CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte 49ers’ hopes of securing their first American Athletic Conference victory of the season took another blow Saturday afternoon as a stagnant offense and a defensive collapse sealed a 28-7 loss to UTSA at Richardson Stadium.
Charlotte (1-9, 0-7 American) dropped its seventh straight contest, falling behind on the second drive of the game and never recovering. The Roadrunners (5-5, 3-3) led just 7-0 at halftime before steadily pulling away in the final two quarters, outscoring the Niners 21-7 after the break and outgaining them 521-197 overall.
Despite the setback, Charlotte coach Tim Albin noted that his team entered halftime with reason to believe it could flip the momentum before UTSA’s offense took control.
“We had our chances; it was a one-score game at halftime,” Albin said. “We couldn’t get anything going offensively, consistently. The run game is a problem and it’s no fun to play quarterback when you can’t run the ball consistently.”
Charlotte’s defense opened the afternoon with an effective stretch after giving up an early explosive play. UTSA quarterback Owen McCown hit wideout Devin McCuin for a 45-yard touchdown in the first quarter, but the Niners did not allow another point before halftime.
It marked the fewest points Charlotte has surrendered in an opening half all season.
UTSA running back Will Henderson III broke free for a 59-yard touchdown late in the third quarter, doubling the Roadrunners’ lead and shifting the tone of the game. Henderson finished with a career-best 185 yards on 19 carries as UTSA consistently found success on the ground.
McCown added two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter — a seven-yard pass to David Amador II and a 2-yard keeper — and finished 24-of-37 passing for 306 yards with one interception. McCuin led UTSA’s receivers with seven catches for 100 yards.
Charlotte’s lone highlight came immediately after Amador’s touchdown, when Derrick Eley returned the ensuing kickoff 88 yards for a score. It was the Niners’ first special-teams touchdown of the season and briefly cut the deficit to 21-7 before UTSA answered with its final scoring drive.
Following Charlotte’s home finale, Albin reflected on the program’s senior class.
“I’m very proud of our 26 seniors,” Albin said. “They could’ve chosen to walk out of here with the coaching change but they chose to stay. I thanked every one of them today on the field for probably the 1,000th time and I thanked them after the game. We are building something from the inside out and they helped lay the foundation. We have an unbelievable fan base that has supported us all year long. I know our football team appreciates it.”
Charlotte will close its 2025 season with road trips to No. 5 Georgia and league contender Tulane.
