As Charlotte travels to Georgia State, 49ers uncertain which QB will start

The Charlotte 49ers are midway through the gauntlet that is their non-conference schedule, still searching for their first win of the season.

It has been 314 days since Charlotte won a game, and the 49ers will look to overcome the disastrous start to 2022 with a successful trip to Atlanta to take on the Georgia State Panthers on Saturday.

“The motto for this week has been to beat our best,” head coach Will Healy said. “I’ve seen drastic improvement and it’s going to show up on the field, it’s just a matter of time. I’m excited about the challenge at hand that is Georgia State. It’s a different feel going in there this year than it was a year ago. We know what to expect and we know how physical they are, so our work is cut out for us.”

A year ago, today, Charlotte was 2-0 and preparing for the trip to Atlanta with a chance to extend its winning streak ahead of Conference USA play. This season, they’re 19-point underdogs against the Panthers and are fighting to avoid a fourth-consecutive loss with a trip to Columbia to take on SEC foe South Carolina looming.

The biggest question facing the 49ers in the immediate future: Who will start at quarterback?

Both Chris Reynolds and James Foster have been full participants in practice throughout the week. Healy said that both have made great strides, but was insistent on not taking reps from Xavier Williams, saying that “it’s probably one of those things where all three need to be ready.” On ESPN’s 730 The Game, Healy said it was up to Reynolds if he would get the start on Saturday night.

Charlotte’s quarterback depth chart to begin the season was: Chris Reynolds, James Foster, Xavier Williams, Trexler Ivey, and Steven Johnson.

When Williams exited Saturday’s contest against Maryland in the fourth quarter, Ivey stepped in and threw his first collegiate touchdown to wideout Victor Tucker. Ivey completed nine of his 16 passes for 101 yards as the minutes wound down in the 56-21 blowout loss.

“It’s hard to find silver linings in getting your butt kicked,” Healy said. “Trexler has worked really hard, and he’s earned those opportunities. It’s crazy to think that in game three we’d be on our fourth quarterback, but that’s where we are. And Trex has earned his opportunity to be able to go out there, and I thought he executed really well.”

Although an incompletion, wideout Grant DuBose threw his first collegiate pass against Maryland on Charlotte’s version of the “Philly Special,” and that creativity could be something to watch with so much uncertainty at the quarterback position. DuBose was recruited by MLB’s Pittsburgh Pirates out of high school, and although nothing came of it, he has a solid arm.

BATTLING IN THE TRENCHES

The last time these teams met, Georgia State had four separate rushers who rushed fo 50 yards or more, totaling 282 yards on the ground in an extremely physical, rain-drenched contest that the 49ers dropped, 20-9. Outside of wideout Elijah Spencer’s first collegiate touchdown, Charlotte’s offense was lifeless against the Panthers, who return 18 of their 22 starters from a season ago.

Charlotte running back ChaVon McEachern, who has seen the most snaps of the tailbacks the past two weeks, understands the Panthers’ physicality up front and is looking forward to starting fast Saturday night.

“They’re an aggressive team. They love flying to the ball, I will give them that,” McEachern said. “As a player growing up, I always learned to start fast. The more carries I get or the more touches I get, yes, my confidence builds, but you should always have that confidence going into the game.”

The 49ers have struggled in the trenches in all three contests, rushing for 289 yards on the season — with only 212 of those coming from running backs. Their opponents have racked up a combined total of 714 yards on the ground. Tailback Shadrick Byrd’s 51-yard performance against Florida Atlantic is the current team-high.

The time of possession battle was key for Charlotte a season ago, as well. The 49ers held the ball for more than 30 minutes in four of their five victories in 2021. The 49ers won the time-of-possession battle for the first time this season against Maryland, in part because the Terps’ explosive offense gained 437 yards on 16 plays against the Charlotte defense.

With the 49ers’ defense continuing to struggle, allowing 551 yards and nearly 47 points per game thus far, controlling the clock and keeping their defense on the sideline may be this group’s best chance at salvaging the season. But that starts with the running game finding life.

“As much as anything, we’ve gotten behind and had to become some West Coast offense, especially in the first two games,” Healy said. “Our backs are better than that and we should be better up front. We haven’t run the ball nearly as consistently enough. It’s going to be more spread now than it was when we had Benny LeMay, but we’ve got to be efficient, whether that’s creating some gaps up front or running the quarterback and making the right reads.”

Notes

▪ Safety Tank Robinson is doubtful on Saturday with a left leg injury.

▪ Linebacker Derek Boykins was limited in practice with an ankle injury, but Healy expects him to play on Saturday.

▪ Defensive end Kofi Wardlow will return to the lineup after missing the Maryland game.

▪ Left tackle TJ Moore is expected to play.

▪ After not playing in the first two contests, Trey Creamer, Charlotte’s top corner from a year ago, saw the most snaps of any cornerback against Maryland. He will likely see starting reps moving forward.

▪ In 2017, the last time Charlotte started 0-3, Georgia State beat the 49ers 28-0 at Richardson Stadium.