Charlotte 49ers hoping to capitalize on running game momentum vs. Rice
The Charlotte 49ers’ first win under Tim Albin has come and gone, and American Conference play kicks off Thursday night on ESPN with a clash against Rice.
For the second time in as many seasons, ESPN’s SportsCenter will be live on Charlotte’s campus ahead of the game, airing at 2 p.m. Thursday. Despite the added national exposure to the young program, Albin’s mindset remains unchanged.
“It’s one at a time mentality. We’re excited about having all of those things here, but most importantly, it is our fourth opportunity out of 12,” Albin told the media on Tuesday morning. “The 12th man, the student section, is wonderful. We’re looking to play our best game to date for our fan base. We’re not changing anything.”
Plenty of familiar faces will return to the Queen City on Thursday night, with Scott Abell, former Davidson head coach, leading the Owls’ (2-1) new-look offense back to his old stomping grounds.
“I don’t know if it was by accident or the luck of the draw, but for me, it’s simply about the game,” Abell said of returning to the Carolinas for the matchup. “Outside noise, I’ll leave to the family and friends who are excited they don’t have to travel to Texas to watch a game. But for me, it’s the first conference game.”
The short week presents a multitude of challenges for Charlotte, which scored its first victory in a shootout against FCS foe Monmouth on Saturday night. After struggling to defend the Hawks’ aerial attack, featuring an up-tempo, spread offense, the 49ers now look to contain Rice’s run-first, spread option offense with Abell pulling the strings.
And preparation for this matchup began back in August, according to Albin.
“We prepped a little bit (for Rice) in the summer, in August, to prepare for this short week. It’s been very taxing, to tell you the truth,” said Albin. “We’re a morning practice team, and so we’ve been under the gun. Coaches are sleeping at the office, making sure we’re ready to go. But we’ll push through it. It should be a heck of a ballgame; we’ll have to play our best game.”
Charlotte has yet to play well in all three phases of the game through a quarter of its season. Special teams were the lone bright spot against Appalachian State, and the defense found its footing against Bill Belichick and the Tar Heels the following week.
The offense mustered just seven points in the opening half of Week 3 and then hit its stride with five-straight touchdown drives in the second-half onslaught against Monmouth. And while much of Saturday night’s fireworks sparked from quarterback Conner Harrell’s career-best game, totaling five touchdowns and 427 yards, the rushing attack added value for the first time this season.
Rod Gainey Jr. and 49ers’ rushing attack
With an early fumble from starting tailback CJ Stokes, redshirt freshman Rod Gainey Jr. got the opportunity he’d been looking for in Week 3. The former three-star prospect saw a career-high in snaps and carries in the win, making the most of his 49 reps for 74 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries against Monmouth.
“He played his best game to date. Much needed. I thought he ran tough and finished runs the right way,” Albin said of Gainey. “Really, a very unselfish player. He’s been patient. We’re very pleased with his production and looking forward to getting him some holes and getting him loose on Thursday.”
Through two weeks, facing tougher competition, Charlotte had rushed for just 97 total yards at 1.65 yards per clip and failed to score a touchdown on the ground. Against Monmouth, without their captain, center Jonny King (back), the 49ers looked more like an Albin-coached team.
Charlotte rushed for 181 yards on the ground, overcoming more than 100 yards in penalties to score its first victory. Gainey, Harrell, and Stokes all had carries of 10 yards or more, marking a season-high 14 chunk plays in the win. And preparing for another week without King, who was deemed doubtful by Albin, the 49ers’ front will continue to rely on its depth.
“That was Dallas’ (Shirley) first time snapping. He started in the spring but hadn’t done it ever. I’m super proud of him coming in and doing a great job running the offensive line,” said Harrell. “Our depth came in and did their jobs. I’m super proud of those guys.”
Thursday night’s matchup features the two lowest-scoring offenses in the American through three games. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the 49ers are listed as 2.5-point underdogs, with the over/under set at 42.5.
Looking to build on last week’s second-half explosion, Harrell and the 49ers’ offense are focused on one aspect — protecting the ball.
“We have Rice on Thursday. We had three turnovers in the first half, and it’s going to be tough to win a lot of games doing that,” said Harrell. “(We’re) just trying to figure out how to be better for the next game.”
Charlotte 49ers’ ties with Rice
Adding to the list of familiar faces in Thursday’s game, Charlotte’s ties date back to the program’s first points in 2013. Former linebacker Mark Hogan, now Rice’s outside linebackers and special teams coordinator, is returning to Richardson Stadium, as well as former strength and conditioning coach (2023-24) Lewis Caralla, who serves in the same role with the Owls.
On the injury front, Charlotte will again be without tailback Henry Rutledge (lower body). King (back) is doubtful for the contest, and wideout Jayden McGowan (lower body) and defensive end DJ Burgess (upper body) are out for the season. Despite not practicing last week, wideout Sean Brown played four snaps against Monmouth and is expected to be available against the Owls.