Gameday Guide: Charlotte 49ers vs. Rice kickoff time, betting odds, TV and stream info
The Charlotte 49ers went 1-3 in October, but the spookiest month of the year is over and the 49ers are thankful to have four more opportunities to turn this season around. Securing a win in Saturday’s homecoming game against Rice will be crucial for the 49ers’ bowl eligibility hopes.
WHEN DO THE CHARLOTTE 49ERS PLAY?
Who: Rice (3-5, 2-2 C-USA) at Charlotte (4-4, 2-2 C-USA).
When: 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 6. Homecoming for the 49ers.
Where: Jerry Richardson Stadium, Charlotte, N.C. (15,314 capacity).
Stream: ESPN+
You’ll have to subscribe to ESPN+ to watch the game. Cost is $5.99 a month just for ESPN+ with several other bundling options depending on what level of subscription you choose.
On-air announce crew: Bobby Rosinski, play-by-play; Reginald Walker Jr., analyst.
Radio: Learfield/IMG Network 730 The Game (Matt Swierad, play-by-play; Al Wallace, analyst).
Line: Charlotte -6; O/U: 53.
Uniform report: Green pants, green jerseys and green helmets.
WEATHER FORECAST FOR CHARLOTTE, NC
Cloudy skies with variable winds. The temperature will reach 58 degrees during the day and cool to 57 degrees at kickoff.
CHARLOTTE 49ERS FOOTBALL INJURY REPORT
Quarterback James Foster is day-to-day.
Defensive tackle Isaac Hampton (Achilles) is out for the season.
Tight end Taylor Thompson (ACL) is out for the season.
Quarterback Chris Reynolds missed last week’s game with an injury to his throwing hand but will play against Rice on Saturday.
49ERS VS. RICE OWLS: WHAT TO WATCH FOR
This is a matchup of two erratic, struggling football teams with everything to lose. What could possibly go wrong?
Oh, did I mention that it’s in front of a sold-out crowd where the cheapest ticket is nearly $100?
Charlotte and Rice are both coming off of a loss and hoping for late-season surges to achieve bowl eligibility. It’s also homecoming day for the 49ers, and Richardson Stadium is sold out for the first time in 800 days, dating back to Will Healy’s debut in 2019.
Chaos seems imminent. There aren’t many notable events in history on Nov. 6, but 449 years ago a Supernova was observed in a constellation known as Cassiopeia. That’s also how many yards per game Charlotte’s defense is allowing.
Offensive explosions have been a common theme against the 49ers this season, but against a Rice team that is averaging nearly 19 points and 317 yards per game, Charlotte has a chance to get back on track and stop seeing stars.
Quarterback Chris Reynolds is back in the rotation for the 49ers, which brings a sense of normalcy to the matchup following James Foster’s debut last week. Foster’s start was the first time since the short-lived Brett Kean experiment in 2019 that a former walk-on from Mocksville wasn’t at the helm.
Rice is also starting a different quarterback from last week, with Jake Constantine getting the start in Wiley Green’s absence. Constantine stepped in after Green’s early exit against North Texas and led a second-half comeback, but fell just short of their second consecutive win, losing on a 1-yard touchdown run in overtime.
As mentioned earlier, both teams have everything to lose. There have been a combined 20 fourth-down attempts in the past two games by Rice and Charlotte’s offenses. It’s paying off for the Owls, as they’ve converted all nine attempts. Charlotte, on the other hand, has converted just 5 of its past 11, including 1 for 5 against Western Kentucky. Third downs have been ugly for both teams, clearly.
If Charlotte is to get back above .500, it’s going to come on the ground. Reynolds’ return is huge for the offense, but Shadrick Byrd and Calvin Camp must take advantage of a run defense that has been almost as bad as Charlotte’s. Rice allows 193 yards per game on the ground, compared with the 49ers’ 203.
Rice’s leading rusher is also listed as a tight end, just to make things interesting. Jordan Myers scored the Owls’ lone rushing touchdown in 2020 and has rushed for a team-high seven scores this season.
The 49ers have allowed less than 75 rushing yards in two of their past three games (202 in the other) and must build on that to start the final stretch of the season with a win.
This is Charlotte’s second and final matchup with a future American Athletic Conference member, with the first being a loss against Florida Atlantic two weeks ago.
CHARLOTTE 49ERS PLAYERS TO WATCH
1. Following a three-catch, 16-yard performance against Western Kentucky, wide receiver Victor Tucker is due for a big game. When Tucker has a down game, the bounceback is real for the Miami native. Following games where Tucker has 30 yards or less, he has turned in a performance of 90 yards or more in the next game six straight times dating back to 2019, with five of those over 100 yards.
2. Quarterback Chris Reynolds’ presence in the huddle is important for Charlotte’s productivity. He has been extremely accurate attacking the middle of the field this season, completing 75% of his passes and 10 of his 16 touchdowns, culminating in an NFL passer rating of 98.25, according to Pro Football Focus.
3. Linebacker Tyler Murray is the 49ers’ leader in tackles with 55 on the season. Charlotte will look to Murray in a game like this. He’s a senior, captain and playmaker for the defense. Tyler plays the Sam linebacker position which has required increased coverage responsibility this season, but he’s best when he’s rushing the passer.
RICE PLAYERS TO WATCH
1. Wide receiver Jake Bailey leads the Owls with 39 receptions, 433 yards and two touchdowns on the season. Bailey turned in the best performance of his career with 10 catches for 143 yards and a touchdown in the Owls’ overtime loss against North Texas last week. He has stepped up this season with the absence of Bradley Rozner due to injury.
2. Quarterback Jake Constantine will lead the Owls on Saturday as Wiley Green is out with injury. Rice has played three quarterbacks this season, including Luke McCaffrey — brother of Carolina Panthers’ star Christian McCaffrey. Constantine has been the best of the bunch, completing 67% of his passes for 806 yards and five touchdowns. He’s also thrown the fewest interceptions with two on the year.
3. Linebacker Antonio Montero leads the Owls’ defense with 54 tackles on the season. Montero opened the season with consecutive double-figure tackle totals (11 vs. Arkansas, 10 vs. Houston), becoming the first Owl to do such since Brian Raines in 2006.
CHARLOTTE 49ERS FOOTBALL DEPTH CHART
Any position, whether it’s a starter or a backup, is listed with an —OR— designation.
Offense
QB — Chris Reynolds—OR—James Foster
RB — Calvin Camp—OR— Shadrick Byrd (ChaVon McEachern)
WR — Victor Tucker (Keith Pearson Jr)
WR — Elijah Spencer (Cameron Dollar—OR— Tre’ Goode)
WR — Grant DuBose (Jairus Mack)
TE — Ryan Carriere (Jake Clemons—OR—Bryce Kennon)
LT — Chibueze Nwanna (Arabee Muslim)
LG — Panda Askew (Dejan Rasuo)
OC — Hunter Kelly (Jonny King)
RG — Ashton Gist (Dejan Rasuo)
RT — Jaxon Hughes (T.J. Moore)
Defense
EDGE — Markees Watts (Michael Kelly)
DT — Mikel Horton (Joshua Bailey—OR—Dez Morgan—OR— Siah Sa’o)
DT — Jalar Holley (Bryan Wallace—OR—Miguel Jackson)
EDGE — Kofi Wardlow (Tyson Clawson)
NICK — Tyler Murray (Derek Boykins)
MLB — Luke Martin (B.J. Turner)
WLB — Justin Whisenhunt (Prince Bemah)
CB — Geovante Howard (Valerian Agbaw—OR—Lance McMillan)
SS — Marcus Robitaille (Matt Martinez)
FS — Solomon Rogers (Comanche Francisco—OR—Lacy Williams)
CB — Trey Creamer (Shedrick Ursery)
Specialists
PK — Jonathan Cruz (Max Blistein)
KO — Jonathan Cruz (Max Blistein)
P — Bailey Rice (Ethan Torres)
LS — Cameron Lyons —OR—Colby Garfield
H — Chris Reynolds —OR—Bailey Rice
KOR — Shadrick Byrd (Calvin Camp—OR—ChaVon McEachern)
PR — Victor Tucker (Cameron Dollar—OR—Geovante Howard)
This story was originally published November 6, 2021 at 7:00 AM.