CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte 49ers secured a 24-3 victory over the South Carolina State Bulldogs at home on Saturday.
Charlotte’s quarterback Jalon Jones, who played at Jackson State and Bethune-Cookman, connected on 13 of 19 passes for 125 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions. His counterpart from South Carolina State, Andre Washington, struggled with 59 yards, completing just 6 of 17 attempts and throwing an interception.
On the ground, Charlotte amassed 220 yards on 47 carries. Durell Robinson led the way with 71 yards and a touchdown on 11 attempts, followed by Jones with 49 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. South Carolina State’s rushing game managed 109 yards, with Kacy Fields being the top rusher at 43 yards on nine carries.
Jack Hestera of Charlotte grabbed four catches for 49 yards in the receiving department, and Bryce Kennon added 46 yards and a touchdown on two receptions. Jordan Smith was the standout for the Bulldogs, pulling in two receptions for 37 yards.
Defensively, Wayne Jones from Charlotte topped the charts with 10 tackles. The 49ers’ defense registered three sacks and an interception. South Carolina State’s Jamre Bejamin led with nine tackles, and the Bulldogs managed two interceptions, one each by Bejamin and DJ Betha.
On special teams, Charlotte’s Kyle Cunanan went 1 for 2 on field goals with a long of 45 yards, accounting for six points. South Carolina State’s Gavyn Zimmerman converted his only field goal attempt from 42 yards. In the punting game, Charlotte’s Grant Gonya averaged 39.3 yards on four punts, with a long of 48 yards. The Bulldogs’ Max’Ceon Cobb punted seven times, averaging 38.1 yards with a long of 45 yards.
The win improves Charlotte’s record to 1-0, while South Carolina State drops to 0-2 for the season.
