The Memphis Tigers Charlotte matchup turned into a blowout Saturday, as Memphis beat the 49ers 59-8 in an American Athletic Conference opener at Jerry Richardson Stadium. Quarterback Marcus Stokes completed 20 of 25 passes for 318 yards and a career-high five touchdowns without an interception, and Memphis led 24-0 at halftime.
The Tigers (4-1, 1-0 American) scored eight touchdowns, according to Memphis athletics. Charlotte (0-5, 0-1) is still looking for its first win. Charlotte had lost its first four games before the Memphis visit. Kickoff was moved up to 10 a.m. because of weather concerns later in the day.
Memphis Tigers Charlotte takeaways: Stokes carries the offense
Stokes put the game away before halftime. He connected with Jermane Hayes on a 93-yard touchdown, then found Jemyri Davis from 25 yards and Hunter Tipton from 28 yards. Philippe Laforge added a 20-yard field goal for the 24-0 lead.
Hayes finished with six catches for 163 yards, per The Associated Press. Tipton made a one-handed grab on his score. Stokes later hit Burnside for a 19-yard touchdown, and backup quarterback Air Noland threw a scoring pass to Brady Kluse, so five different receivers caught touchdown passes.
The ground game helped, too. Jordan Thompson and Dallan Hayden scored rushing touchdowns as Memphis piled up 288 yards on the ground and 386 through the air.
The performance continued a strong stretch for first-year coach Charles Huff’s team. Stokes also threw four touchdown passes earlier this season in a 45-21 win over UT Martin, and the Tigers’ only loss so far came against Boise State. Through the first halves of those two wins over UT Martin and Charlotte, Stokes completed about 90 percent of his passes, according to the wire recap.
Charlotte’s lone score and costly turnovers
The 49ers’ only touchdown came on the first play of the third quarter, when Henry Rutledge sprinted 75 yards untouched. Charlotte converted the two-point try to cut the deficit to 24-8. Rutledge finished with 111 yards on six carries.
Memphis answered with a 75-yard drive that ended with Stokes’ touchdown pass to Burnside, and the Tigers scored 35 points after the break to finish the rout. Charlotte lost four turnovers, including an interception by Ian Foster early in the second quarter and a fumble forced by Tylon Nash. The 49ers managed 7-of-16 passing for 77 yards.
The numbers behind the Memphis win
Memphis outgained Charlotte 674 yards to 209 and had 36 first downs to the 49ers’ eight. The Tigers converted 10 of 16 third downs, while Charlotte went 1 of 10. Memphis also held the ball for 40 minutes, 25 seconds and did not turn it over.
The Memphis Tigers Charlotte result was the Tigers’ most lopsided win since a 59-0 victory over North Alabama in November 2022, and it improved the Tigers to 7-7 in conference openers since joining the American in 2013. For more on how the matchup was shaping up, see our Memphis vs. Charlotte preview, and check the Week 5 college football roundup for the rest of the slate.
What’s next for Memphis and Charlotte
The Memphis Tigers Charlotte win gives the Tigers a 1-0 start in conference play and early momentum in the American race, while the 49ers fell to 0-1 in league play with the loss. Memphis hosts UAB on Oct. 10 at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in the Battle of the Bones rivalry game. Our Samford vs. UAB preview offers a look at the Blazers. Charlotte travels to North Texas the same day, hoping to turn around a winless start after the Memphis Tigers Charlotte mismatch and earn its first victory of the season in Denton, Texas.
