The Citadel at Charlotte

The Citadel at Charlotte

This is Missed It. The Citadel at Charlotte, Saturday, September 5, 94 and clear at Jerry Richardson Stadium, with the Bulldogs. You missed it? Here's the whole game, as it happened.

Pregame

It's a beautiful day for football, Bulldogs fans. The Citadel is in town to take on Charlotte, and we've got a good one brewing. Both teams came in looking for a statement, and the 49ers will have the ball first. We're all settled in, the crowd is buzzing, and it's time to see what our boys are made of. Let's get this one started.

Q1

Charlotte takes the field first, and they're moving the ball a little bit. A few runs, a few short passes, and they're picking up chunks of yardage. But our defense holds strong when it matters, and they force a turnover on downs. That's a big early stop. We take over, but we can't get anything going either, and we give it right back on downs. It's a defensive struggle early, just the way we like it. Then Charlotte gets the ball back, and they're driving again. But our defense is flying around, and on a third down, the pressure gets home. Gonzales drops back, and he tries to force one into traffic. Stroup is there, and he picks it off. He returns it twenty yards to the Charlotte 38. That's a huge momentum swing. We've got the ball in their territory, and we need to cash in. And we do. Garcia takes the handoff, and he hits the hole. He's got a head of steam, and he powers his way into the end zone from two yards out. The play is under review, but the call is upheld. Touchdown, Bulldogs. Kiely adds the extra point, and we're up seven to nothing. The crowd is on their feet. That's how you answer a turnover. But Charlotte answers right back. Alexander takes the handoff, and he finds a seam. He's gone, sixty-six yards to the house. Just like that, it's tied at seven. We needed a stop there, and we didn't get one. That one stings. We get the ball back, but we can't move it, and we have to punt. Charlotte takes over, and they're driving again. They're methodical, eating up clock. But on a third down, Gonzales drops back again, and he throws it right to Stroup again. Stroup picks it off at the 18, and he returns it to the 38. That's his second interception of the quarter. Our defense is bailing us out. We'll take the ball into the second quarter, tied at seven.

Q2

We start the second quarter with the ball, but we can't get anything going, and we punt it away. Charlotte takes over, and they're moving again. But our defense holds, and they turn it over on downs. We take over, but we can't capitalize, and we give it right back on downs. It's a battle of field position now, and we need a spark. Charlotte gets the ball back, and they're driving. Alexander takes a handoff up the middle, and he breaks a tackle, picking up twenty-two yards to the 43. That gets them into our territory. Then Gonzales drops back, and he throws a deep one down the middle to Eley. Eley catches it at the one, and he walks into the end zone. Forty-three yards, touchdown. Just like that, we're down fourteen to seven. We need an answer. We get the ball back, and Billoups drops back to pass. He finds Zamor short on the left side, and Zamor picks up seven yards and a first down. That keeps the drive alive. But we can't finish it, and we have to punt. Charlotte takes over with a little over a minute left, but they can't do anything with it, and we head to the half down seven to fourteen.

Halftime

Alright, Bulldogs fans, let's take a breath. We're down seven to fourteen at the half, and it could be worse. We've had our chances, but we've made too many mistakes on offense. The play that turned this half was that sixty-six-yard touchdown run by Alexander. We had all the momentum after Garcia's score, and one play took it all away. We need to come out in the second half and establish ourselves. We need to run the ball, control the clock, and keep their offense off the field. We've got the defense to win this game. We just need the offense to catch up.

Q3

We get the ball to start the second half, and we need a statement. Boyle takes the handoff, and he's off to the races. Fifty-six yards, right up the gut, and he's in the end zone. Touchdown, Bulldogs. Kiely adds the extra point, and we're tied at fourteen. That's exactly what we needed. The offense is alive. But Charlotte answers again. Gonzales keeps it on a quarterback draw, and he picks up eleven yards and a touchdown. The play is under review, but it's upheld. They're up twenty-one to fourteen. We can't let them keep answering. We get the ball back, and we go on a long, methodical drive. We're mixing it up, running and passing, and we're eating up the clock. We get down to the one-yard line, and Garcia punches it in. Touchdown, Bulldogs. Kiely adds the extra point, and we're tied at twenty-one. That was a twelve-play drive, and it was a thing of beauty. Charlotte gets the ball back, but our defense holds, and they turn it over on downs. We take over with fourteen seconds left in the quarter, and we're driving. We'll take the ball into the fourth quarter, tied at twenty-one.

Q4

We start the fourth quarter with the ball, and we're driving. We're moving the chains, and we're wearing down their defense. We get down to the red zone, and we punch it in. Touchdown, Bulldogs. We're up twenty-eight to twenty-one. That was a seven-play drive, and it was all about the run game. Charlotte gets the ball back, and they need an answer. They're driving, and they're converting on third downs. Gonzales finds Barnes on a short pass, and Barnes picks up twenty yards to our 25. That gets them into our territory. But our defense holds, and they turn it over on downs. We take over, and we need to run out the clock.

The Sequence

This is it, Bulldogs fans. This is where the game is decided. We've got the ball, we're up twenty-eight to twenty-one, and we need to run out the clock. We get the ball, but we can't move it, and we turn it over on downs. Charlotte takes over with three and a half minutes left, and they're driving. They're methodical, and they're eating up the clock. Gonzales drops back, and he finds Hampton on a short pass. Hampton catches it at the goal line, and he scores. Touchdown, 49ers. The extra point is good, and we're tied at twenty-eight. We get the ball back with twenty-four seconds left. We need a miracle. Billoups drops back, and he throws it deep. It's incomplete. We're out of time. We're going to overtime. Overtime. We get the ball first. Garcia takes the handoff, and he's gone. Twenty-five yards, touchdown. Kiely adds the extra point, and we're up thirty-five to twenty-eight. That's a statement. Charlotte gets the ball, and they answer. Gonzales finds Hampton on a short pass, and Hampton scores from eighteen yards out. They go for two, but the pass fails. They're up forty-one to thirty-five. We need a touchdown to tie, or a two-point conversion to win. We get the ball, and we're driving. Billoups keeps it on a quarterback draw, and he scores from two yards out. We're tied at forty-one. We go for two, but the run fails. We're tied at forty-one. Charlotte gets the ball, and they need a score. Charlotte gets the ball, and they're driving. But our defense holds. Gonzales drops back, and he throws it right to our defense. Turnover. The game is over. We win.

Wrap-up

Bulldogs fans, that was a classic. We went to overtime, we traded blows, and we came out on top. Forty-three to forty-one. It wasn't pretty, but it was beautiful. Our defense made the plays when they had to, and our offense found a way to score when it mattered most. This is a win we'll remember for a long time. The Citadel Bulldogs are winners tonight. Let's go.

By the Numbers

The Bulldogs by the numbers. Final score, The Citadel 43, Charlotte 41. 400 yards of offense to their 538, 132 through the air and 268 on the ground. 16 first downs. 8 of 15 on third down. 0 turnovers for us, 2 for them. We held the ball for just under 30 minutes.

Outro

That was The Citadel at Charlotte, from the Bulldogs side. This has been Missed It. Every game, both sides, at missed it dot net. Produced by James Barrett.

The Citadel at Charlotte

This is Missed It. The Citadel at Charlotte, Saturday, September 5, 94 and clear at Jerry Richardson Stadium, with the 49ers. You missed it? Here's the whole game, as it happened.

Pregame

It's The Citadel Bulldogs against our Charlotte 49ers, and we've got the ball first. Both teams came in even, zero and zero on the season, and this one's got the feel of a fresh start for both sides. The crowd's up, the energy's real, and we're about to see what this Charlotte team is made of right from the opening kick.

Q1

We open with the ball, and our first drive grinds through seven plays before Citadel's defense stiffens and we come up empty on downs. They take over, and their four-play drive goes nowhere either, also stopped on downs. We get it back, but three plays later we hand it right back on a turnover, and Citadel's offense takes the field with a short field and a chance to strike first. And strike they do. With about seven and a half minutes left in the quarter, Garcia takes the handoff up the middle, and it's a two-yard plunge that gets him across the plane. The officials take a look, automatic review, "runner broke the plane," and the call is upheld. Extra point is good, and just like that we're down seven to nothing. But we answer, and we answer fast. Alexander takes the shotgun handoff, finds a seam up the middle, and he's gone. Sixty-six yards to the house, untouched, and the crowd erupts. Kelly's kick is true, and we're tied at seven apiece. That's how you respond. Citadel gets the ball back, runs five plays, and punts it away. We take over with under four minutes left in the quarter, and we're moving. Nine plays, we're driving, we're knocking on the door. Then Gonzales drops back, lets it fly, and Stroup steps in front of it. Intercepted at the Citadel eighteen, returned twenty yards to the thirty-eight. We had a chance to take the lead, and instead we give it right back. Seven to seven as the quarter ends, and it feels like we let one slip.

Q2

Second quarter starts, and Citadel's got the ball after that interception. Six plays, and they punt it back to us. We take over, five plays, and we come up short on downs again. Citadel gets it, four plays, and they're stopped on downs too. Both defenses are trading punches, and neither offense can find a rhythm. Then we find ours. Alexander takes it up the middle for twenty-two yards, and Stroup's the one chasing him down. First down, and we're rolling. A few plays later, Gonzales drops back, scans the field, and fires deep down the middle to Eley. He catches it at the one, and it's a forty-three-yard strike for the touchdown. Kelly's kick is good, and we've got the lead, fourteen to seven. Citadel answers with a long drive of their own, eleven plays, and they're moving. Billoups completes a short pass to Zamor, seven yards, and it's enough for a first down, keeping their drive alive. But we hold, and they punt it away. We get the ball back with about a minute and a half left, run five plays, and punt it right back. Fourteen to seven at the half, and we're in control.

Halftime

So here we are at the break, up fourteen to seven, and it feels like we earned every bit of it. The play that turned this half was Alexander's sixty-six-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. We were down seven to nothing, Citadel had all the momentum, and one cut up the middle changed everything. It tied the game, it woke up the crowd, and it set the tone for the rest of the half. But we know this isn't over. Citadel's offense has shown they can move the ball, and we've had too many drives stall out on downs and turnovers. We need to keep the foot on the gas, protect the football, and finish drives. If we do that, we're in good shape. If we don't, this one could slip away.

Q3

Third quarter kicks off, and Citadel's got the ball. Five plays, and Boyle takes it around the right side, fifty-six yards to the end zone. Touchdown, Citadel, and just like that it's tied at fourteen. We needed a stop there, and we didn't get one. But we answer. Eleven plays, we're methodical, we're moving the chains. Then Gonzales keeps it himself, takes it up the middle for eleven yards, and he's in for the touchdown. The officials take a look, automatic review, "runner broke the plane," and the call is upheld. Kelly's kick is good, and we're back on top, twenty-one to fourteen. Citadel's not going away. Twelve plays, they grind it out, and Garcia punches it in from a yard out. Touchdown, Citadel, and we're tied at twenty-one. This is a dogfight now. We get the ball back, five plays, and we come up short on downs again. Citadel takes over with fourteen seconds left in the quarter, and they're driving. Seven plays, and they're in the end zone before we can catch our breath. Touchdown, Citadel, and for the first time since the first quarter, we're trailing. Twenty-eight to twenty-one as we head to the fourth.

Q4

Fourth quarter, and we're down by seven. We need a score, and we need it now. Twelve plays, we're driving, we're moving the ball. Gonzales finds Barnes on a short pass, twenty yards, out of bounds at the twenty-five, and it's a first down. We're in business. But we can't finish. We drive all the way down there, and Citadel's defense stiffens. We come up short on downs, and we hand the ball back with the game on the line. Twenty-eight to twenty-one, and we're running out of time.

The Sequence

This is it. This is where the game gets decided. Citadel's got the ball, up by seven, with under six minutes to play. Five plays, and we stop them. They come up short on downs, and we take over with three and a half minutes left, down by seven, with a chance to tie it. Fifteen plays. We're driving, we're fighting, we're clawing for every yard. The clock's ticking down, and we're running out of time. Then, with thirty seconds left, Gonzales drops back, fires a short pass to Hampton, and he catches it at the goal line. Six yards, touchdown, Charlotte. Kelly's kick is good, and we're tied at twenty-eight. But Citadel's got the ball with twenty-four seconds left, and they're not playing for overtime. Nine plays, and Garcia breaks free for a twenty-five-yard run. Touchdown, Citadel, and they take the lead, thirty-five to twenty-eight. We're down by seven with no time left on the clock. Except there's time. We get the ball back, and we've got one chance. Six plays, and Gonzales finds Hampton again, this time on a short pass to the right. Eighteen yards, touchdown, Charlotte. The officials take a look, automatic review, "pass completion," and the call is upheld. We go for two, and Gonzales's pass falls incomplete. We're up by six, forty-one to thirty-five, but we left the door open. Citadel's got the ball, and they're not done. Six plays, and Billoups takes it in from two yards out. Touchdown, Citadel, and they go for two. The run fails, but it doesn't matter. They're up by two, forty-three to forty-one. We get the ball back with one play left. One play. Gonzales drops back, and it's over. Turnover. The game is done.

Wrap-up

Forty-three to forty-one. We had it. We had the lead, we had the momentum, and we let it slip away in the final seconds. This one hurts. It hurts because we fought back, we tied it, we took the lead, and we couldn't hold on. But this team showed something tonight. They never quit, they never stopped fighting, and they gave us everything they had. We'll learn from this, we'll grow from this, and we'll be back. Go Niners.

By the Numbers

The 49ers by the numbers. Final score, Charlotte 41, The Citadel 43. 538 yards of offense to their 400, 322 through the air and 216 on the ground. 21 first downs. 11 of 17 on third down. 2 turnovers for us, 0 for them. We held the ball for just over 30 minutes.

Outro

That was The Citadel at Charlotte, from the 49ers side. This has been Missed It. Every game, both sides, at missed it dot net. Produced by James Barrett.