CHARLOTTE — Benny LeMay had 17 carries for 121 yards and two touchdowns and Charlotte used the third quarter to pull away from Western Kentucky for a 40-14 win on Saturday.
The win was the program’s largest margin of victory as a member of Conference USA.
Following a 9-7 lead at halftime, Charlotte (3-3, 2-1) took control of the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball to subdue the Hilltoppers (1-5, 0-2). The 49ers gained 164 yards in 21 plays in three successive touchdown drives to seal the contest.
Evan Shirreffs 1-yard run capped a 10-play, 75-yard drive to make it 16-7. Following the Hilltoppers’ three-and-out, LeMay’s 9-yard TD run ended a nine-play, 62-yard drive. Then, on Western Kentucky’s (1-5, 0-2) first play of its next drive, Juwan Foggie intercepted Davis Shanley at the Hilltoppers’ 27-yard line to set up a short field. Aaron McCalister ran it in from 14 yards out to make it 30-7 with 3:25 left in the third.
Shanley threw for 154 yards and was intercepted twice by Foggie.
