College football was the talk of the town in Charlotte over Labor Day weekend.
Powerhouse Clemson fell to the Georgia Bulldogs at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday during the Duke’s Mayo Classic, but the bigger local news happened a few miles north when the Charlotte 49ers edged out Duke University 31-28.
It was UNC Charlotte’s first win over a Power Five opponent in school history, and one of the game’s highlights was 49ers wide receiver Grant Dubose scoring two touchdowns in his debut.
WFAE’s “All Things Considered” producer Konata Edwards joins host Lisa Worf to talk about the big games and more on this week’s installment of Time Out For Sports.
Edwards points out that when Duke and Charlotte squared off in 2020, the Blue Devils came out on top — by 40 points.
“When I think about the gap that’s closed in a year, they basically had their season derailed by COVID, and yet at the same time, their first game, they just happened to come out and the biggest performance of this program’s history in Game 1, and it’s just amazing to see what these kids can do,” Edwards said.
Over at Bank of America Stadium, the Clemson Tigers lost 10-3 to Georgia. Edwards says Clemson’s offensive line just wasn’t up to the task and that the Bulldogs’ defense was more physical. One person college football fans across the country were watching closely in Charlotte: DJ Uiagalelei, who follows National Championship winner Trevor Lawrence as Clemson’s quarterback.
The play from above that won it all.@GeorgiaFootball pic.twitter.com/6r2UW28h64
— Duke's Mayo Classic (@DukesMayoBowl) September 5, 2021
Largely, Uiagalelei’s performance was underwhelming, with him completing 19 of 37 passes for only 178 yards.
“DJ Uiagalelei was projected to be this big dual-threat quarterback, which he could throw the ball on you but he could also run the ball, and the fact that he was hesitant to run also means that it kind of limited what Clemson can do on offense,” Edwards said.
Listen to the audio to hear Edwards and Worf’s full conversation. Other things they discuss:
- No. 10 UNC Chapel Hill losing to Virginia Tech, 17-10.
- What kinds of COVID-19 precautions are being taken in large stadiums full of college fans.
