Charlotte 49ers view Saturday’s football game at Kentucky as ‘big challenge’
Charlotte 49ers players and coaches are looking to their first meeting with a “Power 5 conference” opponent as a chance to measure themselves against the rest of the college football world – and maybe make a little news.
The 49ers, reeling from an overtime loss to Texas-San Antonio that sent their losing streak to eight games, visit Kentucky for a 7:30 p.m. nonconference game Saturday evening.
“This is obviously a way to measure ourselves,” said coach Brad Lambert, comparing Saturday’s game to a contest earlier this season against then-unbeaten Temple.
While Temple has proved to be a national power this season, the Owls are from the American Athletic Conference, not one of the five conferences considered college football’s elite – the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 12 and SEC (of which Kentucky is a member).
“Everyone is excited to go out and see where we stand,” said defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi, who is tied for the lead in tackles with 52 and holds Charlotte’s career record in that category. “We get to face an SEC opponent, and that’s a big challenge.”
Richard Murphy, who caught two touchdown passes in Saturday’s 30-27 loss to UTSA, calls the Kentucky game “a great opportunity to face some of the best talent in the nation. It’ll be a dog fight. We’ll fight every down.”
Lambert said his team, which is 0-7 in Conference USA and 2-8 overall, continues to work hard.
“The guys on our team have that look in their eyes,” he said. “They’re eager. They’re working hard. They’ve been working hard all season.”
The 49ers have been in position to win three more games this season – against Florida Atlantic, Old Dominion and UTSA – but have been “unable to close it out,” Lambert says.
“They’ve worked so hard all year,” he said. “To win Saturday would be really great for them.”
Reeling Wildcats: The 49ers are not exactly catching the SEC’s hottest team. Kentucky enters the game with a five-game losing streak and a 4-6 record. But the Wildcats have motivation. To be bowl-eligible, they must win Saturday and again Nov. 28 against rival Louisville.
Kalif to return: Lambert has good news for 49ers fans about standout running back Kalif Phillips, who injured his knee early in Saturday’s game and didn’t return. Phillips, who is 39 rushing yards short of a 1,000-yard season, is expected to play Saturday.
Lambert said Phillips underwent an MRI “but they found no structural damage. It was a bruise.”
Power 5 plans: Charlotte will face a “Power 5” opponent each year for the next several seasons, Lambert said. He said the 49ers’ plan is to schedule one major-conference foe, an FCS team, and two teams “at our level.”
“When we get to 2020, we’ll start a home-and-home series with Duke,” Lambert said, noting that the school could add a second major opponent in subsequent seasons.
The 49ers will visit the ACC’s Louisville next year, Kansas State of the Big 12 in 2017, and the SEC’s Tennessee in 2018. FCS foes are Elon (2016), N.C. A&T (2017) and Fordham (2018). The other opponents are Eastern Michigan and Temple (2016), Eastern Michigan and Georgia State (2017), and Appalachian State and Massachusetts (2018).
This story was originally published November 17, 2015 at 7:17 PM with the headline "Charlotte 49ers view Saturday’s football game at Kentucky as ‘big challenge’."