Game Prep: Shaky 49ers Defense Could Present An Opportunity

The Charlotte 49ers' defense looks to be their Achilles heel, which could help Spencer Rattler and South Carolina's offense.

The Charlotte 49ers ended their winless drought against Georgia State after quarterback Chris Reynolds threw a touchdown pass to star wide receiver Grant Dubose, tying the game and giving them 42 points, an impressive benchmark. What the 49ers would like to avoid, however, is any conversation regarding how another tumultuous performance by their defense led to Reynolds and the 49ers having to put up a herculean performance to win in the game's waning moments.

This has been the story of the 49ers defensively and looking at the numbers; it's hard to find many positives.

Numbers Don't Lie

As of now, heading into week 4, the Charlotte 49ers are giving up an average of 45.3 points per game, the 3rd worst mark at the FBS level. The 49ers have also given up the most yards defensively in the FBS and, on average, have allowed their opponents to garner 27.8 first downs per game, the 2nd worst mark in the FBS.

In other words, this defense can't stop opponents from extending drives and allows them to sustain those drives more often than not, to where they give up points in some fashion. This is certainly not a formula to win football games on this side of the ball, and when watching the film, it's obvious where their biggest issue lies.

An Outmatched Secondary

When watching the 49ers matchup against the Florida Atlantic owls, it was clear that Charlotte's defensive backs couldn't keep up with the Owl's skill players.

Despite playing a lot of soft zone coverage and rarely blitz, the 49ers' defensive backfield always seems to be just a few steps behind the eventual pass catcher. This comes down to a defensive back's ability to see the breaks in a receiver's route while being able also to read the quarterback's eyes and flip their hips on a dime.

Breaking in many new players through transfers and high school recruiting has only compounded these problems, so with the issues this 49ers' defense has had on the back end, this should be a game where Spencer Rattler has ample opportunities to get some confidence. He can work on his pocket presence and his ability to progress through his reads and find a way to spread the ball to the Gamecocks' offensive playmakers, which would serve everyone well on Saturday.

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