‘Positive strides’: How Charlotte 49ers’ offense has evolved heading into 2024 season

With the addition of 71 new faces mixing in with key returners, the Charlotte 49ers’ preseason included 17 practices, two scrimmages and a mock game ahead of Saturday night’s nationally televised opener against James Madison.

Despite more than half of the roster turning over, there are some familiar faces, and maybe none with more pressure than returning offensive coordinator Mike Miller. After a troublesome season featuring a two-quarterback system, which included just two games with more than 200 passing yards and the eighth-lowest point total in the FBS of 17.5, Miller must take a notable step forward in his second season as a play-caller.

Miller, who spent time at Alabama, Clemson and Maryland before joining Poggi’s staff last season, knows what a competent offense should look like. He’s seen it first-hand under some of college football’s best head coaches and playcallers, but last season was his first time calling the shots.

And Miller knows it wasn’t up to par.

Taking responsibility

“As soon as we got here off the plane, coming from Tampa after our first season — there was a mindset and mentality that we’re not going through this again,” Miller told The Observer. “I take full responsibility for what happened last year. We were one of the worst offenses in CFB — it’s not even close. You can see all of the statistics. I don’t look at them, but I’m very aware they’re awful. Especially third downs, explosive plays and turnovers. That’s how you win games. The guys are taking a lot of pride in that this year because they know that if we handle what we can control, we can win a lot of games.”

While first-year play calling blunders were evident, including poor timeout management, questionable calls, and what seemed like a lack of creativity at times, Miller didn’t have the personnel to put Charlotte in a position to win games.

Like many schools in the Group of Five, Charlotte fielded a transfer quarterback, a completely new offensive line, a myriad of unproven tailbacks, wideouts, and new staff across the board. And while you can say the same for Charlotte’s complete roster overhaul in Poggi’s first season, this group is closer in alignment with the 49ers’ ideal style, according to the 65-year-old head coach.

“Mike has grown a lot. Just as I learned a lot last year and made a lot of mistakes, the key is not what mistakes you make — it’s what you learn from them,” Poggi said. “He spent a lot of time (in the offseason) studying other programs, talking and clinics with other coaches. Mike has helped us assemble the offense we have now personnel-wise. Mike is very bright. I would say that Mike has really made positive strides.”

Pro-style offense

So, what’s going to be different, you might ask.

Charlotte has competence at the most important position in football — quarterback. With a signal-caller who can push the ball down the field, as well as open up the run-pass-option games with his legs, Charlotte’s menu isn’t split like it was a season ago.

As detailed by Charlotte’s all-time leading passer Chris Reynolds on the Highway 49 Podcast, Florida transfer quarterback Max Brown has the ability to attack the short, intermediate, and deep portions of the field, and with overlap between Miller and former head coach Billy Napier’s offensive systems, Charlotte’s newest starting quarterback was ahead of the learning curve.

“There’s a lot of familiarity with Max coming from Florida. Me and Coach Napier, who I have a lot of respect for, run the same system coming from Alabama,” Miller told The Observer.

Charlotte will still utilize 12 and 13 personnel, with the occasional use of a fullback to implement their version of smashmouth football. Miller noted that Charlotte would use tight ends “more than any team in the country.” But the ability to open up the play-action game with Brown at the helm, plus new additions in the wideout room gives Charlotte the ability to spread the field and display an element that was only present when trailing a season ago.

And Poggi is seemingly taking a step back from the offensive playbook.

“It’s hard to be a first-year play-caller,” Poggi said of Miller. “Especially when the head coach is kind of a knucklehead and demands you run the ball and has ideas on who should be playing quarterback. It makes it hard for a play-caller.”

According to newcomer wideout O’Mega Blake, who spent the early portion of his collegiate career under Shane Beamer at South Carolina, Charlotte’s offense mimics what you see on Sundays in the NFL.

“NFL teams do the same stuff as we do in (Mike) Miller’s pro-style offense,” Blake told The Observer.

While the dichotomy from last year’s team is still pending, Charlotte’s offense is winning against the defense in practice, which is something that was scarce in Poggi’s first training camp as head coach.

Complementary football

After a season where Charlotte’s defensive success was required to keep the 49ers competitive in nearly every game, Miller and defensive coordinator Ryan Osborn have been picking each other’s brains, in efforts to play complementary football.

After a season of high tension in the Judy W. Rose Center, the “war” that was the coaching dynamic has ceased fire, according to Miller.

“We’ve been working together and that’s been huge. We talked about it all summer — why would we not pick each other’s brains? Last year it was so much of a war going at each other,” Miller said of Osborn. “It’s like, let’s make each other better. It’s been awesome.”

With 280 days since Charlotte took the field, the 49ers open the season looking to start the new edition of Charlotte football with a win, and according to Blake, Charlotte can’t wait to line up against a team in another jersey.

“We look at every opponent the same — nameless, faceless opponents. We aren’t backing down no matter who we’re going up against. Whoever is lined up in front of us in a different color, we’re smacking them in the mouth.”