2020 Charlotte 49ers football team

2020 Charlotte 49ers football
Conference	Conference USA
Division	East Division
2020 record	2–4 (2–2 C-USA)
Head coach	Will Healy (2nd season)
Offensive coordinator	Mark Carney (1st season)
Co-defensive coordinator	Brandon Cooper (2nd season)
Co-defensive coordinator	Marcus West (2nd season)
Home stadium	Jerry Richardson Stadium (Capacity: 15,314)
Seasons ← 2019 2021 →

2020 Conference USA football standings
v t	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
Marshall xy		4	–	1					7	–	3
Florida Atlantic		4	–	2					5	–	4
Western Kentucky		4	–	3					5	–	7
Charlotte		2	–	2					2	–	4
Middle Tennessee		2	–	4					3	–	6
FIU		0	–	3					0	–	5
West Division
UAB xy$		3	–	1					6	–	3
UTSA		5	–	2					7	–	5
Louisiana Tech		4	–	2					5	–	5
North Texas		3	–	4					4	–	6
Rice		2	–	3					2	–	3
Southern Miss		2	–	4					3	–	7
UTEP		0	–	4					3	–	5
Championship: UAB 22, Marshall 13
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Note: Due to COVID-19, Old Dominion opted out of the season.

The 2020 Charlotte 49ers football team represented the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The 49ers played their home games at Jerry Richardson Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, and competed in the East Division of Conference USA (C–USA). They were led by second-year head coach Will Healy.

Previous season[]

The 49ers finished the 2019 season 7–6, 5–3 in C-USA play to finish in fourth place in the East Division, earning an invite to the program's first bowl game. The 49ers lost 9–31 in the 2019 Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl to the Buffalo Bulls.

Coaching staff[]

On December 29, Offensive Coordinator Alex Atkins officially left the program to become Offensive Line coach at Florida State.^[1] On January 22, Quarterbacks coach Mark Carney was promoted to replace Atkins as Offensive Coordinator, retaining Quarterbacks responsibilities as well.^[2] On February 10 two coaches were added to the 49ers staff to replace outgoing Linebackers coach and Special Teams Coordinator Max Thurmond. Richmond Defensive Coordinator Adam Braithwaite joined the staff to coach Linebackers, and former ODU Running Backs and Special Teams Coordinator Charles Bankins joined to oversee Special Teams.^[3] On February 17 Texas A&M alum and Offensive Analyst Lee Grimes joined the staff to coach the Offensive Line.^[4]

Name	Position	Seasons at Charlotte	Alma Mater
Will Healy	Head coach	2	Richmond (2008)
Marcus West	Assistant Head coach/Co-Defensive coordinator/Defensive line	2	Memphis (2005)
Mark Carney	Offensive coordinator/Quarterbacks coach	2	Fordham (2004)
Brandon Cooper	Co-Defensive coordinator/Safeties	2	UT Martin (2007)
Charles Bankins	Special teams coordinator	1	James Madison (1994)
Adam Braithwaite	Linebackers coach	1	William and Mary (2002)
Sean Dawkins	Runningbacks coach/Run game coordinator	2	Troy (2007)
Lee Grimes	Offensive line coach	1	Texas A&M (2009)
Montario Hardesty	Wide receivers coach	2	Tennessee (2010)
Eddie Hicks	Cornerbacks coach	2	So Miss (2010)
Cody Woodiel	Tight Ends coach	2	Troy (2012)
Reference:[5]

Recruiting[]

Position key[]

Halfback	HB		Center	C		Cornerback	CB		Defensive back	DB
Defensive end	DE		Defensive lineman	DL		Defensive tackle	DT		End	E
Fullback	FB		Guard	G		Halfback	HB		Kicker	K
Kickoff returner	KR		Offensive tackle	OT		Offensive lineman	OL		Linebacker	LB
Long snapper	LS		Punter	P		Punt returner	PR		Quarterback	QB
Running back	RB		Safety	S		Tight end	TE		Wide receiver	WR

Recruiting class[]

The following recruits and transfers have signed letters of intent or verbally committed to the Charlotte 49ers football program for the 2020 recruiting year.

US college sports recruiting information for 2020 recruits
Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	40‡	Commit date
Donta Armstrong TE	Charlotte, NC	Vance HS	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	245 lb (111 kg)	-	Sep 14, 2019
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Panda Askew OG	Greenville, NC	Conley HS	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	275 lb (125 kg)	-	Dec 16, 2019
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Briston Bennett DB	Franklin, TN	Battle Ground Academy	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	165 lb (75 kg)	-	Jul 27, 2019
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Ty'kieast Crawford OT	Carthage, TX	Carthage HS	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	335 lb (152 kg)	-	Apr 15, 2020
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Trey Creamer DB	Cartersville, GA	Cartersville HS	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	-	Nov 2, 2019
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Comanche Francisco DB	Tyrone, GA	Sandy Creek HS	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	-	Aug 4, 2019
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Dajeun Gibson DB	Murfreesboro, TN	Blackman HS	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	-	Oct 25, 2019
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Ashton Gist OL	Senatobia, MS	Northwest Mississippi CC	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	310 lb (140 kg)	-	Dec 16, 2019
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Anthony Jackson DB	Rock Hill, SC	Rock Hill HS	6 ft 0.5 in (1.84 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	-	Apr 27, 2020
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Braylin Johnson WR	Duncan, SC	Byrnes HS	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	-	Oct 6, 2019
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Jonathan King OL	Greensboro, NC	Southeast Guilford HS	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	270 lb (120 kg)	-	Nov 12, 2019
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals: N/A   247Sports:    ESPN:
Chavon McEachern RB	Fayetteville, NC	Trinity Christian School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	-	Nov 22, 2019
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Desmond Morgan DT	Kernersville, NC	R.B. Glenn HS	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	290 lb (130 kg)	-	Jul 21, 2019
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Arabee Muslim OT	Charlotte, NC	Mallard Creek HS	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	295 lb (134 kg)	-	Jun 24, 2019
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Rayshaad Roddy DT	Cincinnati, OH	Fond du Lac CC	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	253 lb (115 kg)	-	Feb 5, 2020
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Dominique Shoffner QB	Apex, NC	Monroe College	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	209 lb (95 kg)	-	Dec 15, 2019
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Darion Smith DE/LB	Saint Louis, MO	Trinity Catholic HS	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	220 lb (100 kg)	-	Sep 9, 2019
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Lyndarious Strange S/DB	Tallahassee, TN	North Florida Christian School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	-	Nov 22, 2019
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Taylor Thompson TE	Prattville, AL	Prattville High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	220 lb (100 kg)	-	Dec 16, 2019
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Elijah Turner RB	Buford, GA	Buford High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	-	Feb 4, 2020
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Shedrick Ursery DB	Hialeah, FL	Champagnat Catholic School	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	-	Oct 16, 2019
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 69   Rivals: 91  247Sports: 69  ESPN: N/A
‡ Refers to 40 yard dash Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height, weight and 40 time. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Charlotte Football Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved April 27, 2020. "2020 Charlotte Football Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved April 27, 2020. "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 27, 2020. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved April 27, 2020. "2020 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved April 27, 2020.

Key transfers[]

Player	Position	Previous	Home Town	High School	Class	Height	Weight
Derek Boykins	Linebacker	S. Carolina	Concord, NC	Central Cabarrus HS	FR	6'-1"	224 lbs
Tre Harbison	Running back	N. Illinois	Shelby, NC	Crest HS	SR	5'-11"	208 lbs
Issac Hampton	Defensive tackle	Miami (OH)	Charlotte, NC	Mallard Creek HS	RJR	6'-0"	296 lbs
Hunter Kelly	Offensive lineman	Penn St.	Langhorne, PA	Neshaminy HS	RSR	6'-2"	310 lbs
Josiah So'a	Defensive tackle	Vanderbilt	San Diego, CA	Kearny HS	RJR	6'-2.5"	285 lbs
Antone Williams	Safety	Duke	Atlanta, GA	Woodward Academy	SO	6'-0"	170 lbs

Preferred walk-ons[]

Player	Position	Home Town	High School	Height	Weight
D.J. Bagwell	Offensive lineman	Kings Mountain, NC	Kings Mountain HS	6'-3"	295 lbs
Jake Clemons	Athlete	Christiansburg, VA	Christiansburg HS	'6-6"	220 lbs
Christopher Houston	Running back	Midlothian, VA	Fork Union	5'-9"	180 lbs
Whit Kane	Wide receiver	Wake Forest, NC	Heritage HS	5'-11"	165 lbs
Bryce Kennon	Wide receiver/Tight End	Waxhaw, NC	Marvin Ridge HS	'6-4"	210 lbs
Keegan Williams	Runningback	Mt. Pleasant, SC	Oceanside Collegiate Academy	'5-9"	185 lbs

Players[]

Roster[]

2020 Charlotte 49ers football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class QB 0 Trexler Ivey  Fr QB 2 Dominique Schoffner RJr QB 3 Chris Reynolds  (C) RJr WR 4 Cameron Dollar RJr RB 5 Aaron McAllister RSr WR 6 Tre’ Goode So WR 7 Braylin Johnson  Fr WR 8 Rico Arnold RSo WR 9 Victor Tucker RJr QB 10 Daniel Ratliff RSo QB 11 Preston Brown RFr TE 12 Donta Armstrong  Fr RB 13 Terrick Smalls Jr. RSo WR 14 Whit Kane   Fr WR 15 Justin Jeffrey RSo WR 16 Kendric Blake RFr QB 17 Ford Werness RSo TE 18 Taylor Thompson  Fr WR 19 Josh Curry RSo RB 20 Calvin Camp RJr RB 21 Elijah Turner   Fr RB 22 Tre Harbison WR 23 Micaleous Elder So WR 25 Chavon McEachern  Fr RB 26 Dekerius Thompson  Fr RB 27 Mckinley Nelson Jr TE 29 Rickey Kofed RJr RB 30 Keegan Williams  Fr WR 32 Bryce Kennon  Fr WR 33 Chris Houston  Fr OL 52 Jonny King  Fr OL 54 Gage Welborn RSo OL 55 Jaxon Hughes RFr OL 57 Ashton Gist Jr OL 63 Jacob Webb RJr OL 64 D.J. Bagwell  Fr OL 68 Jaelin Fisher (C) RSr OL 69 Dejan Rasuo RSo OL 70 D'Mitri Emmanuel RJr OL 71 Arabee Muslim  Fr OL 72 Cameron Clark  Fr OL 75 Jonathan Timmons RSr OL 76 Ty'kieast Crawford  Fr OL 78 Hunter Kelly OL 79 Panda Askew  Fr TE 80 Christian Roberson WR 81 Tyler Ringwood RSr TE 82 Jaylen Williams RFr WR 83 Chris Wiggins RSo TE 84 Jake Clemons  Fr TE 85 Ryan Carriere RSr TE 86 Moss Saccomanno RJr WR 87 Chylon Thomas Jr TE 88 Jacob Hunt Jr WR 89 Quinton Patten RFr WR 90 Austin Riley  Fr	Defense Pos. # Name Class DB 0 Antone Williams DB 1 Jacione Fugate RSr LB 2 Brelin Faison-Walden Sr DB 3 Trey Creamer RJr LB 4 Lance McMillian RSo LB 5 Tyler Murray RJr DB 6 Soloman Rogers So DB 7 Robert Cheatham RSr DB 8 Nafees Lyon DE 10 Tyriq Harris (C) DB 12 Shedrick Ursery  Fr DB 13 Briston Bennett  Fr LB 14 Derek Boykins RFr DB 15 Dajeun Gibson  Fr DB 16 Comanche Francisco  Fr LB 17 Luke Martin Sr LB 18 Prince Bemah  RFr DB 21 LaDamion Hunt RJr DB 23 Matt Martinez RSo DB 24 Lacy Williams RFr DB 27 Bryson Whitehead RFr DB 28  (C) DB 29 Jonnie Pitman RSo DB 30 Marcus Robitaille So DB 31 Trey Bly RFr LB 33 Jaylon Sharpe So LB 34 Javonte Misenheimer RJr DB 35 Myles Hunt RSo DB 36 Anthony Jackson  Fr DB 38 Kendric Ivey Jr LB 39 George Maya RJr DE 40 Markees Watts  Jr LB 42 Tiaseer Rambert RFr DB 43 Ryan Braithwaite RJr DE 44 Jaxon Hughes RFr DB 46 Dillon Overholt  RSo DT 47 Khalil Presley RSr DT 48 Barutti Mazangu  Fr DB 50 Darion Smith  Fr LB 51 Peter Agabe Sr DL 53 Michael Kelly RFr DL 56 Jordan Moore  Fr DL 57 Siah Sa'o DL 58 Johnny Ray RSr LB 59 B.J. Turner RSo DL 60 Bryan Wallace RSo LB 66 Cole Hopkins RSo DL 74 Tim Baten RJr DL 90 Dez Morgan  Fr DE 91 Corey Mobley RJr DL 92 Desmond Stewart Sr DE 93 Emmanuel White RJr DE 94 Isaiah Belk RSo DL 95 Rayshaad Roddy Jr DL 96 Isaac Hampton RJr DE 97 Damon Weldon RSo DL 98 Timmy Horne RSr DE 99 Taylor Chandler RSo	Special teams Pos. # Name Class K 11 Jonathan Cruz Jr P 19 Connor Bowler RJr K 37 Max Bilstein RFr LS 41 Doug McLaughlin So P 44 Zach Nicholson RSo LS 50 Colby Garfield  Fr	Head coach Will Healy (Richmond) Coordinators/assistant coaches Marcus West (Memphis) Assistant Head Coach/Co-Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line Charles Bankins (James Madison) Special Teams Coordinator Mark Carney (Fordham) Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Brandon Cooper (Tennessee–Martin) Co-Defensive Coordinator/Safeties Adam Braithwaite (William & Mary) Linebackers Sean Dawkins (Troy) Run Game Coordinator/Running Backs Lee Grimes (Texas A&M) Offensive Line Montario Hardesty (Tennessee) Wide Receivers Eddie Hicks (Southern Miss.) Cornerbacks Cody Woodiel (Troy) Tight Ends Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster Last update: September 2, 2020

Depth chart[]

Awards and honors[]

Preseason[]

Awards Watch List	Player	Position	Year
Biletnikoff Award[6]	Victor Tucker	WR	JR
Outland Trophy[7]	Jaelin Fisher	C	RSR
Wuerffel Trophy[8]	Tyriq Harris	DE	Grad
Maxwell Award[9]	Chris Reynolds	QB	RJR
Manning Award[10]	Chris Reynolds	QB	RJR

Preseason All-CUSA Team	Player	Position	Year
Preseason All-Conference USA First Team[11]	Ben DeLuca	S	RSR
Preseason All-Conference USA First Team[11]	Markees Watts	DE	JR

In season[]

Awards Watch List	Player	Position	Year
Campbell Trophy Finalist[12][13]	Tyriq Harris	DE	Grad
Wuerffel Trophy Semifinalist[14]	Tyriq Harris	DE	Grad
Rimington Trophy[15]	Jaelin Fisher	OL	RSR
FWAA Freshman all-America Watch List[16]	Taylor Thompson	TE	FR

Award	Player	Position	Year	Game
Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week[17]	Tyler Murray	LB	RJR	Appalachian State
Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week[18]	Aaron McAllister	RB	RSR	North Texas

Wearing Jersey #49	Position	Game
D'Mitri Emmanuel	Offensive Lineman	Appalachian State
Cameron Dollar	Wide Receiver	Florida Atlantic
Luke Martin	Linebacker	North Texas
Jalen Allen	Offensive Lineman	UTEP
Tyler Murray	Linebacker	Duke
		Western Kentucky

Postseason[]

Conference Award	Player	Position	Year
C-USA All-Academic Team[19]	Tyriq Harris	DE	RSR
C-USA All-Academic Team[20]	Tyriq Harris	DE	RSR
C-USA All-Conference Second Team[21]	Victor Tucker	WR	RJR
C-USA All-Freshman Team[22]	Colby Garfield	LS	FR
C-USA All-Freshman Team[22]	Taylor Thompson	TE	FR

All Conference Honorable Mentions:^[21]

Offense: QB – Chris Reynolds, R-Jr. • RB – Aaron McAllister, R-Sr. • OL – Jaelin Fisher, R-Sr.

Defense: DT – Timmy Horne, R-Sr. • DE – Romeo McKnight, R-Sr. • DE – Tyriq Harris, R-Sr. • LB – Tyler Murray, R-Jr. • DB – Ben DeLuca, R-Sr.

Special Teams: P – Conner Bowler, R-Jr.

2021 East–West Shrine Bowl:^[23]

Participants: S - Ben DeLuca • DE - Romeo McKnight

2021 SPIRAL Tropical Bowl:^[23]

Participant: RB - Tre Harbison

2021 College Gridiron Showcase & Symposium:^[23]

Participants: RB - Aaron McAllister • OL - Jaelin Fisher

Schedule[]

Charlotte originally had games scheduled against Norfolk State and Tennessee, which were canceled due to their respective conferences' decisions on the COVID-19 pandemic.^[24][25] The game with Duke was originally scheduled for Thursday September 17 but was moved to Saturday October 31.^[26]

On Saturday, August 8, it was announced that the 49ers would play the UNC Chapel Hill Tar Heels on September 19 in Chapel Hill.^[27] On August 10, fellow Conference USA member Old Dominion suspended all fall sports, creating another opening on the 49ers' schedule.^[28] Appalachian State was added to the schedule on August 12.^[29]

On September 14, the home opener against Georgia State was moved from a 6:00 p.m. to a noon start time and also moved from ESPN3 to ESPNU.^[30] On September 17, Charlotte announced they had canceled their game at North Carolina scheduled for September 19 due to the impact that contact tracing quarantine has had on a key position group. Several members of the Charlotte offensive line were placed into quarantine following the University's COVID-19 contact tracing protocols, effectively depleting that unit.^[31] On September 21 the Conference USA opener against Florida Atlantic was moved from a 6:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. start time and also moved from ESPN3 to ESPNU.^[32] On Friday, September 25, Georgia State postponed Charlotte's home opener the next day due to contact tracing issues with a player on their team testing positive for COVID-19.^[33] ESPNU picked up Charlotte's games against North Texas and the home opener against FIU, moving both games to 8:00 p.m. starting time.^[34][35] On October 15, FIU postponed their game at Charlotte due to COVID-19 contact tracing player availability issues, marking the sixth game lost for the 49ers in the season and the second time that the home opening was delayed.^[36]

On November 3 it was announced that Charlotte had added a home game with Gardner-Webb for November 14.^[37] On November 4 CUSA rescheduled the previously postponed FIU conference matchup to December 5.^[38] On November 6 Charlotte had to postpone its away game with Middle Tennessee after several players had positive COVID-19 tests.^[39] On November 13 Gardner-Webb canceled their game for the next day due to COVID-19 cases on their team.^[40] Charlotte postponed its game with Marshall on November 16 due to COVID-19 issues on the team.^[41] To clear COVID-19 related quarantine issues Charlotte's home game against Western Kentucky was moved to the following Tuesday morning, December 1, 2020 at 10:30 a.m.^[42] Charlotte had to postpone the rescheduled game with Western Kentucky on December 1, 2020 due to COVID-19 concerns.^[43] Conference USA canceled FIU's postponed game with Charlotte on December 5, 2020 and replaced them with WKU on December 6, 2020.^[44] Conference USA rescheduled the Marshall game for December 11, 2020.^[45] Marshall canceled the make-up match on December 9, 2020 due to COVID-19 concerns on their team, effectively ending the 49ers season at six games played.^[46]

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 5	-	Tennessee[47]*	Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN		Canceled[25]	–
September 12	-	Norfolk St.[47]*	Jerry Richardson Stadium Charlotte, NC		Canceled[24]	–
September 12	12:00 p.m.	at Appalachian State*	Kidd Brewer Stadium Boone, NC	ESPN2	L 20–35	0
September 19	3:30 p.m.	at No. 11 UNC[27][48]*	Kenan Stadium Chapel Hill, NC	ACCRSN	Canceled[31]	–
September 26	12:00 p.m.	Georgia St.[49]*	Jerry Richardson Stadium Charlotte, NC	ESPNU	Postponed[33]	–
October 3	4:00 p.m.	at Florida Atlantic	FAU Stadium Boca Raton, FL	ESPNU	L 17–21	5,657
October 10	8:00 p.m.	at North Texas	Apogee Stadium Denton, TX	ESPNU	W 49–21	6,864
October 17	8:00 p.m.	FIU[50]	Jerry Richardson Stadium Charlotte, NC	ESPNU	Postponed[36]	–
October 24	12:00 p.m.	UTEP	Jerry Richardson Stadium Charlotte, NC	ESPN+	W 38–28	1,042
October 31	7:00 p.m.	at Duke*	Wallace Wade Stadium Durham, NC	ACCRSN	L 19–53	0
November 7	3:30 p.m.	Middle Tenn.[51]	Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium Murfreesboro, TN	ESPN+	Postponed[39]	–
November 14		ODU	Jerry Richardson Stadium Charlotte, NC		Canceled[28]	–
November 14	12:00 p.m.	Gardner-Webb[37][52]*	Jerry Richardson Stadium Charlotte, NC	ESPN3	Canceled[40]	–
November 21	12:30 p.m.	Marshall	Joan C. Edwards Stadium Huntington, WV		Postponed[41]	–
November 28	7:00 p.m.	Western Kentucky	Jerry Richardson Stadium Charlotte, NC	CBSSN	Postponed[42]	–
December 1	12:00 p.m.	Western Kentucky	Jerry Richardson Stadium Charlotte, NC	ESPN3	Postponed[43]	–
December 5	12:00 p.m.	FIU	Jerry Richardson Stadium Charlotte, NC	ESPN+	Canceled[44]	–
December 6	12:00 p.m.	Western Kentucky	Jerry Richardson Stadium Charlotte, NC	ESPN3	L 19–37	714
December 11	12:00 p.m.	Marshall[45]	Joan C. Edwards Stadium Huntington, WV		Canceled[46]	–
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings after November 24 released prior to game All times are in Eastern time

^[53]

Television[]

Charlotte 49ers home games and conference road games will be broadcast through Conference USA's television partners ESPN, CBS Sports, and Stadium.^[53]

Radio[]

Radio coverage for all games is broadcast by IMG College through the Charlotte 49ers Radio Network flagship station WZGV ESPN Radio 730 AM The Game, and the TuneIn Charlotte 49ers IMG Sports Network app. The radio announcers are "Voice of the 49ers" Matt Swierad with play-by-play alongside NFL veteran Al Wallace providing color commentary and Bobby Rosinski and Walker Mehl with sideline reports.^[54]

Preseason media poll[]

No Conference USA Preseason Media Poll has been released as of September 2, 2020.

Game summaries[]

Appalachian State Mountaineers[]

Charlotte at Appalachian State

1 2 3 4 Total 49ers 7 3 10 0 20 • Mountaineers 0 14 7 14 35 Date: September 12, 2020 Location: Kidd Brewer Stadium Boone, NC Game start: 12:00 p.m. EDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 32 minutes Game attendance: 0 Game weather: Temperature: 66 °F (19 °C) • Weather: Raining • Wind: 0 MPH Referee: Chris Bynum TV announcers (ESPN2): Bob Wischusen, Dan Orlovsky and Lericia Harris (sideline) Sources:[55][56][57][58][59][60]

Scoring summary 1 4:30 CHAR Tre HARBINSON 14 Yd Run (Jonathan CRUZ kick) CHAR 7–0 2 12:18 APP Camerun PEOPLES 16 Yd Run (Chandler STATON kick) TIED 7-7 2 4:50 APP Marcus WILLIAMS Jr. 1 Yd Run (Chandler STATON kick) APP 14-7 2 1:52 CHAR Jonathan CRUZ 23 Yd Field Goal APP 14-10 3 3:15 CHAR Jonathan CRUZ 49 Yd Field Goal APP 14-13 3 1:51 APP Thomas HENNIGAN 52 Yd pass from Zac THOMAS (Chandler STATON kick) APP 21-13 3 1:35 CHAR Aaron MCALLISTER 97 Yd Kickoff Return (Jonathan CRUZ kick) APP 21-20 4 10:08 APP Daetrich HARRINGTON 4 Yd Run (Chandler STATON kick) APP 28-20 4 1:15 APP Daetrich HARRINGTON 15 Yd Run (Chandler STATON kick) APP 35-20

Charlotte would strike first with a Tre Harbison run into the end zone but App would tie the game and then go up a touchdown in the second quarter. Jonathan Cruz would tack on a field goal before the half leaving App with only a four-point lead. The fog and rain would continue to plague both teams in the nearly empty stadium as Cruz would add another field goal late in the third to bring the score difference to a single digit, but on the next series App stretched the lead back out to eight points only to have Charlotte's Aaron McAllister get it back to within a point on a 97-yard kick off return. App would again take their lead out to eight points early in the fourth quarter as Charlotte still couldn't find it's offensive rhythm in the second half. A late touchdown by App made the score difference fifteen points but didn't change the outcome of the game as the 49ers would drop the season opener 20 to 35.

Top performances were dominated by the Mountaineers and included quarterback Zac Thomas who passed for 204 yards and 1 touchdown with 1 interception. Running back Marcus Williams had 14 carries for 117 yards and a touchdown. Receiver Thomas Hennigan had 5 receptions for 120 yards and a touchdown.

Game notes:

• Aaron McAllister's 3rd quarter 97 yard kickoff return set a new program record in that category, topping Mike Hunter's 96-yard return in the Chowan game in 2013.
• McAllister now owns two program records, longest kickoff return and longest run (89 yards at WKU in 2017).
• Game attendance by non-game officials, teams and players was prohibited by the state government due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Troy transfer redshirt junior linebacker Tyler Murray capped an impressive debut in Niner green with a Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week Award.^[17]
• The ESPN broadcast crew created a minor controversy complaining about the supposed lack of contrasting colors for Charlotte's new away jersey numbers.^[61]
• Additional controversy occurred after the game when an Appalachian State assistant coach posed with App. St. players displaying obscene hand gestures while holding a Charlotte related sign. App. St. Head Coach Shawn Clark would call Charlotte Coach Will Healy to offer an apology for the incident.^[62]

Florida Atlantic Owls[]

Charlotte at Florida Atlantic

1 2 3 4 Total 49ers 10 0 0 7 17 • Owls 0 0 21 0 21 Date: October 3, 2020 Location: FAU Stadium Boca Raton, FL Game start: 4:02 p.m. EDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 20 minutes Game attendance: 5,657 Game weather: Temperature: 85 °F (29 °C) • Weather: Drizzle • Wind: SSE 10 MPH Referee: Billy Williams TV announcers (ESPNU): Mike Corey and Jay Walker Sources:[63][64][65][66][67][68]

Scoring summary 1 6:13 CHAR Jonathan CRUZ 43 Yd Field Goal CHAR 3-0 1 1:36 CHAR Cameron DOLLAR 39 Yd pass from Chris REYNOLDS (Jonathan CRUZ Kick) CHAR 10-0 3 8:16 FAU Nick TRONTI 49 Yd Run (Vladimir RIVAS Kick) CHAR 10-7 3 2:57 FAU Logan PETERSON 25 Yd pass from Nick TRONTI (Vladimir RIVAS Kick) FAU 14-10 3 1:57 FAU T.J. CHASE 16 Yd pass from Nick TRONTI (Vladimir RIVAS Kick) FAU 21-10 4 13:00 CHAR Tre HARBISON III 1 Yd Run (Jonathan CRUZ Kick) FAU 21-17

Charlotte would open conference play after two unexpected weeks off visiting their second defending conference champs. Charlotte would go up by 10 points in the 1st quarter, but two long missed field goals by Jonathan Cruz, one in the 2nd quarter and the other off the first drive of the 3rd quarter, would come back to hurt the Niners later. After a scoreless 2nd quarter Charlotte would take a shutout lead into the halftime. Shortly before the halfway point of the 3rd quarter the Owls would finally find the end zone and with under 3 minutes left in the quarter would find it again for their first lead. A Charlotte fumble on the next series would give FAU their third touchdown of the quarter. Early in the 4th quarter Charlotte would get the game into a single score affair again. Charlotte would get into the redzone on the final drive of the game but two sacks of Chris Reynolds would lead to time running out as the Niners would lose 17 to 21.

FAU quarterback Nick Tronti would dominate passing and rushing yards with 98 yards through the air for 2 touchdowns and 10 carries for 94 yards on the ground and a third touchdown. T.J. Chase would have 3 receptions for 31 yards and a touchdown.

Game notes:

• First time in the 6-game series that the home team has won.
• Chris Reynolds would become the 2nd 49er to cross the 4000 passing yard career mark (4191 yards), second only to Matt Johnson's 5405 passing yards.
• Reynolds would become the 2nd Niner to throw for more than 300 yards in a game for the 3rd time (314 yards). Johnson holds the record with 4 games of more than 300 passing yards.
• Victor Tucker recorded his 9th career game with more than 100 receiving yards, 2nd all time to Austin Duke who holds the record with 13 100 yard games.

North Texas Mean Green[]

Charlotte at North Texas

1 2 3 4 Total • 49ers 7 14 14 14 49 Mean Green 0 7 7 7 21 Date: October 10, 2020 Location: Apogee Stadium Denton, TX Game start: 7:02 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 34 minutes Game attendance: 6,864 Game weather: Temperature: 85 °F (29 °C) • Weather: Clear • Wind: SE 3 MPH Referee: Rodney Burnette TV announcers (ESPNU): Roy Philpott and Kelly Stouffer Sources:[69][70][71][72][73][74]

Scoring summary 1 4:34 CHAR Chris REYNOLDS 18 Yd pass from Dom SHOFFNER (Jonathan CRUZ Kick) CHAR 7-0 2 14:06 CHAR Aaron MCALLISTER 71 Yd pass from Chris REYNOLDS (Jonathan CRUZ Kick) CHAR 14-0 2 12:16 UNT Jaelon Darden 28 Yd pass from Austin AUNE (Ethan MOONEY Kick) CHAR 14-7 2 3:21 CHAR Tre HARBISON III 11 Yd Run (Jonathan CRUZ Kick) CHAR 21-7 3 11:47 CHAR Chavon MCEACHERN 1 Yd Run (Jonathan CRUZ Kick) CHAR 28-7 3 10:54 UNT Jaelon DARDEN 43 Yd pass from Austin AUNE (Ethan MOONEY Kick) CHAR 28-14 3 4:10 CHAR Taylor THOMPSON 15 Yd pass from Chris REYNOLDS (Jonathan CRUZ Kick) CHAR 35-14 4 12:06 UNT Jaelon DARDEN 9 Yd pass from Austin AUNE (Ethan MOONEY Kick) CHAR 35-21 4 11:08 CHAR Aaron MCALLISTER 66 Yd Run (Jonathan CRUZ Kick) CHAR 42-21 4 9:51 CHAR Calvin CAMP 14 Yd Run (Jonathan CRUZ Kick) CHAR 49-21

North Texas was looking to avenge their 1-point loss to the 49ers from the previous year, but Charlotte would score on their first possession of the game and lead through to the end of regulation. North Texas would get the game to within a single score in the 2nd quarter, but Charlotte would steadily begin to pull away over the course of the rest of the game despite North Texas putting up substantial numbers behind the scoring combo of Aune and Darden.

North Texas Quarterback Austin Aune passed for 382 yards, 3 touchdowns and an interception. Charlotte rusher Aaron McAllister had 12 carries for 140 yards and a touchdown. The Mean Green's Jaelon Darden had 13 receptions for 244 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Game notes:

• 49 points are the most Charlotte has scored against a Conference USA opponent.
• Charlotte also set new conference single game records for touchdowns (7) and total yards of offense (599).
• Aaron McAllister's 140 yard performance moved him into 3rd place all-time in rushing for the 49ers with 1,404 career yards on the ground.
• McAllister's performance earned him the Conference USA Offenisve Player of the Week Award.^[18]
• Victor Tucker moved into 2nd place in all-time 49ers receiving yards with 1,798 career yards.

UTEP Miners[]

UTEP at Charlotte

1 2 3 4 Total Miners 7 7 0 14 28 • 49ers 7 7 7 17 38 Date: October 24, 2020 Location: Jerry Richardson Stadium Charlotte, NC Game start: 12:05 p.m. EDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 16 minutes Game attendance: 1,042 Game weather: Temperature: 65 °F (18 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: 0 MPH Referee: Jonathan Noli TV announcers (ESPN+): Dave Friedman and Sources:[75][76][77][78][79][80]

Scoring summary 1 12:20 CHAR Aaron MCALLISTER 7 Yd Run (Jonathan CRUZ Kick) CAR 7-0 1 3:29 UTEP Deion HANKINS 2 Yd Run (Gavin BAECHLE Kick) TIED 7-7 2 5:35 UTEP Ronald AWATT 4 Yd Run (Gavin BAECHLE Kick) UTEP 14-7 2 0:26 CHAR Victor TUCKER 22 Yd pass from Chris REYNOLDS (Jonathan CRUZ Kick) TIED 14-14 3 3:31 CHAR Cameron DOLLAR 10 Yd pass from Chris REYNOLDS (Jonathan CRUZ Kick) CHAR 21-14 4 12:42 CHAR Jonathan CRUZ 32 Yd Field Goal CHAR 24-14 4 4:40 CHAR Micaleous ELDER 13 Yd Run (Jonathan CRUZ Kick) CHAR 31-14 4 2:43 UTEP Justin GARRETT 8 Yd pass from Gavin HARDISON (Gavin BAECHLE Kick) CHAR 31-21 4 2:30 CHAR Aaron MCALLISTER 36 Yd Run (Jonathan CRUZ Kick) CHAR 38-21 4 0:53 UTEP Justin GARRETT 11 Yd pass from Gavin HARDISON (Gavin BAECHLE Kick) CHAR 38-28

Charlotte's long delayed home opener finally occurred as the Miners looked to avenge their home loss from the previous season to the "other" pick axe wielding team. Charlotte would strike first but UTEP would flip the lead near the half before Charlotte's late score had both teams tied at the break. The second half didn't get rolling until late in the third quarter when Charlotte would regain the lead. Charlotte would pad their lead with a Jonathan Cruz field goal early in the final quarter. With less than five minutes left in the game both offenses would suddenly come alive in a flurry of five late touchdowns, but their three turnovers in this game would keep the Miners fruitless all-time in the Eastern Time Zone as Charlotte would get the opening home win, 38 to 28.

Top performances of the game include Charlotte's Chris Reynolds, who threw for 185 yards and 2 touchdowns. The 49ers' Aaron McAllister would have 68 yards on 8 carries with 2 touchdowns. UTEP's Justin Garett had 9 receptions for 107 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Game Notes:

• UTEP is now 0-26-1 in the Eastern Time Zone All-time.
• Ben DeLuca's 9 tackles in the game made him the 2nd 49er to cross the 300 career tackles mark, six tackles shy of Jeff Gemmell's record set during the previous season.

Duke Blue Devils[]

Charlotte at Duke

1 2 3 4 Total 49ers 0 7 6 6 19 • Blue Devils 17 7 13 16 53 Date: October 31, 2020 Location: Wallace Wade Stadium Durham, NC Game start: 7:05 p.m. EDT Elapsed time: 3:23 Game attendance: 0 Game weather: Temperature: 47 °F (8 °C) • Weather: Mostly Clear • Wind: SE 3 MPH Referee: Kevin Randall TV announcers (ACCRSN): Tom Werme, James Bates, and Kelly Crull Sources:[81][82][83][84][85][86]

Scoring summary 1 14:35 DUKE Deon JACKSON 65 Yd Run (Charlie HAM Kick) DUKE 7-0 1 6:10 DUKE Mataeo DURANT 3 Yd Run (Charlie HAM Kick) DUKE 14-0 1 2:01 DUKE Charlie HAM 32 Yd Field Goal DUKE 17-0 2 12:17 DUKE Mataeo DURANT 10 Yd Run (Charlie HAM Kick) DUKE 24-0 2 4:21 CHAR Micaleous ELDER 5 Yd Run (Jonathan CRUZ Kick) DUKE 24-7 3 10:38 DUKE Deon JACKSON 5 Yd Run (Charlie HAM Kick) DUKE 31-7 3 5:50 CHAR Victor TUCKER 6 Yd pass from Chris REYNOLDS (Two-Point Run Conversion Failed) DUKE 31-13 3 2:35 DUKE Jalon CALHOUN 8 Yd pass from Chase Brice (Charlie HAM PAT failed) DUKE 37-13 4 10:06 CHAR Tre HARBINSON III 2 Yd Run (Two-Point Run Conversion Failed) DUKE 37-19 4 10:06 DUKE Jeremiah LEWIS Defensive PAT Conversion DUKE 39-19 4 4:17 DUKE Jordan WATERS 2 Yd Run (Charlie HAM Kick) DUKE 46-19 4 1:02 DUKE Gunnar HOLMBERG 1 Yd Run (Charlie HAM Kick) DUKE 53-19

Duke scored quickly and often to defend their home field, going up 24 points before Charlotte could answer with their own first touchdown shortly before the half. Duke would continue to trade scores and defend their lead into the fourth quarter when a second scoring explosion from the Blue Devils put the comeback hopes of the 49ers permanently to rest. The final score was Duke 53 to Charlotte's 19.

Top performances for the game included Charlotte's Chris Reynolds, who threw for 171 yards and a touchdown. Duke's Mataeo Durant had 12 carries for 104 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Blue Devil's Jalon Calhoun had 4 receptions for 36 yards and a touchdown.

Game notes:

• Charlotte dominated time of possession with the ball in their hands for more than 42 minutes of the game.
• The 17-play drive that resulted in Charlotte's first touchdown of the game is the longest drive in program history.
• Ben DeLuca's 6 tackles in the game tied him with Jeff Gemmell's 306 tackles for the 49ers all-time tackles record.
• Tyler Murray's 8 solo tackles in the game has given him 42 tackles on the season (23 solo tackles).
• Markees Watt's sack in this game moved him past 10 career sacks. The only 49ers previously with greater than 10 career sacks are NFL players Alex Highsmith and Larry Ogunjobi.
• Chris Reynolds became the first 49er to pass for 1000 yards in three seasons.

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers[]

Western Kentucky at Charlotte

1 2 3 4 Total • Hilltoppers 3 14 10 10 37 49ers 0 0 7 12 19 Date: December 6, 2020 Location: Jerry Richardson Stadium Charlotte, NC Game start: 12:05 p.m. EDT Elapsed time: 3:13 Game attendance: 714 Game weather: Temperature: 49 °F (9 °C) • Weather: Clear • Wind: 0 MPH Referee: Jonathan Noli TV announcers (ESPN3): Bobby Rosinski, Sources:[87][88][89][90][91][92]

Scoring summary 1 2:47 WKU Brayden NARVESON 33 Yd Field Goal WKU 3-0 2 14:44 WKU A.J. BRATHWAITE Jr. 2 Yd Fumble Return (Brayden NARVESON Kick) WKU 10-0 2 0:19 WKU Jordan MEREDITH 0 Yd Fumble Return (Brayden NARVESON Kick) WKU 17-0 3 9:30 CHAR Micaleous Elder 5 Yd pass from Chris REYNOLDS (Jonathan CRUZ Kick) WKU 17-7 3 7:18 WKU Brayden NARVESON 46 Yd Field Goal WKU 20-7 3 3:16 WKU Mitchell TINSLEY 3 Yd pass from Tyrrell PIGROME (Brayden NARVESON Kick) WKU 27-7 4 14:44 WKU Brayden NARVESON 49 Yd Field Goal WKU 30-7 4 5:01 CHAR Cameron DOLLAR 30 Yd pass from Chris REYNOLDS (Two-Point Pass Conversion Failed) WKU 30-13 4 2:22 WKU C.J. JONES 5 Yd Run (Brayden NARVESON Kick) WKU 37-13 4 0:31 CHAR Micaleous ELDER 14 Yd pass from Dom SHOFFNER (Two-Point Pass Conversion Failed) WKU 37-19

The game got off to a slow start with the Hilltoppers' Brayden Narveson getting his first of the days' three field goals for himself in the first quarter. Two devastating fumbles to bookend the second quarter would both result in Western Kentucky touchdowns, putting the 49ers in a sizable scoreless hole going into the half. Charlotte would find the endzone early in the third quarter to get on the board, but the Hilltoppers would never look back as they held the lead for the entire game.

Top performances of the game included Charlotte Quarterback Chris Reynolds, who threw for 205 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Hilltoppers' Gaej Walker racked up 98 yards on the ground behind 19 carries. The 49ers' Victor Tucker pulled in 8 receptions for 111 yards.

Game notes:

• Originally scheduled for November 28 but was postponed by Charlotte due to COVID-19 related issues.^[42]
• Rescheduled game would also be postponed from December 1 to December 6.^[43][44]
• Ben DeLuca's seven tackles in the game moved him past Jeff Gemmell into the number 1 spot for career tackles with 313.
• Victor Tucker's eight game catches made him the 2nd 2,000 yard career receiver for the 49ers behind Austin Duke.
• Chris Reynolds became the 2nd 49er QB to pass for more than 5,000 yards in his career behind Matt Johnson.
• 16 seniors played their final game for the 49ers on this Senior Day.
• First Sunday game in program history.
• First time Charlotte has played a regular season game in the month of December.
• First time Charlotte has had a greater than one week break in playing during a season. In this case five weeks.
• Charlotte did not play for the entirety of the month of November.

Attendance[]

Due to the loss of the Norfolk State and ODU games Charlotte lost two of their normally six scheduled home games. Due to UNC Charlotte cancelling in-person classes until at least October 1, 2020; it was announced that no attendance would be allowed for the first home game against Georgia State on September 26, 2020.^[93] Charlotte's home games were effectively cut in half when Georgia State postponed Charlotte's home opener on September 26 due to contact tracing issues on their team with a COVID-19 positive tested player.^[33] With the state government announcement at the beginning of October that large venue gatherings could begin at 7% venue capacity, the 49ers announced that for their two October home games (FIU and UTEP) they would allow a maximum capacity in Jerry Richardson Stadium of 1,047 persons, to be limited to players' and coaches' family members, special guests of the University, and students. Attendance remained limited to 1,047 persons for the rescheduled WKU game in December.^[42] Charlotte would finish the season with only two home games both with restricted attendance.

Season	Games	Sellouts	W–L (%)	Attendance	Average	Best
2020	2	0	1–1 (.500)	1,756	878	1,042

References[]