Fall Previews 2 of 63: Charlotte

Charlotte: 

Head Coach: Brad Lambert (10-12)
2014 Record: 5-6 (FCS)
Basic Offense: Multiple
Basic Defense: 3-4 Multiple

Offense: 

The 49ers have a pair of quarterbacks that saw playing time in 2014 in Matt Johnson (117-225/1,941/13TD) and Lee McNeill (72-123/974/6TD). Johnson was the starter in 2014 until sidelined to a knee injury in the eighth game of the season giving way to McNeill. The junior quarterback took over as that starter for the final three games of the season with UNCC going 2-1 with wins over Wesley and Morehead State. Joining Johnson in the 49ers starting backfield is junior running back Kalif Phillips and his 229/1,486/20TD numbers from 2014. Phillips started every game and accounted for 55.8% of the overall team rushing total and 66.7% of UNCC's rushing touchdowns. Backup Maetron Thomas is gone after a solid 2014 but should be able to easily be replaced by Dammarrell Alexander (36/201/2TD). If Alexander can give Phillips some sort of rest, the 49ers running game should not lose a step.

Austin Duke

Charlotte has five receivers it can count on heading into the 2015 season led by junior Austin Duke. The 5-9, 160 pound wide receiver started all 11 games in 2014 and led UNCC with 79/1,373/9TD. His 79 catches were 46 more than any other player on the team. Trent Bostick (33/365/2TD) will open the season on the other side of the formation, looking to improve on his totals from last fall. With Dmarjai Devine lost to graduation, T.L. Ford (14/221/4TD) will look to earn a bigger role in the passing game after a solid freshman season. H-Backs Justin Bolus (14/241/1TD) and Richard Murphy (9/113/2TD) will be good pass catchers in a hybrid tight end/fullback role that the 49ers use.

For a team as young as Charlotte, any stability on the offensive line is desperately needed and attained headed into the 2015 season. The 49ers return Daniel Book, Jamal Covington, and Casey Perry with the trio making all 11 starts last fall. To help even more, linemen Jarred Barr (5 starts) and Thomas La Bianca (5 starts) made starts throughout the 2014 season and should be ready to take on a bigger role this fall. As reserves, Kyle Hoffman (11 GP), Zach Thomas (10 GP), and Mason Sledge (10 GP) all played significant roles on the offensive line and on special teams. All three will give much needed depth in the trenches.

Defense: 

The 49ers return virtually their entire defensive line from 2014 with junior Larry Ogunjobi (48 tkl, 11.5 tfl, 5 sacks) leading the way. Juniors Mark Pettit (35 tkl, 7 tfl, 3.5 sacks), and Brandon Banks (33 tkl, 3 tfl, 1 sack) round out the front of the 3-4 defense that gave up 193.3 yards per game on the ground. As a virtual fourth defensive lineman starter, James Middleton (27 tkl, 2.5 tfl, 0.5 sacks) should see some starting time and plenty of playing time this fall to give much needed depth to the defensive line. Devin Clegg (11 tkl, 1.5 tfl, 1 sack), Tanner Fleming (19 tkl, 7 tfl, 1 sack), Zach Bumgarner (2 tkl), Nick Carroll (3 tkl), and Hayden Beck (1 tkl, 1 tfl) should all see some sort of playing time on the line with Clegg and Fleming getting the majority of the reps.

Karrington King

The 49ers return starters at two of the four linebacker spots in 2014 with Daquan Lucas (41 tkl, 8 tfl, 1 sack) and Karrington King (79 tkl, 5.5 tfl, 3 sacks) back this fall. King was a special player last fall as the team's third leading tackler as a redshirt freshman in 2014. Charlotte must replace starters Dustin Crouser (91 tkl, 5.5 sacks) and Tyler Destefani (34 tkl, 6 tfl, 1.5 sacks) but have more than capable backups in Jalen Holt (41 tkl, 2.5 tfl, 1 sack) and Jordan Starnes (26 tkl). Both are ready for expanded roles and could make the linebacker corp surprisingly good for Charlotte in 2015. A wild card will be senior Caleb Clayton-Molby (15 tkl, 1.5 tfl, 1 sack) who started the first three games of the season before an injury ended his season. If fully healthy, he could push one of the projected starters to the curb with his impressive play. Justin Bridges-Thompson, Eric Herkley, and DaQuavius Reid will also see playing time in 2015 with most expected to be of the special team variety.

After giving up a disappointing 284.2 yards in the ari per game in 2014, UNCC will have three returning starters with 10+ starts last fall to fix the holes in the secondary. Junior Tank Norman (56 tkl, 1 INT) will be starting once again at his cornerback position. Norman is a veteran and made the 49ers first ever tackle in a program opening 52-7 win over Campbell. Greg Cunningham Jr. (45 tkl, 3 INT) holds the other cornerback spot after a solid season that included three interceptions. Branden Dozier (86 tkl, 1 INT) is the senior leader of the secondary from his safety position and led the team with a school record 86 tackles last fall. His experience is needed desperately with senior Ardy Holmes (25 tkl) finally pushing his way into the starting lineup after making one start in 2014. Cortezz Nixon (23 tkl),  Terrance Winchester (13 tkl), Markevis Davis (9 tkl), Nick Halmon (6 tkl), and Prince Mayela (11 tkl, 1 INT) will all see the field at some point this fall.

Special Teams: 

Charlotte returns the starting kicker and punter from last fall with both having solid seasons but needing to take a step forward in 2015. Junior Blake Brewer was 18-25 on field goal attempts with a long of 51 yards and 11-12 from inside 30 yards. Brewer also attempted 77 kickoffs with 14.2% landing for touchbacks. Backup kicker Stephen Muscarello was 2-2 on field goal attempts with both coming from 22 yards out. Punter Arthur Hart showed promise during his freshman season with 48 punts for a 36.3 average, a long of 57 yards, 10 inside the 20, and 5 over 50 yards. Hart can only get better with another year in the program and could be an excellent punter before his career is over.

Overall:  

Gone are the Campbell, Wesley, Johnson C. Smith, and the other teams that Charlotte played in its first two seasons as a football program. Replacing them is a tough Conference USA slate as well as trips to Atlanta, and Lexington while playing host to Temple. Charlotte is a special case of transitional FBS as they had to start the program from scratch, in very similar fashion to Georgia State. It is somewhat poetic justice to face Georgia State in the FBS opener as they are in the postion the Panthers were in only a few years ago.

A Friday season opener for the 49ers may seem like a game they can win but Georgia State is very good at throwing the football, something UNCC struggles at defending. The offense should score versus the Sun Belt foe but Georgia State will outscore the 49ers in the season opener. Game two, hosting FCS program Presbyterian, is the best shot for Charlotte to get its first FBS win. The 49ers match up well and should have their way with the Blue Hose of Presbyterian. The other two non-conference games, hosting Temple and visiting Kentucky, will be ugly with the 49ers being outmatched significantly on the talent level. The 49ers should get out of conference play with a 1-3 record.

Charlotte was given a slightly manageable schedule in its first year in Conference USA with Marshall, Rice, and MTSU the only conference foes with a .500 or better record in 2014. Those three games are automatic losses to drop UNCC to 1-6. Old Dominion, Southern Miss, and UTSA are all in building/rebuilding modes but have too much overall skill for the 49ers and should all glide by for wins versus Charlotte. If UNCC was to sneak out a conference win in 2015, two candidates come to mind: FAU and FIU. Florida Atlantic has a habit of playing up and down to its competition and if the Owls allow Charlotte to hang around, an upset is very possible. On paper, Florida International should be able to name its score versus Charlotte with an incredible array of talent. Despite all of the talent, the Golden Panthers are a trainwreck currently with a head coach that has lost 19 of his first 24 games. If I were to point at a game that Charlotte stuns someone, that game is it.