Gameday Guide: Charlotte 49ers vs. Old Dominion kickoff, odds, TV, stream info
In what could be the 49ers’ final game of the 2021 season, Charlotte travels to Norfolk to take on Old Dominion, winners of four in a row. Bowl eligibility is on the line for both teams, and the winner will secure another month of preparation and a bowl bid, while the other’s season will conclude at 5-7.
WHEN DO THE CHARLOTTE 49ERS PLAY?
Who: Charlotte (5-6, 3-4 C-USA) vs. Old Dominion (5-6, 4-3 C-USA)
When: 2:00 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 27
Where: S.B. Ballard Stadium, Norfolk, Virginia (20,118 Capacity)
Stream: ESPN+
You’ll have to subscribe to ESPN+ to watch the game. Cost is $6.99 a month just for ESPN+ with several other bundling options depending on what level of subscription you choose.
On-air announce crew: Ted Alexander, play-by-play; Andy Mashaw, analyst; James Witham, sideline.
Radio: Learfield/IMG Network 730 The Game (Matt Swierad, play-by-play; Al Wallace, analyst; Bobby Rosinski, sideline)
Line: Old Dominion -9.5; O/U: 55.5
Uniform report: White pants, White jerseys and green helmets.
WEATHER FORECAST FOR NORFOLK, VA.
Sunny skies with variable winds. The temperature will reach 47 degrees at kickoff.
CHARLOTTE 49ERS FOOTBALL INJURY REPORT
Tackle T.J. Moore (knee) is feeling “much better”
Safety Solomon Rodgers is questionable
Safety Matt Martinez is questionable
Wide receiver Victor Tucker (concussion protocol) “should be good to go”
49ERS VS. OLD DOMINION MONARCHS: WHAT TO WATCH FOR
It’s not quite playoff football in November for the 49ers, but it is win or go home in Saturday’s matchup.
Either Charlotte or Old Dominion will qualify for bowl eligibility with a win, serving as redemption following the turmoil that the pandemic brought on both programs in 2020. There is a possibility that whoever qualifies could be left out of bowl contention with 73 teams having already qualified for 82 spots. Nineteen programs are still in the hunt, and Saturday’s matchup features two feel-good stories, one of which will come to an end.
The Monarchs have rattled off four consecutive wins, rallying from a 1-6 start to the season — an extremely impressive resurgence, considering this team didn’t play football in 2020. Charlotte is trending in the opposite direction, losers of four of its past five.
Old Dominion’s season turned when quarterback D.J. Mack Jr. was replaced in the starting lineup in favor of Hayden Wolff. The true freshman has a 4-1 record as a starter, with the lone loss coming against the leader of C-USA’s East Division, Western Kentucky.
In his five starts, Wolff has completed 61% of his passes for an average of 257 yards per game, five touchdowns and four interceptions. Wolff is a 6-5 pocket passer with a big arm and a 6-8 favorite target in tight end Zack Kuntz.
Kuntz leads the Monarchs with 66 catches on the season, nearly 20 more than Ali Jennings III, the team’s leading receiver in yardage. Wolff and Kuntz have connected on 30 passes in the past four games alone, totaling five touchdowns.
Charlotte’s defense has been overwhelmed frequently, posting a stop rate of 119th in the nation, meaning that Charlotte is failing to secure stops and get off the field on third down repeatedly. Charlotte is allowing 3.03 points per possession, ranking bottom 10 in the FBS. Matching the 49ers’ best defender Jon Alexander with Kuntz is Charlotte’s best option to limit the damage.
The 49ers have surrendered 10 career-highs to opposing players this season, five of which came on the ground. Monarchs’ tailback Blake Watson has eclipsed the 100-yard mark in five of his past six games and is likely looking forward to facing the 118th worst run defense in the FBS (212.5 ypg.). For reference, Watson’s career-best rushing day was 168 yards against Marshall.
Will Healy’s group has been unable to stop the bleeding on defense, translating to a sense of urgency and aggressiveness on offense. It is to a point where if Charlotte doesn’t score on nearly every possession, its chance of victory dwindles immediately. The defense is allowing 34 points and 499 yards per game in C-USA play.
On the opposite side, Old Dominion hasn’t allowed a team over 24 points and has forced multiple turnovers in each of its past three games.
With that, the pressure is falling on quarterback Chris Reynolds. It could be the last time that Reynolds competes in Charlotte’s green and gold. He is the program’s leading passer and is the heart and soul of the team. While he still has one year of eligibility remaining, it’s unclear if he will return.
Reynolds has thrown 24 touchdowns this season, breaking his program record of 22 in 2019. Following a two-turnover performance last week, Reynolds likely has to be near perfect to push this group to a sixth win. Spreading the field, utilizing tempo and continuing to be aggressive in fourth-down situations will maximize the 49ers’ chance of victory.
CHARLOTTE 49ERS PLAYERS TO WATCH
1. This is a huge game for defensive end Markees Watts. He announced that he would return for another season, but Watts’ production in 2020 has faded down the stretch. If Charlotte is to right the ship defensively, it starts up front. He has recorded 60 tackles, six sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery this season.
2. Wide receiver Grant DuBose leads the 49ers with three 100-yard receiving performances this season. DuBose has 798 yards on the year, 202 shy of becoming Charlotte’s first 1,000-yard receiver in the FBS. Old Dominion has allowed two receivers over 195 yards through 11 games, with Western Kentucky’s Jerreth Sterns recording 221 against the Monarchs last month.
3. Charlotte needs kicker Jonathan Cruz to rekindle his freshman heroics on Saturday. Cruz’s kicking percentage has dwindled annually since, dropping from 77.3% in 2018 to 61.5% in 2021. Cruz missed his lone attempt against Marshall last week, dropping to 8 of 13 on the season. Healy is aiming for touchdowns, but if Charlotte needs a field goal to win, it needs Cruz to be effective.
OLD DOMINION PLAYERS TO WATCH
1. Running back Blake Watson record five consecutive 100-yard performances on the ground before being held to just 61 yards against Middle Tennessee. Watson is yet to lose a fumble this season and has found the end zone in four of his plast five games. Charlotte has allowed three or more rushing touchdowns in its past three games. If Charlotte is to win, swarming 11 hats to the ball carrier will be key.
2. Safety R’Tarriun Johnson leads the Monarchs in interceptions (two) and is second on the team in tackles (69). He recorded interceptions in consecutive games against Marshall and Western Kentucky in October. The redshirt junior will have his hands full with the 49ers’ receiving corps at full strength.
3. Tight end Zack Kuntz is a matchup nightmare for every team in C-USA. The Monarchs target Kuntz frequently on first down, with nearly half of his receptions coming on first-and-10. Charlotte’s defensive ends and linebackers must jam Kuntz on his routes in efforts to disrupt his timing, or it could be a long day for the 49ers.
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 (James Foster)
RB — Calvin Camp—OR— Shadrick Byrd (ChaVon McEachern)
WR — Cameron Dollar (Keith Pearson Jr)
WR — Elijah Spencer (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 — T.J. Moore (Jaxon Hughes)
Defense
EDGE — Markees Watts (Kofi Wardlow)
DT — Mikel Horton (Joshua Bailey—OR—Dez Morgan—OR— Siah Sa’o)
DT — Jalar Holley (Bryan Wallace—OR—Miguel Jackson)
EDGE — Michael Kelly (Tyson Clawson)
NICK — Tyler Murray (Derek Boykins)
MLB — Luke Martin (B.J. Turner)
WLB — Justin Whisenhunt (Prince Bemah)
CB — Shedrick Ursery (Geovante Howard—OR—Lance McMillan)
SS — Marcus Robitaille (Matt Martinez)
FS — Solomon Rogers (Comanche Francisco—OR—Lacy Williams)
CB — Trey Creamer (Doug Newsome—OR—Valerian Agbaw)
Specialists
PK — Jonathan Cruz (Max Blistein)
KO — Jonathan Cruz (Max Blistein)
P — Bailey Rice (Ethan Torres)
LS — Colby Garfield—OR—Cameron Lyons
H — Bailey Rice (Chris Reynolds)
KOR — Shadrick Byrd (Calvin Camp—OR—ChaVon McEachern)
PR — Geovante Howard (Victor Tucker—OR—Cameron Dollar)