Charlotte 49ers vs Louisville Cardinals Match Player Stats On Sep 01, 2016

The Sports Xchange
Sep 1, 2016

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- It took Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson less than a half in Thursday night's season opener to set a school record.

Accounting for eight touchdowns, six passing, in the first half, Jackson led the 19th-ranked Cardinals to a 70-14 rout of outmatched Charlotte at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.

A 6-foot-3, 204-pound sophomore from Pompano Beach, Fla., Jackson completed 17 of 23 passes for 286 yards, hitting 10 different receivers. He also rushed for 119 yards on 11 carries before sitting out the second half.

It was merely a continuation of his performance in last year's Music City Bowl, when he threw for 227 yards and ran for 226 in Louisville's 27-21 win over Texas A&M.

Backup quarterback Kyle Bolin threw for two second-half touchdowns for the Cardinals, who finished the game with 663 total yards and 38 first downs.

Kevin Olsen completed 16 of 29 passes for 141 yards, including a 24-yard scoring strike to Austin Duke in the third quarter, for the 49ers.

Charlotte, which is in its second season as an FBS program and only its fifth season of football, also scored when Anthony Covington recovered a fumbled punt in the end zone with 3:46 left in the game.

Louisville jumped on Charlotte with both feet and never let up in the first half. Jackson initiated the scoring on a twisting 36-yard run with 12:03 left in the first quarter.

Jackson then connected on a 13-yard touchdown pass to converted quarterback Reggie Bonnafon, who was moved to wide receiver, with 6:49 left in the period. After the 49ers lost a fumble at the Cardinals' 39, Jackson flipped a short pass to backup running back Jeremy Smith for a 24-yard scoring strike at the 3:47 mark.

Louisville cashed in on a failed fake punt and drove 35 yards for its fourth touchdown, Jackson extending the ball over the goal line's plane on a 1-yard run as time expired in the first quarter to make it 28-0.

It got no better for the 49ers in the second quarter. Jackson hit starting running back Brandon Radcliff for a 16-yard score with 12:05 on the clock, then connected with another running back, L.J. Scott, on a perfectly-executed screen pass for a 20-yard touchdown at the 6:27 mark.

Wide receiver James Quick's spectacular diving catch on a 32-yard scoring strike with 2:59 remaining upped the margin to 49. Jackson capped his mammoth half by leading a two-minute drill 66 yards, flipping a 1-yard touchdown toss to Cole Hikutini with five seconds left for a 56-0 halftime lead.

NOTES: This was the 10th time in the last 11 seasons that Louisville opened the season at home. ... Charlotte played for the first time against a top 25 FBS team. ... The teams combined for 18 penalties and 131 yards in the first half.