Golden Hurricane loses homecoming game to UNC-Charlotte
TULSA –– Tulsa took a 17-0 lead early, but North Carolina-Charlotte came back for a 33-26 overtime victory Saturday afternoon in front of a homecoming crowd of 20,151 fans at Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium.
TULSA –– Tulsa took a 17-0 lead early, but North Carolina-Charlotte came back for a 33-26 overtime victory Saturday afternoon in front of a homecoming crowd of 20,151 fans at Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium.
The Hurricane (3-6 overall, 1-4 in American Athletic Conference play) scored twice on Cardell Williams runs in the first quarter for a 14-0 lead and added a field goal to take a 17-0 lead with just more than 10 minutes remaining in the first half. Williams would leave the game in the quarter and not return due to injury. He ended with 51 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while completing 6-of-11 passes for 61 yards.
UNC-Charlotte added 10 points in the final five minutes of the half, cutting its deficit to seven points at the intermission.
The 49ers (3-6, 2-3) scored the first eight points of the second half to take an 18-17 lead, but the Hurricane quickly responded with a 1-yard Anthony Watkins with 5:03 left on the game clock. UNC-Charlotte marched down the field in just 40 seconds for a threepoint 26-23 lead before Tulsa forced the overtime on a 54-second drive that saw Chase Meyer knock through a 25yard field goal to tie the game with five seconds left on the clock.
The game ended when Tulsa couldn’t respond to Charlotte’s TD on the first possession of the extra period.
Tulsa goes on the road next week to New Orleans to face the league-leading Tulane Green Wave in an 11 a.m. game on Saturday in New Orleans.
