Despite having only about half of the total yards as their counterparts, the Charlotte 49ers were able to rely on a strong defensive effort to hold on for a 17-7 win over Southern Miss Saturday afternoon at Richardson Stadium.
With the win, Charlotte sits at 4-4 on the season and 3-2 in Conference USA play. "I like where we are. Our guys have bought into what we're talking about," Coach Brad Lambert stated after the game.
While the offense struggled to move the ball most of the day against the top-CUSA Golden Eagle defensive squad, the Charlotte defense stepped up to the challenge and help Southern Miss out of the end zone for most of the day. When the Golden Eagles did find some offensive rhythm, the 49ers defense worked together to shut them down, forcing three turnovers in the first half as well as a missed field goal.
Juwan Foggie had a pick-six to end the first quarter and give the 49ers a fourteen-point lead. Foggie added another INT in the second quarter, giving him an FBS-leading six on the season. It was also Foggie's second interception return for a touchdown this season. "Coach had the perfect scheme drawn up. I just read the quarterback's eyes and made a play," Foggie said after the game.
Junior linebacker Jeff Gemmell was excited for how well his teammate was playing. "When guys like Foggie getting a pick-six, I went out there and hit like three or four of my teammates. When you're having fun and thankful for making good plays, you have that gratitude. That's really where it starts to kick in and you realize you have something special."
Safety Ben DeLuca had a team-high 12 tackles to lead the defense. The junior from Florida also added an interception to give the 49ers three on the day, tying a program record.
Redshirt senior Hasaan Klugh scored Charlotte's lone offensive touchdown on the day, a five-yard run that topped off an eleven-play, 75- yard drive early in the first quarter.
Lambert was happy about his team's performance. "All the way around, kicking game, offense, defense, the kids kept fighting. A good team win right here." Lambert was particularly excited about how his offense closed out the game. "We ran four straight plays to get that a first down and the games over. Everyone knew we were going to run it. They knew it, we knew it, everybody else knew it. And we got that first down. It's a good team win."
Charlotte (4-4, 3-2) plays out of conference next week at Tennessee (3-5) while Southern Miss (3-4, 2-2) hosts Marshall (5-2, 3-1).
With the win, Charlotte sits at 4-4 on the season and 3-2 in Conference USA play. "I like where we are. Our guys have bought into what we're talking about," Coach Brad Lambert stated after the game.
While the offense struggled to move the ball most of the day against the top-CUSA Golden Eagle defensive squad, the Charlotte defense stepped up to the challenge and help Southern Miss out of the end zone for most of the day. When the Golden Eagles did find some offensive rhythm, the 49ers defense worked together to shut them down, forcing three turnovers in the first half as well as a missed field goal.
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| Senior linebacker Juwan Foggie leads the NCAA with six interceptions |
Junior linebacker Jeff Gemmell was excited for how well his teammate was playing. "When guys like Foggie getting a pick-six, I went out there and hit like three or four of my teammates. When you're having fun and thankful for making good plays, you have that gratitude. That's really where it starts to kick in and you realize you have something special."
Safety Ben DeLuca had a team-high 12 tackles to lead the defense. The junior from Florida also added an interception to give the 49ers three on the day, tying a program record.
Redshirt senior Hasaan Klugh scored Charlotte's lone offensive touchdown on the day, a five-yard run that topped off an eleven-play, 75- yard drive early in the first quarter.
Lambert was happy about his team's performance. "All the way around, kicking game, offense, defense, the kids kept fighting. A good team win right here." Lambert was particularly excited about how his offense closed out the game. "We ran four straight plays to get that a first down and the games over. Everyone knew we were going to run it. They knew it, we knew it, everybody else knew it. And we got that first down. It's a good team win."
Charlotte (4-4, 3-2) plays out of conference next week at Tennessee (3-5) while Southern Miss (3-4, 2-2) hosts Marshall (5-2, 3-1).
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