Which quarterback will start for Charlotte 49ers football at Memphis this weekend?
Max Brown will be the starting quarterback for Charlotte football once again.
The 21-year-old redshirt sophomore is expected to return as the 49ers’ starter for the second game in a row, head coach Biff Poggi said Tuesday. Brown started last week at Navy and completed 7-of-18 passes for 152 yards, and Trexler Ivey ended up replacing him for most of the second quarter.
Deshawn Purdie recently broke his thumb on his non-throwing hand, Poggi said, and had it surgically repaired following Charlotte’s dominant victory against East Carolina. He’s wearing a brace and has been practicing early in the week — but is struggling to maximize the usage of his left hand.
“You just can’t hand the ball off of your right hand,” Poggi said in the weekly news conference. “When the ball’s going in the other direction, you’ve gotta be able to have your left hand there, and his can’t bend. If you try to catch a ball like that, it’s very difficult.
“I thought (Purdie) looked good throwing the ball today, but Max will be the starter against Memphis.”
Poggi added that he believes in rewarding the quarterback who has the best week in practice, and having multiple strong options is a strength. He mentioned his time as the associate head coach at Michigan, where JJ McCarthy and Cade McNamara battled for the starting job on the eventual College Football Playoff team by each making starts early in the season.
Ja’Qurious Conley finally granted eligibility
Charlotte football’s transfer defensive back from UNC made his Niners debut.
Ja’Qurious Conley, who became the first true freshman to start for the Tar Heels, played for the first time this season at Navy. His ineligibility was a decision from the NCAA, a Charlotte athletic department spokesman said, and it was out of the Niners’ control.
Executive associate athletic director Ragean Hill did yeoman’s work, Poggi put it, even driving Conley to Chapel Hill one day. She called Poggi just past 6:30 p.m. Friday evening during the Niners’ team dinner, then took an Uber there and announced the good news to a fired-up team.
“(Ragean Hill) actually drove the kid to Chapel Hill,” Poggi said, “and Katie Renaut, our head of compliance, and Mike Hill got involved too — athletic director to athletic director — we should also thank (UNC athletic director) Bubba Cunningham. We ought to thank (UNC coach) Mack Brown, and (UNC athletics administrator) Rick Steinbacher, who helped us with all this.
“After that last press conference, they got involved and expedited the thing. And it’s great for the kid.”
Another tough matchup awaits, but Charlotte is confident
Charlotte is looking to build longevity as a program, and that starts with consistent success.
The Niners find themselves in the midst of a tough stretch in their strong schedule, matching up with another high-powered offense in Memphis on the road once again. Already winners of the first two games in their rugged conference slate, they know the key is to start fast and wear down their opponent.
The Tigers, boasting a 6-1 record thus far, have won 16 of 20 games over the past two seasons. Senior quarterback Seth Henigan, who ranks second in the American in passing yards, has been pivotal to their potent offense.
“We’ve played a hell of a tough schedule,” Poggi said. “We have the second-toughest schedule in the league. We have the 38th-toughest schedule in the country. And if you look at the strength of schedule of other teams in the league, they schedule to go to bowl games.
“Our kids are playing their asses off. They’re playing really hard, and they’re fighting.”
