Box Score DURHAM, N.C. – North Carolina Central University tied a school record with 28 fourth-quarter points, but a slow start allowed Charlotte to score 40 unanswered to open the contest, as the unbeaten 49ers avenged last season's loss to the Eagles with a 40-28 victory inside O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium in Durham, N.C.
NCCU redshirt sophomore quarterback Malcolm Bell came off the bench with 11:36 left in the second quarter to throw for a career-high 337 yards and two touchdowns on 25-of-36 passing with an interception.
Bell spread the wealth to a host of receivers. Redshirt junior Adrian Wilkins caught seven passes for 129 yards and a touchdown, while junior running back Deyonta Wright also had seven receptions for 27 yards. Transfer receivers Quentin Atkinson and Jazz King had five catches each, while rookie tight end Jvon Simmons grabbed three passes for 42 yards and his first career touchdown.
NCCU senior running back Andre Clarke ran for his fourth touchdown of the season to cap the Eagles' fourth-quarter scoring.
The two teams combined for 863 yards of total offense, with NCCU (1-2) collecting 420 total yards and Charlotte (3-0) amassing 443 total yards, including 300 rushing yards.
NCCU's defense was topped by redshirt junior cornerback Ryan Smith and senior safety C.J. Moore with nine tackles each. Senior defensive end Felix Small added seven stops and forced a fumble, his third of the season.
Redshirt sophomore linebacker Jeremy Thompson contributed to the fourth-quarter scoring by returning an interception 26 yards to the end zone.
Charlotte quarterback Matt Johnson broke a school record with 150 rushing yards, while adding 143 yards and a touchdown through the air. Running back Kalif Phillips ran for 104 yards and two scores for the 49ers. Charlotte receiver Austin Duke had a team-best six catches for 126 yards and a touchdown.
After splitting back-to-back home games, NCCU hits the road to play Towson on Sept. 13. Charlotte puts its unblemished 3-0 record on the line at Elon.
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