CHARLOTTE — Heading into Saturday’s homecoming game with Florida International as 14-point favorites, the Charlotte 49ers were primed for an opportunity to give their fans inside Richardson Stadium their first home victory in 350 days.
The ensuing 34-15 loss to the Panthers (3-4, 1-2 C-USA) certainly didn’t fit the bill for the Niners (1-7, 0-4 C-USA), who were eliminated from bowl contention with the lopsided loss.
Aside from two late scores, Charlotte was blown out in every facet of the contest.
“The goal was to start fast, and then we came out there and shot ourselves in the foot,” said Charlotte wife receiver, who led the 49ers with 77 receiving yards. “That’s a momentum killer. I think we pondered on that a little bit too much rather than responding the way we should’ve and that put us behind the chains several times.”
Niners quarterback Chris Reynolds was strip-sacked on the second play of the game as the Panthers recovered a fumble and took over at the 28-yard line.
Then, less than two minutes into the game, FIU quarterback Grayson James reached the end zone on a 12-yard scramble to put the Panthers on the board. James had 302 passing yards on 25-of-33 passing and added 52 rushing yards.
After a botched punt from the Niners on their next drive, James took advantage of the short field and scored on a 9-yard touchdown rush to put the Panthers up 14-0 at the 8:48 mark of the first quarter.
Three minutes into the second quarter, FIU running back Lexington Joseph put the Panthers up 21-0 with a 1-yard touchdown run up the middle; Charlotte then fumbled again to set up FIU with good field position.
Joseph picked up his second rushing touchdown of the day via a 15-yard run with 10:04 left in the second quarter as FIU held a 27-0 lead following a blocked extra-point. Joseph finished with a team-high 72 rushing yards.
The 27-0 deficit Charlotte was the first time the 49ers were shut out in the first half since 2020.
With 2:54 left in the third quarter, James threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Kris Mitchell as the Panthers increased their lead to 34-0.
The Niners achieved their first points of the game early in the fourth quarter as Reynolds scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak. He finished with 244 passing yards (23 of 38) and a career-high three interceptions.
Charlotte then added another touchdown with just over a minute to play as backup quarterback James Foster connected with running back Shadrick Byrd on a 5-yard slant route.
“I’m solely focused on how to find ways for these guys to have success, and I feel like I let our fans down and disappointed our fans as much as anything,” Charlotte coach Will Healy said after the game. “My goal is that these guys will have success and walk around this campus with their chests out, and that our students feel really good about our football team and where we’re headed. I’m a really big believer that this journey is not over, and there are some really fun chapters that I hope we’ll get a chance to read.”
Next week, Charlotte will head to Houston to face (3-3, 1-1).
