Charlotte 49ers vs. Southern Miss: 5 things to know about Saturday’s C-USA game

The Charlotte 49ers will be in Hattiesburg, Miss., on Saturday to face Southern Mississippi in a Conference USA game. Here are five things to know about the 49ers-Golden Eagles matchup:

Bust another streak?

Charlotte (1-9, 1-5) recently ended a 10-game losing streak that stretched over two seasons ago in a 25-24 overtime victory against Ala.-Birmingham. The 49ers, however, have started another streak with consecutive losses to Old Dominion and Middle Tennessee. And as unlikely as it might seem that a victory could come against bowl-bound Southern Miss (6-4, 4-2), remember the 49ers pulled an upset against the Golden Eagles in 2016 – and it also came in Hattiesburg.

Running’s the key

The 49ers’ 38-27 victory last season came on the strength of a 303-yard rushing performance. And although they don’t have Kalif Phillips (who had 183 yards) and Robert Washington (94) this season, Charlotte has still been able to run the ball effectively, averaging 176.9 yards behind quarterback Hasaan Klugh and tailbacks Benny LeMay and Aaron McAllister, each of whom have at least one 100-yard game this season.

Kicking mismatch?

The 49ers are trying out a new kicker – redshirt freshman Kyle Corbett – because Nigel Macauley and Jackson Vansickle have combined to miss eight of 12 field-goal attempts, with a long of only 39 yards. The Golden Eagles have perhaps C-USA’s top kicker in Parker Shaunfield, who is 14-of-16, including a long of 51 yards. Give the 49ers a bit of an edge in the punting department, however, where Arthur Hart averages 42.9 yards (including 21 inside the 20) to Southern Miss’ Zac Everett’s 40.7-yard average and 18 inside the 20 (on 21 fewer punts, however). Hart’s 17 punts of 50-plus yards leads C-USA.

Stay in the game early

If the 49ers can manage to stay in the game early against the Golden Eagles, recent history suggests they’ll have a chance. Charlotte has held its opponents to seven points or fewer in second-half regulation time of five consecutive games. But Middle Tennessee’s 28-7 halftime lead was too much for the 49ers to overcome in a 35-21 defeat last week. But UAB led 17-0 early in the third quarter before Charlotte rallied to win, thanks largely to the 49ers’ ability to shut down the Blazers’ offense the remainder of the game.

Healthy defense?

The Golden Eagles have one of the league’s top offensive threats in tailback Ito Smith (1,018 yards rushing, 359 receiving). Making the task tougher for the 49ers will be the absence of free safety and leading tackler Ben DeLuca and defensive end Zach Duncan, who both sustained concussions against Middle Tennessee and won’t play Saturday.

This story was originally published November 17, 2017 at 6:28 PM with the headline "Charlotte 49ers vs. Southern Miss: 5 things to know about Saturday’s C-USA game."