Could quarterback Max Brown return for Charlotte 49ers’ next game vs. Navy?

Despite a Jerry Richardson Stadium record of 55 points against East Carolina — also the most of the Biff Poggi era — the Charlotte 49ers are set to switch starting quarterbacks on Saturday as they trek to Annapolis to take on No. 25 Navy.

Florida Gators transfer quarterback Max Brown, who’s been sidelined since the second quarter against North Carolina in Week 2 with an injury to the thumb on his throwing hand, is on schedule to return against the Midshipmen.

“It truly will be a game-time decision. Max is back. He’s been pretty good in the bye week. We will have both (Brown and DeShawn Purdie) ready to go,” Poggi said. “We’re very blessed because we’ve got three guys that have experience and who are pretty good players.”

With Brown sidelined for four straight games, Charlotte has seen backups Purdie and Trexler Ivey lead comeback victories, headlined by Purdie’s excellent performance against the Pirates. And despite Purdie engineering a second-half comeback against Rice and leading one of the most lopsided victories in Charlotte history, replacing the true freshman was always the plan.

“We’ve got an exceptional young talent, and we’re going to ride with him until our starter Max (Brown) comes back. When Max comes back, I don’t believe you lose your job because of injury,” Poggi said following the victory over Gardner-Webb. “Max will be the starter, and Purdie will have had a bunch of good experience — and we’ll just keep going.”

With three quarterbacks seeing action in six games, Charlotte’s passing game ceiling is still to be determined. And after failing to score against the Midshipmen a season ago, in a 14-0 shutout loss, the 49ers must extend drives and keep their defense on the sidelines as much as possible — because Navy is pouring in points on anyone and everyone.

Ja’Qurious Conley still ineligible

One of Charlotte’s key defensive pieces, North Carolina transfer safety Ja’Qurious Conley, remains ineligible.

“I’m really disappointed in that situation. We can’t get (UNC) to give us any help. (UNC is) scheduling his hearing for November 29. Why in the hell would you schedule a hearing for November 29 for a football player ... it happens to be the last day of the season,” Poggi told the media on Tuesday. “I think it’s awful, and they haven’t been very responsive. That’s why our people had to actually get in the car and go over there, and I think they should be ashamed of themselves because this is a young kid’s life.”

Conley was an instant-impact freshman at North Carolina in 2020, and has been at every Charlotte practice — in a helmet and pads — but not practicing in the team sessions.

Athletic director Mike Hill addressed the situation on a recent episode of the Highway 49 Podcast.

“I certainly hope so,” Hill said about Conley seeing the field this season. “We’re fighting our tails off. It’s complicated. It shouldn’t be complicated. I can’t get into the details of it. It was an unexpected hit that we took the week before our opener.

“I’m very disappointed that we’re sitting here after six games and he’s still not playing. He’s a great young man. He got chosen as team captain. He was going to play a bunch for us,” Hill continued. “It just seems so unfair what we’re dealing with. I fully support what Biff has said about the situation, and we’re going to keep swinging until we knock the wall down.”

Bye week reset

With the quarterback position changing again, an ongoing battle for Conley’s eligibility, and a gauntlet of an upcoming schedule, Charlotte’s bye week came at the perfect time.

“I let them go for a long time. We needed some time off. For the coaches, it was like 75 or 76 days in a row. We needed some time away,” Poggi told the media. “The good thing about the bye week, when you play a team like Navy, the bye week really helps. But Navy had a bye week also, so I’m sure we’ll see different things out of their offense. They’ll be prepared for us, so kind of a wash.”

And while Saturday’s game at Navy could be the 49ers’ first victory against a ranked opponent, it’s also the first of three tough games in a span of 12 days.

“We’ve just got to focus on one game at time. Right now we’re thinking about Navy, and only Navy. It’s a critical game, because it’s the next game.”

Following Navy (5-0, 3-0 AAC), Charlotte has a road trip to Memphis (4-1, 1-1) and a Halloween home game against Tulane (4-2, 2-0).