Season Preview: Charlotte

Week two of the 2020 season lists UNC against their only non-conference opponent. It is also the first meeting between the Tar Heels and the 49ers.

Opponent Rundown

Date: Saturday, September 19 at Kenan Memorial Stadium

2019 Record: 7-6, 5-3 C-USA (5 in C-USA East)

Coach: Will Healy, second year as head coach.

Last Face-off: This will be the first meeting between Charlotte and UNC.

Summary

It was a tale of two halves for Charlotte last year. After winning two of their first three games, the 49ers went on a four-game skid. The 49ers did catch their stride midway through the season, however. They spun off five straight games to finish their conference schedule 5-3. However, the year did not end with a bang, they were beaten handily by Buffalo in the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl.

2020 looks to be the Chris Reynolds show. The dual-threat quarterback had a breakout year in as a redshirt-sophomore, and he will be the focus of all opposing defenses. This will be even more true after the graduation of Benny LeMay, who led Charlotte in rushing last season with 1082 yards and 13 touchdowns. LeMay also led C-USA in all-purpose yards per game with 120.4 yards. That is a lot of production lost, and it takes away a major aspect of the team’s efficiency. They will need one or more players to pick up the slack in the ground game.

One player that will be doing that is Reynolds himself. The quarterback was second on the team in rushing with 791 yards, which was a revolutionary addition to his game. In his redshirt freshman year he rushed the ball 40 times, including sacks, for -64 yards.

The 49ers were not great on defense last year. The big issue that came with Charlotte was the inability to stop the run. The team gave up 192 yards rushing per game. This could mean a big day for Carolina on the ground. Given the week one matchup against Syracuse, who looks like they will have a diminished front seven, Tar Heel running backs Javonte Williams and Michael Carter could come out of week two with serious numbers.

Charlotte also ranked 103 in scoring defense, allowing just over 32 points per game. That was the issue in several of their losses, as well. They lost to Appalachian State early in the season despite putting up 41 points on the Mountaineers. The key will be consistency and experience.

Key Returners

Chris Reynolds was the star last year and he is expected to be even better this season. Charlotte will need him to have a big year in order to build.

Aaron McAllister, who is entering his redshirt senior season, is expected to slot in at the starting running back spot for Benny LeMay. It will be hard to say if his production will be anywhere near that of the All-Conference shoes he will be filling, but someone needs to take the pressure off of Reynolds.

Ishod Finger is a small, quick running back who could see plenty of action on offense. He is just 5’4” but uses that to his advantage at times. He averaged five yards a carry as a redshirt freshman and will feature as the second running back in rotation.

Key Losses

Benny LeMay C-USA in all-purpose and was Mr. Everything for the 49ers. It will be difficult to replace his consistency and versatility on offense. LeMay was the offensive MVP of the 2020 East vs West Shrine Bowl. He is the all-time leading rusher for Charlotte.

Alex Highsmith was the best defender on Charlotte’s roster last year. He set school records for sacks in a game with 4.5, sacks in a season with 14, and sacks in a career with 20. Those 14 sacks ranked him fourth in the country last year. Highsmith came to Charlotte as a walk-on in 2015, and he was picked in the third round of this year’s NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers.