CHARLOTTE – Charlotte’s Homecoming Saturday started earlier than expected and ended with Memphis firmly in control.
With kickoff moved to 11 a.m. because of impending inclement weather, Memphis scored 24 unanswered points in the first half before pulling away for a 59-8 win over Charlotte at Jerry Richardson Stadium.
The Tigers did most of their damage through the air early. After both teams punted on their opening possessions, Memphis quarterback Marcus Stokes connected with Jermane Hayes for a 93-yard touchdown with 10:25 remaining in the first quarter.
Stokes added a 25-yard touchdown pass to Jemyri Davis later in the quarter and found Hunter Tipton from 28 yards out early in the second. Philippe Laforge's 20-yard field goal as time expired sent Memphis into halftime with a 24-0 advantage.
Heavy rain arrived around halftime and continued through much of the second half, but Charlotte briefly found a spark immediately after the break.
On the first play from scrimmage of the third quarter, Henry Rutledge broke free for a 75-yard touchdown run. Cole Gonzales then connected with Lane Wadle for the two-point conversion, cutting the Memphis lead to 24-8.
It was Charlotte's only score.
Memphis answered with 35 consecutive points. Stokes threw a 19-yard touchdown to Braylon Burnside and later connected with Tipton for a 24-yard score. Dallan Hayden added an eight-yard touchdown run to make it 45-8 entering the fourth quarter. Air Noland threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to Brady Kluse in the final period before Jordan Thompson's one-yard run completed the scoring.
Stokes finished 20-of-25 for 318 yards and five touchdowns without an interception. Hayes caught six passes for 123 yards, while Tipton had three catches for 60 yards and two touchdowns. Memphis finished with 674 yards of total offense, including 386 through the air and 288 on the ground.
Charlotte, meanwhile, struggled to sustain possessions. The 49ers finished with 209 total yards, with Rutledge's 75-yard touchdown accounting for more than a third of that production. He finished with 111 yards on six carries. Gonzales went 6-of-14 for 73 yards with an interception, while Jaylen White completed one of two attempts for four yards.
The disparity was especially pronounced on third down. Charlotte converted just 1-of-10 opportunities, compared with 10-of-16 for Memphis. The Tigers ran 89 plays to Charlotte's 40 and held the ball for 36:52. Charlotte also lost three of its four fumbles.
Charlotte coach Tim Albin said afterward that the 49ers needed to be better on third down.
For Charlotte, it was a difficult Homecoming afternoon in increasingly difficult conditions. The rain arrived after the Tigers had established the lead, and Memphis never allowed the 49ers to work their way back into the game.
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