consecutive loss for the 49ers (2-5, 0-3 C-USA). The Hilltoppers (5-2, 4-0) remain in first place in the league’s East Division.
Quarterback Ty Storey, a grad transfer from Arkansas, threw for 283 yards and two touchdowns and caught a scoring pass to lead the Hilltoppers. WKU’s defense held Charlotte’s Benny LeMay, C-USA’s leading rusher entering the game, to 45 yards on 14 carries. LeMay also caught three passes for 52 yards and a touchdown.
“We ran Benny a good bit,” 49ers coach Will Healy said. “You didn’t see him break the big one like he usually does, but he did some big things for us in the passing game which gave us a shot. We had some guys running open. Opportunities to make some big plays and get some more points are critical in games like this.”
The 49ers opened the scoring in the first quarter when running back Ishod Finger went in from 4 yards. That capped a 75-yard drive during which the 49ers, led by quarterback Chris Reynolds, converted three third-down plays.
WKU tied the score on its first possession when Storey hit Jahcour Pearson on a 30-yard touchdown pass.
The Hilltoppers took the lead in the second quarter when Storey, taking a pitch, hit Lucky Jackson in stride for a 69-yard scoring strike.
“They got us early on the trick play, which was a great call,” Healy said.
The 49ers were able to answer that when Reynolds and LeMay hooked up for a 47-yard touchdown pass, making it 14-14 with nine minutes left in the first half.
WKU took a 17-14 lead into halftime when freshman Cory Munson hit a 47-yard field goal.
Mistakes cost the 49ers in the third quarter. First, WKU blocked a punt by Charlotte’s Connor Bowler, leading to another field goal by Munson. Then Reynolds was intercepted by the Hilltoppers’ Roger Cray, leading to Munson’s third field goal and a 23-14 WKU lead.
The Hilltoppers scored again late in the third quarter — the drive helped by two personal foul calls against Charlotte — when Storey caught an 8-yard pass from Jackson after a reverse.
49ers senior defensive end Alex Highsmith had 1.5 sacks, raising his total to 7.5 for the season. He now has 13.5 for his career, breaking Larry Ogunjobi’s record of 13.0.
The 49ers return home next Saturday against the West Division’s North Texas. WKU is at second-place Marshall for an important East Division game.
This story was originally published October 19, 2019 at 7:16 PM.