Football

49ers wrap up 2016

By Mark Plemmons

Posted on November 27, 2016

The Point After
UTSA 33 at Charlotte 14
Alamodome; San Antonio, Texas

#49: Wolfgang Zacherl
Captains: Austin Duke, Workpeh Kofa, Daquan Lucas, Nick Cook

QUOTEABLE:
“I want to just thank (the senior class) for taking a risk and coming to Charlotte to start this program. They laid a great foundation for us and it has a chance to propel us forward as we move into the coming years.” – HC Brad Lambert

The 49ers concluded the 2016 season with a 4-8 overall record; 3-5 in Conference USA. The four wins double the win total of 2015, the 49ers first at the FBS level. The three C-USA wins are the first in school history.

It was the final game for 27 seniors, including 19 members of the program’s First Class.

After going winless in league play in 2015, the 49ers finished 5th of 7 teams in the C-USA East Division and T8th of 13, overall with a 3-5 league mark.

Charlotte had two league games decided by one possession, last year (three-point losses to ODU and UTSA). This year, six of the eight league games were either wins (3) or one-possession losses (3).

Six of Charlotte’s eight losses came to bowl eligible teams. Charlotte also scored a victory over a bowl eligible team (Southern Miss) for the second straight year.

Sr. RB Kalif Phillips established the school career record with 4,020 career rushing yards.

R-Sr. WR Austin Duke established the school career record with 3,437 career receiving yards.

Kalif Phillips and Austin Duke rank 1-2 in touchdowns scored for the 49ers: Phillips has 43 career TDs (41 rushing; 2 receiving) while Duke completed his career with 25 career TDs (24 receiving; 1 rushing).

Kalif Phillips completes his career with 4,504 yards from scrimmage (4,020 rush; 484 rec.), including 1,149 from scrimmage (907 rush; 242 rec.), this season.

Austin Duke notched his 13th career 100-yard receiving game with 115 yards in his finale at UTSA. It is the most receiving yards put up by a 49er against FBS competition. It was Duke’s 4th 100-yard game of the year.

The 115-yard game is the ninth-most in school history. Duke owns each of the top nine performances and 13 of the 16 100-yard receiving games in school history.

Austin Duke had a 76-yard TD reception, matching his longest of the year and the 4th longest in school history. Duke owns each of the 49ers six all-time longest TD receptions.

The 76-yard TD pass from Hasaan Klugh to Austin Duke is the longest TD throw of Klugh’s career. He had a 69-yarder to Duke earlier in the season at FAU.

Klugh finished his first year with the 49ers connecting on 120-of-224 passes for 1356 yards (123.3/gm) and 10 TDs with 3 INT. He was third on the team with 426 yards rushing.

Austin Duke had at least 50 catches in each of his four years, and finishes his career with a school-record 24 career receiving TDs (25 total, 2nd all-time), 252 receptions and a 74.7 per game receiving avg.

QB/RB Matt Johnson completes his 49ers career with a school-record 5,405 yards passing and he added 1,273 career yards rushing.

Three players started over 40 of the 49ers 46 all-time games. DL Larry Ogunjobi is the only player that started all 46 games. DL Brandon Banks made 43 starts and Austin Duke made 41 career starts.

DL Larry Ogunjobi had 0.5 TFL at UTSA to complete his 49ers’ career, fittingly, with a school record 49.0 TFL.

Ogunjobi completes his 49ers career with school records for tackles (217), TFL (49.0) and sacks (13.0).

Sr. LB Nick Cook established a new single-season record with 107 tackles. Cook had at least 8 tackles in each of the last five games and 10 of 12 overall. He ranks 8th in C-USA in tackles.

LB Karrington King had 7+ tackles in four of the last five games, averaging 8.4 tackles over that span. He ranked 32nd in C-USA with 6.1 tackles this year.

Fr. S Ben DeLuca led the 49ers with 10 tackles at UTSA. It was DeLuca’s third game with 10 or more tackles and the 12th double-digit tackle performance by a 49er, this year.

Ben DeLuca ranks second among C-USA freshmen with 5.7 tackles per game.

Charlotte finished the year with an FBS record 302 points scored, surpassing last year’s total of 210.

The 49ers scored 40 TDs (18 rushing; 17 passing; 5 Def/ST).

Charlotte allowed 106 yards rushing to UTSA and completes the regular season ranked third in the league in rushing defense (143.4/gm). Four of the last six opponents were held to 106 yards rushing or less.

Charlotte special teams scored its third TD of the season when Juwan Foggie recovered the punter’s fumble and rambled three yards for the score at UTSA. Earlier in the year, Foggie blocked a punt that was recovered by Ed Rolle in the endzone and Anthony Covington recovered a muffed punt in the endzone. In addition, Terrance Winchester had a Pick Six and Ben DeLuca returned a fumble for a score to give Charlotte five TDs from its defense/special teams.

Charlotte forced a turnover in 11 of 12 games. The lone game without a forced turnover: Temple. Charlotte finished the year with a +8 TO margin (2nd in C-USA).

Charlotte led C-USA through the regular-season with 16 interceptions and had at least one pick in 10 of 12 games.

KR Chris Montgomery finished the season with a single-season record 845 kick return yards and he ranks 4th in C-USA with a 19.7 return avg. He owns the 49ers career record with 1345 return yards.

2016 Season Leaders:

Rushing Yards Kalif Phillips 907
Receiving Yards Austin Duke 803
Passing Yards Hasaan Klugh 1356
Touchdowns Hasaan Klugh 8
Passing TD Hasaan Klugh 10
Receiving TD Workpeh Kofa 5
Rushing TD Hasaan Klugh 8
Tackles Nick Cook 107 – SCHOOL RECORD
TFL Larry Ogunjobi 13.5
Sacks Larry Ogunjobi 3.0