Curtis accounts for 4 TDs, UMass beats Charlotte 49-31

AMHERST, Mass. (AP) — Michael Curtis threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more, Marquis Young scored three times and UMass scored four times on its first six touches to defeat Charlotte 49-31 on Saturday.

Young returned the opening kickoff 93 yards for a score and Curtis hit Andy Isabella on a 15-yard scoring pass on the first Minuteman play from scrimmage after a botched 49ers punt snap. Young scored on a 2-yard run on the next possession after Jake Byczko recovered a fumble on the Charlotte 14 and a pass interference penalty. UMass (2-3) led 21-0 after 31 seconds of ball possession before Curtis scored on a 3-yard run to cap the next series, a 3-play, 40-yard drive.

Curtis was 12 of 19 for 189 yards passing with a 29-yard second-quarter TD toss to Jessie Britt and a 2-yard TD run in the third quarter. Young gained 74 yards on 12 carries, including a 43-yard fourth-quarter TD run.

Benny LeMay scored a second-quarter TD on a 1-yard run for Charlotte (2-2), which was held to four yards of total offense in the first quarter and 90 at halftime. Chris Reynolds completed 23 of 34 passes for 283 yards, including a 16-yard TD pass to R.J. Tyler, a 2-yarder to Chris Phillips and a 9-yarder to Cameron Dollar.