CHARLOTTE 49ERS GAME NOTES CHARLOTTE 49ERS (7-5; C-USA: 5-3) vs. Buffalo Bulls (7-5; MAC: 5-3) MAKERS WANTED BAHAMAS BOWL The 49ers have used a current school-record five-game win streak to record the best sea- son in school history and advance to its first-ever bowl game. Charlotte will face Buffalo (7-5; MAC: 5-3) in the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl, Friday, Dec. 20 at 2 p.m. (ESPN). Charlotte concluded the regular-season with school records for wins (7) and Conference USA wins (5) along with a slew of offensive and defensive team and individual records. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Charlotte is headed to its first bowl in the program’s seven-year football history (five years at the FBS level) ... After a 2-5 start, Charlotte has won five in a row, the longest win streak in school history ... three 49ers were named first team all-C-USA by the league’s coaches: RB Benny LeMay, OL Cam Clark, DE Alex Highsmith ... Charlotte set a single-season record SEASON 7 GAME 13 with 36.0 sacks ... former walk-on DE Alex Highsmith leads C-USA and ranks 2nd in the FBS Charlotte vs. Buffalo with a school-record 14.0 sacks and owns the school’s single-game (4.5), season (14.0) Fri., Dec. 20 at 2:00 p.m. and career (20.0) sack records ... Charlotte leads C-USA in rushing offense (213.3/gm) ... Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium RB Benny LeMay leads C-USA in all-Purpose Yards (127.9/gm) and ranks second in rushing (15,000) (103.7/gm) ... LB Jeff Gemmell is the 49ers all-time leader in career tackles (300), becom- Nassau, Bahamas ing the first 49er to reach that milestone. TV: ESPN REYNOLDS KEYS WIN STREAK PxP: Steve Levy In the last five wins, QB Chris Reynolds has thrown for 1214 yds (242.8/gm) and nine TDs Analyst: Greg McElroy while rushing for 531 yds (106.2/gm) and three TDs ... he’s completed 66.1% (80-121) of Sideline: Dianna Russini his passes ... Reynolds has twice set school FBS records for passing yards (336 v. NT; 354 at Radio: 730 The Game UTEP) and total offense (432 v. NT; 445 at UTEP) and has run for at least 90 yards in each Charlotte Sports Network from Learfield game, with a career-high 145 v. Marshall ... he has averaged 349.0 yards of total offense. IMG College Sports WEAPONS ARSENAL PxP: Matt Swierad Six different players have put up eleven 100-yard performances during the win streak: Analyst: Al Wallace vs. North Texas: Benny LeMay, 155 ru, Victor Tucker, 140 rcv, Tyler Ringwood, 100 rcv Sideline: Bobby Rosinski vs. Middle Tennessee: Aaron McAllister, 104 ru, Chris Reynolds, 103 ru Charlotte Head Coach: at UTEP: Cameron Dollar, 157 rcv Will Healy (Richmond, 2008) vs. Marshall: Chris Reynolds, 145 ru, Victor Tucker, 121 rcv, Benny LeMay, 100 ru at CLT:................................. 7-5 (1st year) at ODU Benny LeMay, 105 ru., Victor Tucker, 118 rcv, Overall: ..........................20-26 (4th year) MR. 3,000 Buffalo Head Coach: Sr. RB Benny LeMay (3187 career rushing yards) joined Kalif Phillips (career record 4,020 Lance Leipold (Wisconsin-Whitewater, 1987) yards) as the only two 49ers that have eclipsed the 3,000-yard plateau. LeMay (1,037 rush- At UB (Yrs.): ...................30-32 (5th year) ing yds) has had back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons and is the first 49er to reach that Overall (Yrs.): .................... 140-38 (13th) milestone, twice. LeMay has tied the school-record with seven 100-yard games, this year. Buffalo SACK ATTACK Location: Buffalo, N.Y. DEs Alex Highsmith (14.0) and Markees Watts (9.5) rank 1-3 in C-USA in sacks. The league- Enrollment: 31,500 leading duo has led Charlotte to a school-record 36 sacks (3.0/gm), blistering the previous Founded: 1846 Nickname: Bulls record of 21.0. The 49ers rank 15th in the nation with Highsmith second, individually. Colors: Slate Blue and Silver Conference: Mid-American 2019 SCHEDULE (7-5; C-USA: 5-3; H: 5-1; A: 2-4) Stadium: UB Stadium (30,270) August NOTES: Thurs. 29 GARDNER-WEBB ESPN+ Charlotte, N.C. W, 49-28 This is the first meeting between Charlotte and Buffalo. September Sat. 7 at Appalachian State ESPN+ Boone, N.C. L, 41-56 Charlotte will play in a 13th game for the first Sat. 14 MASSACHUSETTS ESPN+ Charlotte, N.C. W, 52-17 time in school history. Sat. 21 at Clemson ACCN Clemson, S.C. L, 10-52 After going a perfect 4-0 in November, the Sat. 28 FLORIDA ATLANTIC* (HC) NFLN Charlotte, N.C. L, 27-45 49ers will play in December for the first time October in school history. Sat. 5 BYE Charlotte has two players from Buffalo, N.Y.: Sat. 12 at FIU* ESPN+ Miami, Fla. L, 23-48 DT Tommy Doctor (Grand Island H.S.) and WR Sat. 19 at WKU* ESPN+ Bowling Green, Ky. L, 14-30 Tyler Ringwood (Bishop-Timon-St. Jude H.S.). Sat. 26 NORTH TEXAS* ESPN+ Charlotte, N.C. W, 39-38 Ringwood served a redshirt season at UB in November 2016 before transferring to Erie C.C. Sat. 2 MIDDLE TENNESSEE ESPN3 Charlotte, N.C. W, 34-20 Charlotte has won five straight games and Sat. 9 at UTEP* ESPN+ El Paso, Texas W, 28-21 two consecutive road games after a 2-5 start. Sat. 16 BYE R-Sr. OL Cam Clark, a two-time co-captain, Sat. 23 MARSHALL* STADIUM Charlotte, N.C. W, 24-13 owns the 49ers school-record for games Sat. 30 at Old Dominion* ESPN+ Norfolk, Va. W, 38-22 played. The Bahamas Bowl will be, fittingly, December his 49th career game. MAKERS WANTED BAHAMAS BOWL NEXT GAME - 2020 SEASON OPENER Fr. 20 vs. Buffalo ESPN Nassau, Bahamas 2:00 pm Sept. 5, 2020: Charlotte at Tennessee Home games in bold * Conference USA game EIGHT STRAIGHT GAMES WITH A PASSING TD R-So. QB Chris Reynolds, who began his career as a walk-on, has emerged as one of C-USA’s top RECENT NEWS QBs. Reynolds has completed 62.2% of his passes (166-267) for 2,366 yards (197.2/gm). He leads C-USA in passing efficiency (155.07), ranks 2nd in yards/completion (14.25) and third in passing All-C-USA Awards Announced: TDs (21). He is fourth in points responsible for (166) and has had a TD pass in the last eight games. First team Cam Clark, OL OFFENSIVE OUTPUT Alex Highsmith, DE Charlotte leads C-USA in rushing and time of possession and ranks in the top four in scoring and Benny LeMay, RB passing efficiency. The 49ers rushed for 200+ eight times and scored 40+ points three times. 49ers Honorable Mention are on pace to shatter existing FBS records for rushing (176.2, 2016) and scoring (25.2; 2016) in Chris Reynolds, QB a season. Victor Tucker, WR Offensive Category Stat C-USA rank FBS rank Jeff Gemmell, LB Rushing Off. 213.3 1st 24th Nafees Lyon, DB, Scoring Off. 31.6 3rd 45th Markees Watts, DE Time of Possession 32:25 1st 18th All-Freshman Passing efficiency 149.56 2nd 34th Lance McMillan, DB Red Zone Offense .902 2nd 21st Dejan Rasuo, OL BENNY AND HIS STATS Highsmith a PFF All-America RB Benny LeMay, a Doak Walker candidate and preseason all-C-USA selection, has 100+ yards in a R-Sr. DE Alex Highsmith was named school-record seven games, leads C-USA in all-purpose yards (127.9/gm), is 2nd in rushing (103.7/ third-team all-America at Defensive gm) and total TDs (13 TD: 9 rushing; 4 receiving), despite missing two games. End by Pro Football Focus. LeMay Category Stat C-USA rank FBS rank All-Purpose yards/game 127.9 1st 19th Rushing yards/game 103.7 2nd 21st Highsmith On Burlsworth Rushing yards 1037 4th 43rd Watch List Total TDs 13 2nd 31st Rushing TDs 9 4th 62nd R-Sr. DE Alex Highsmith (Wilmington, N.C.) has been nominated for the Burls- worth Trophy which is awarded to the SACK KING most outstanding football player who R-Sr. DE Alex Highsmith is the 49ers all-time sack king, with school records for career (20.0), sin- began his career as a walk-on. gle-season (14.0) and single-game (4.5) sacks. A Bednarik Watch Lister and preseason all-C-USA choice, Highsmith leads C-USA with 14.0 sacks and ranks 2nd in the nation. Highsmith joined the 49ers as a walk-on Highsmith Category Stat C-USA Rank FBS Rank in 2015 and was awarded a scholarship Sacks 14.0/1.17 1st 2nd in the summer of 2017, following his Tackles for Loss 21.5/1.79 1st 4th red-shirt freshman season. He has since gone on to become the COMEBACK KIDS 49ers all-time sack king, earn first team Charlotte staged second-half comebacks in wins over North Texas, UTEP and Marshall and scored all-Conference USA honors, land on the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter, each time. the Chuck Bednarik Watch List and be tabbed by every preseason publication vs. Marshall (W, 24-13), Trailed 13-10 after three quarters: as one of the top players in C-USA. Charlotte was down 10-0 in the first half and trailed 13-10 heading into the fourth quarter before outscoring Marshall 14-0 in the final frame to clinch bowl eligibility with a 24-13 victory.