Athletics

 The 24th-ranked Charleston Southern Buccaneers (8-1) piled up 548 yards with its option offense but needed 15 fourth-quarter points to pull away for a 36-14 victory over the visiting 49ers.
 Charlotte forced two turnovers against a team that had allowed just six all year, and recovered an onside kick as they continued to come up with ways to stay in the game.
 Trailing 21-7 after giving up a touchdown on the opening drive of the second half, Charlotte (4-4) answered with a convincing drive of its own to close to within seven, 21-14.

Basketball Madness, an annual happening, is the official start of the season. This year’s event, scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 24, will feature a number of entertaining activities, including the introductions of the men’s and women’s teams, a slam dunk contest and more. The first 1,500 fans will receive a free Niner Nation T-shirt.
Madness begins at 9 p.m. in Halton Arena, and 49ers alumnus and WACH Fox meteorologist Garrett Bedenbaugh returns as the host for the evening.

Charlotte 49ers redshirt freshman quarterback Matt Johnson is among the initial 20 candidates on the “Watch List” for the Sports Network’s Jerry Rice Award, given to the top first-year player in the FCS, whether a true freshman or a redshirt freshman.

WCCB-TV has added the Nov. 2 road game versus Coastal Carolina University to its coverage of Charlotte 49ers football.
Being billed as the “Battle for the Carolinas,” the game is slated for a 3 p.m. start. WCCB is the Charlotte 49ers television partner for its inaugural season.
Charlotte 49ers fans who are interested in attending the game in Conway, S.C., should contact the 49ers Ticket Office at 704-687-4949.

 UNC Pembroke put up 503 yards of total offense and built a 21-8 halftime lead on its way to a 45-22 victory over  host Charlotte 49ers to spoil the University’s first football Homecoming game.
“They were what I thought coming in,” said 49ers head coach Brad Lambert of the Braves, ranked No. 13 in the AFCA Division II Coaches poll.  “They are an old football team that handled themselves really well.  They were really prepared, played extremely hard and outplayed us today.”

The Charlotte 49ers come-from-behind 53-51 victory over 24th-ranked Gardner-Webb University (GWU) had to be seen to be believed.
Charlotte (4-2) was hosting its first ranked opponent at Jerry Richardson Stadium — and the Runnin’ Bulldogs (4-2) were enjoying a 21-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. But from the moment the fourth quarter started, things changed.  As much as the 49ers first-ever game more than a month ago followed a storybook script, this was something else.
 Unscripted.  Unplugged. Unbelievable.

The inaugural “50 to 50 Military Appreciation Relay Run” will be Saturday, Oct. 5, and it involves a series of runners transporting the game ball for the Charlotte vs. Gardner-Webb football matchup from Boiling Springs to Charlotte (nearly 60 miles). 
The event is in conjunction with Military Appreciation Day at UNC Charlotte and is a joint effort by the ROTC programs at the two institutions, which includes the Military Science and Aerospace Studies Departments – Army and Air Force.

Prior to the noon kickoff of the Charlotte 49ers game against Gardner-Webb on Saturday, Oct. 5, a ceremony will dedicate a street near Jerry Richardson Stadium in honor of Malcolm “Mac” Everett.
The 11 a.m. ceremony will designate the stretch of road Mac Everett Way in tribute to the longtime supporter of the University and its athletic programs.

The Charlotte 49ers inaugural football season is underway, and Niner spirit is at an all-time high leading up to celebrations and activities planned for the Oct. 12 Homecoming game against UNC Pembroke.

The Charlotte 49ers scored 38 straight points after the first quarter on their way to the program’s first-ever road win 45-21 over Presbyterian College at Bailey Memorial Stadium.
 Red-shirt freshman Matt Johnson engineered six scoring drives to offset a pair of first quarter Presbyterian TDs and the 49ers defense shut PC down on eight straight possessions as the 49ers snapped a short two-game losing streak.