Mistakes doom Charlotte 49ers in 17-7 loss to Florida Atlantic
Florida Atlantic turned three of Charlotte’s eight offensive mistakes into scores Saturday night and handed the 49ers a 17-7 Conference USA setback before a record crowd at Jerry Richardson Stadium.
Before 17,444 fans who crowded the stadium for Charlotte’s first home night and conference game, the 49er defense generally shut down the Owls (1-3 overall, 1-0 conference). But the 49ers (2-2, 0-2) repeatedly short-circuited their attack with offensive mistakes.
The clinching score came with less than two minutes remaining in the game, the 49ers trailing 10-7, and Charlotte facing a fourth-and-6 at the Florida Atlantic 42. The Owls’ Ocie Rose picked off a Lee McNeill pass and dashed 60 yards for a touchdown.
Florida Atlantic’s first score came in the opening period and was set up by a Charlotte mistake. Punter Arthur Hart muffed the snap on a punt and was downed at the 49ers’ 30. The Owls scored six plays later on a 14-yard run by quarterback Jaquez Johnson.
The visitors made it 10-0 in the second period on a 45-yard field goal by Greg Joseph. That score was set up by a Florida Atlantic interception of a McNeill pass.
Charlotte got on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter on – naturally – a defensive play. Tank Norman picked off a Florida Atlantic pass and ran 28 yards for a touchdown.
3 who mattered
Kalif Phillips: A bright spot on an otherwise gloomy night for the Charlotte offense, he rushed for 165 yards on 29 carries, for his biggest game so far this season.
Cre’Von Leblanc: A senior cornerback, Leblanc picked off two of 49er quarterback Lee McNeill’s passes in the second half, helping keep Charlotte’s offense bottled up.
Larry Ogunjobi: Set a career high with his ninth tackle late in the third quarter. Of those, 3½ were for a loss.
Observations
▪ The game-long rain appeared to have an effect on both teams. Florida Atlantic fumbled the ball eight times, and the 49ers had two fumbles, plus a mishandled snap on a punt that set up an Owls’ touchdown.
▪ The 49ers’ six interceptions set a school record, breaking the mark of five set two years ago in a loss at N.C. Central.
▪ The loss marked the first time in Charlotte’s two-plus years of football that the 49ers failed to score an offensive touchdown.
▪ Despite the nasty weather, nearly all the 15,000-plus seats at Jerry Richardson Stadium were filled at kickoff. A heavy rain shower early in the third quarter sent part of the crowd scurrying for cover.
Worth mentioning
▪ Saturday’s contest opened a two-game home stand for the 49ers against Owls. Charlotte entertains Temple on Friday. The 49ers play a third Owl opponent, Rice, on the road Nov. 28.
▪ Among the fans at Saturday night’s game was Patrick Yarber, of Nashville, Tenn. Yarber had attended a game at the home stadium of all 127 teams, and he made it 128 by being at Charlotte, which moved to FBS this season.
▪ The 49ers’ coaching staff wore patches Saturday night to mark Coach to Cure MD Week. It was part of a nationwide effort to call attention to the fight against Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, the most prolific genetic killer diagnosed in childhood.
This story was originally published September 26, 2015 at 10:28 PM with the headline "Mistakes doom Charlotte 49ers in 17-7 loss to Florida Atlantic."