First look: Charlotte 49ers host UAB on Senior Day. Will season end with back-to-back wins?
Charlotte football hopes to finish this season strong.
A win in Saturday’s finale against Alabama Birmingham would give the 49ers their fifth victory. Four of them would have come in American Athletic Conference play, giving the program a .500 record following its second season competing in the conference.
Charlotte (4-7, 3-4 American), which earned a 39-27 win on the road at FAU in its penultimate game, returns home for the final time this weekend. The Niners are set to host UAB (3-8, 2-5) at 3:30 p.m. Saturday inside Jerry Richardson Stadium.
“We really want it,” said Charlotte receiver O’Mega Blake, who was named the American’s offensive player of the week on Monday. “We may not have gotten the outcome of the season that we really wanted, but we grind day in and day out. We’ve got the same mission. All 22 players on both sides of the ball, we have the same mission, and all we can do is keep our head down and keep working.
“We’re in every game we’ve played, man, we’ve just beaten ourselves.”
O’Mega Blake, Stephen Rusnak win conference players of the week
A pair of Niners received conference-wide honors following Saturday’s win.
Blake, who now leads the country with 24.1 yards per catch, was named the American’s offensive player of the week for the first time in his career. He averaged 41 yards on each of his five receptions in Saturday’s win, adding to his team-best 772 receiving yards on 30 catches this season.
Charlotte kicker Stephen Rusnak won his first special teams player of the week honor in the American. He set a school record with a perfect 4-for-4 mark on field goal attempts, including his program record-tying third 50-yarder of the season.
Key matchup: Charlotte looks to keep UAB rushing to a minimum
Stopping the run will be critical in the 49ers’ season finale.
Charlotte, whose backs ran for just 46 yards on Saturday in Orlando, gave up 279 rushing yards. The Niner offense actually got out-gained by a margin of 458-442, as its opponent pounded the run to extend drives and stay in the game.
“We gave up significant rush yards again (Saturday),” interim head coach Tim Brewster said, “but when the game was on the line and we needed a fourth down stop, we got it done.”
UAB is tied for the conference-low with eight rushing touchdowns. Redshirt sophomore Lee Beebe Jr, coming off a season-high 161 yards in the Blazers’ win over Rice on Saturday, ranks seventh in the American with 73 rushing yards per game.
Charlotte player to watch: WR O’Mega Blake
The Niners’ top wideout is one of the most efficient players in the FBS.
Blake, the athletic Rock Hill, S.C., native who spent three seasons at South Carolina, tallied the third-most receiving yards in a game in school history — on just five catches.
The most times to which Blake has been thrown in one game this season is five, and he totals a team-high 772 receiving yards with eight touchdowns on 30 receptions. He’s made some of Charlotte’s big plays throughout the year, including a season-best 75-yard touchdown in Saturday’s win at FAU.
Even as quarterback Deshawn Purdie threw to six different receivers and set his career-high with 396 passing yards on Saturday, Blake led the Niners with his 205 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Look for another big game from the South Pointe alum in Charlotte’s regular season finale against UAB, which has allowed the second-most yards in the conference through 11 games.
Vegas betting odds
Charlotte (-105 odds) opens as a 3.5-point favorite against UAB (+128), according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The over/under is set at 57.5 points.
How to watch and stream the Charlotte 49ers vs. UAB
Matchup: UAB Blazers (3-8, 2-5 American) at Charlotte 49ers (4-7, 3-4 American)
TV: None (ESPN+)
Stream: ESPN.com and ESPN App ($)
Radio: ESPN 730
Date: Saturday, Nov. 30
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Place: Jerry Richardson Stadium, Charlotte
