First look: Charlotte 49ers play AAC-worst Florida Atlantic, both led by interim coaches
Charlotte football, which announced Monday evening that Biff Poggi has been fired before the end of his second season, travels to Florida Atlantic this weekend.
Under the direction of interim head coach Tim Brewster, the 49ers look to salvage the final two games of their regular season. That starts with the struggling Owls, who also announced Monday they had fired their head coach, Tom Herman, before the end of his second season.
Charlotte, currently 3-7 overall and eliminated from bowl contention, rides into this late-season contest at FAU Stadium on a four-game skid. It has a 2-4 record in the American, and the team’s final two opponents — the Niners host Alabama-Birmingham on Nov. 30 to wrap the regular season — have combined for just one conference victory this season.
Chad Lunsford, the former Georgia Southern head coach whose first Division I job was at Appalachian State, has been named the interim head coach for the Owls (2-8, 0-6 American), who enter their Senior Day game against Charlotte having lost their past five straight games.
Key matchup: Can the Charlotte offense break out against FAU?
While Florida Atlantic sits in the basement of the AAC standings, the Owls’ defense isn’t having their worst season.
FAU’s unit ranks eighth among 14 teams in the American, giving up an average of 30.8 points per game. Charlotte, which went on the road and beat Rice (whose defense has allowed the conference’s fourth-fewest points) in September, is giving up 36.7 points per game and ranks 12th.
Both of the Owls’ victories this season came in early non-conference home matchups against Florida International and Wagner College. FAU’s offense averages nearly two touchdowns per game.
The 49ers have scored three touchdowns in five of their 10 games this season, even in last weekend’s 35-point shellacking by South Florida, but their defense has been particularly crushed on the ground. Charlotte running backs have been out-gained by a margin of 2,322 to 1,590 yards, and it’s been a catalyst for much of the team’s disappointment — two of its three wins were decided by one point.
A strong start will be key for the Niners, who conceded 24 points in their thumping of East Carolina but ran up the score in the first half, especially against this Owls team.
Charlotte player to watch: QB Deshawn Purdie
The Niners’ 18-year-old signal caller is set to make his fifth career start on Saturday.
Deshawn Purdie threw for a career-high 256 passing yards in Charlotte’s penultimate home game last weekend. But he also fumbled the football four times — twice resulting in turnovers — during the 59-24 loss.
Purdie now ranks seventh in the American Athletic Conference with 170.1 passing yards per game. He’s only played in seven of Charlotte’s 10 games, while most of the conference’s quarterbacks have been starting throughout the season.
He’s completed 75-of-144 pass attempts this season, compared to teammates Max Brown (43-of-93 completions for 561 yards in five games while nursing a thumb injury) and Trexler Ivey (34-of-59 passes with three touchdowns in seven games).
Vegas betting odds
Charlotte (-137 odds) opens as a 2.5-point road favorite on Saturday against Florida Atlantic (+114), according to FanDuel Sportsbook on Monday. The game’s over/under is set at 48.5 points.
How to watch and stream the Charlotte 49ers at FAU
Matchup: Charlotte 49ers (3-7, 2-4 American) at Florida Atlantic Owls (2-8, 0-6 American)
TV: None (ESPN+)
Stream: ESPN.com and ESPN App ($)
Radio: ESPN 730
Date: Saturday, Nov. 23
Time: 3 p.m. ET
Place: FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, Florida
