Young 49ers push to move up in C-USA
Orlando Sentinel college insider Matt Murschel ranked all 130 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in the country entering the 2017 season. The Sentinel staff takes a closer look at a new team daily, counting backward from No. 130 to our projected No. 1 team.
Charlotte
Brad Lambert (16-30, entering fifth season; 16-30 overall)
4-8 overall, 3-5 Conference USA; tied for 6th in East Division
While Charlotte recorded a losing record, it was still an impressive effort for the 49ers. The team went 3-5 in Conference USA, registering its first C-USA victories. The 49ers’ four overall wins was double the number the program posted in 2015, Charlotte’s first competing at the FBS level. Six of Charlotte’s eight league games were either wins (3) or one-possession losses (3). Two of the victories were at Marshall and Southern Miss, teams that regularly attract rowdy home crowds. 5 5
Chris
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RB Kalif Phillips, WR Duke Austin, OL Casey Perry , OL Thomas LaBianca, TE Kyle Hoffman, DL Larry Ogunjobi, DL Brandon Banks, LB Nick Cook, LB Daquan Lucas, DB Kedrick Davis
Brown, OL OL Nate Davis, DB Ben DeLuca, WR TL Ford II, LB Tyriq Harris, LB Karrington King, QB Hasaan Klugh, DB Ed Rolle
Sophomore QB Hasaan Klugh was 120 of 224 passing for 1,356 yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions. He also ranked third on the team with 426 yards rushing. Klugh will work with a strong receivers group next season, including TL Ford, Trent Bostick, Workpeh Kofa, Uriah LeMay, Mark Quattlebaum and Chris Montgomery.
S Ben DeLuca, a Freshman All-American last season and former standout at Orlando’s Bishop Moore Catholic High School, finished third on the team with 68 tackles. He returned a fumble 59 yards for a touchdown during the 49ers’ first win of the season over Elon and added interceptions in back-toback C-USA games against FAU and FIU.
Charlotte has considerable room to improve on both sides of the ball. The team ranked No. 98 nationally out of 128 teams in passing offense (192.8 yards per game) and No. 124 in passing defense (309.8 yards allowed per game).
The team's third-down conversion rate was among the nation's worst, ranking No. 119 (32 percent).
The 49ers have flown through the process of adding a football program, moving as quickly as possible to join the FBS level. The program debuted in 2013 and played for two years as a Football Championship Subdivision independent school before making the jump to the FBS and Conference USA in 2015. The 49ers were invited to be a member of Conference USA in the summer of 2012 before holding their first practice.
Coach Brad Lambert recruited an experienced staff and found under-theradar talent like DeLuca to stock the team.
Even though the 49ers have shown positive signs, the program still faces many challenges developing the size and depth on both sides of the ball needed to move up in Conference USA earn a bowl bid. Traditional league powers Marshall and Southern Miss are sure to improve after down seasons, making the path to success tougher for the Charlotte program.