What we learned in the Charlotte 49ers’ home loss to the Rice Owls

Charlotte had another nationally televised opportunity Thursday night to show strides as a young program, but the 49ers instead played to emptying bleachers in the fourth quarter as another game slipped away.

Coming off a shootout victory over FCS Monmouth, the 49ers looked to continue their offensive momentum against Scott Abell and the Rice Owls (3-1), but crucial drops, conservative playcalling, key injuries, and a lack of takeaways returned after a one-week absence.

The Owls rode their spread-option offense to a 28-17 dismantling of the 49ers (1-3). Rice rushed for 255 yards, capitalizing on a lifeless Charlotte offense after starting quarterback Conner Harrell exited with a knee injury early in the second quarter.

“I tip my hat to Scott (Abell) and the Rice Owls. They got after us in the second half, plain and simple,” said head coach Tim Albin after the game. “Another electric day with ESPN being here. Great stage, and our guys hurt for not being able to make it a game in the second half. We had opportunities and we didn’t capitalize.

“We’ve got to look at the middle eight (of the game). We’ve got to fix it. We know we need touchdowns. In the second half, we got our butts whipped. It falls on my shoulders,” Albin continued. “I’m not going to sit here and say injuries, because I will tell you, we’ve got them. It’s part of the game, and we’ll have a next-man-up mentality. That’s all I know to do.”

Rice quarterback Chris Jenkins accounted for 158 yards and two touchdowns, beating Charlotte with his legs throughout the game, and taking the top off the 49ers’ defense in key moments. Rice’s backup running back Daelen Alexander saw just 10 touches and made the most of them — scoring two touchdowns and totaling 73 yards when his number was called.

It was a night when nothing went right for the 49ers, who lost Harrell and starting tailback Rod Gainey Jr. to injuries. Harrell’s best ball of the night was dropped for what would have been a touchdown to Javen Nicholas on the game’s first possession.

Charlotte reverted to its struggles of failing to turn red zone trips into touchdowns, settling for four field goals attempts in the first half — making three. And with nothing but green grass in front of Gainey late in the first half, the tailback pulled his hamstring running down the 49ers’ sideline and was forced to exit stage right — followed by a missed field goal attempt.

Duke transfer quarterback Grayson Loftis replaced Harrell after the injury, seeing his first meaningful snaps of the season. Loftis saw action in garbage time against North Carolina, where he tossed two interceptions, and his appearance Thursday night was marginally better.

Trailing by two possessions, Charlotte’s last gasp was derailed by the game’s lone turnover — a Loftis fumble after he was crushed by a free runner off the edge, emptying out the Jerry Richardson Stadium crowd of 13,397 before the final quarter kicked off.

“Niner nation was outstanding again. Unbelievable student section. I tip my hat to those fans. I know that our players’ hearts hurt for them,” Albin said. “They’ve been great. They’ve been with us every step of the way, and it’s much appreciated.”

Charlotte cut the Owls’ lead to 11 in the fourth quarter on a Loftis strike to Nicholas for a touchdown, but it proved too little, too late. The Owls were the better team Thursday, but Harrell’s injury derailed what could have been a competitive contest.

Here is what we learned from Charlotte’s third loss through four games.

Conservative Albin

Charlotte’s kicker and punter were busy for much of the night, but especially in the first half, with a drive chart featuring: field goal, punt, punt, field goal, field goal, missed field goal. After scoring five straight touchdowns in last week’s win against an FCS defense, the Owls’ struggling red zone defense (tied for 101st in the nation) made life difficult for Todd Fitch’s offense — and Albin wasn’t taking any chances.

After opening the game with a 12-play, 63-yard drive into the Owls’ red zone, Albin yet again took the conservative route, settling for a chip-shot field goal. After a massive miss against North Carolina less than two weeks prior, transfer kicker Liam Boyd connected on his first of four attempts from 29 yards out — drawing a sigh of relief from Charlotte’s crowd.

When in plus territory, Albin elected to kick field goals on fourth-and-2 from the Rice eight-yard line, and fourth-and-3 from the Rice 23-yard line.

“To be honest with you, (the decisions) were easy. At that time, (Rice) was having trouble moving the ball. I thought (the score) would be 18-15. I didn’t think that last week,” Albin said. “I don’t know what the analytics book said. (A staffer) tells me. It went in this ear, and right out that one. Because that’s what this it was going to be, you know.”

While leaving points off the board in the first half is typically a no-no, Charlotte must be more aggressive moving forward to remain competitive in the second half of games.

Defensive woes continue

After allowing a season-worst 35 points against FCS Monmouth last Saturday, the struggles continued from the game’s opening snaps against the Owls.

Simulating the speed of an option offense is always a challenge, and Charlotte was a step (or two) behind all night. Undisciplined eyes, loss of containment, incorrect run fits, and few third-and-long situations made for a long day on defense. And the Rice offense had its way.

After settling for their third field goal of the first half, Charlotte’s defense needed a stop to escape the first half with the lead. But the Owls’ speed took center stage, with Jenkins planting his right foot on the ground and taking off, spotting the cut-back lane and scampering 34 yards to put Rice ahead for good.

The Owls’ option attack generated rushes of 34, 27, 26 and 23 yards, gashing the 49ers’ defense for 353 total yards.

“I know on at least two of the explosives, we over-pursued,” Albin said. “We did such a good job on the front side, the cut back – was pretty violent. Again, good job by Rice.”

Charlotte’s defense didn’t generate a takeaway for the third straight game and hasn’t since the first quarter of the season-opener against Appalachian State. That’s 15 straight quarters without a takeaway.

Conner Harrell exits with an injury

The story of the night was Harrell’s injury. Coming off of his best collegiate game, completing 26 of his 30 passes for a combined 427 yards and five touchdowns, Charlotte couldn’t overcome their captain’s injury.

“There are a lot of people who are going to have to step up. It sucks that injuries happen. Injuries happen, it’s a part of the game,” wideout Sean Brown said. “Injuries happen a lot here, especially with quarterbacks. I’ve been around it enough, I can help the receivers make the (quarterback’s) life easier. If your number is called, you’ve got to make a play.”

Following one of Harrell’s most impressive plays of the season, a 19-yard gain on a designed quarterback run on third-and-18, the redshirt junior quarterback exited the game with a left knee injury.

“I can’t (give an update) right now,” Albin said. “Obviously, it’s a lower leg. We’ll get an MRI and go from there. It’s unfortunate. It was a really good play-call. He ran into an equipment table on the sideline. Ja’Qurious Conley had hit the same thing two series before. I didn’t say anything. It was behind the line, legally. It was nobody’s fault; he just happened to have an injury.”

With 9:42 to play in the second quarter, Harrell was replaced by Grayson Loftis. Harrell received an ice pack on his left knee and walked up and down the 49ers’ sideline until the conclusion of the first half — then returned to the sideline on a crutch in street clothes.

Prior to his exit, Harrell completed eight of his 13 passes for 73 yards and was the team’s leader in rushing with three carries for 22 yards. Loftis concluded the night completing 15 of his 30 passes for 186 yards, a touchdown, and a fumble.

Nicholas was a bright spot on Charlotte’s offense, reeling in five of his eight targets for 93 yards and the team’s lone touchdown. And after seeing just two targets through three games, the team’s leader in receptions from 2024, Sean Brown, had his best performance of the season, reeling in three catches for 47 yards.

“Sean Brown is back. He got back to playing and had some big catches for us, and that excites me,” said Albin. “You’ve got E. Jai, and Javen ù– Javen is a warrior. He fights, and that inspires me, our staff, and this team. We’re going to keep going.”

Stokes fumbles continue

Two weeks, two fumbles in plus-territory for Michigan transfer running back CJ Stokes.

Originally following Biff Poggi from Ann Arbor, Stokes assumed the role of lead tailback after Louisville transfer Don Chaney Jr. was deemed academically ineligible a month before the season-opener. Stokes saw three carries for -1 yards on Thursday night.

Gainey is proving to be the team’s best option at tailback, with returnee Henry Rutledge still sidelined with a lower-body injury. Gainey saw eight carries for 51 yards on the game, and played just one snap in the second half after limping off the field following Charlotte’s longest play of the night.

After rushing for 181 yards against Monmouth, Charlotte mustered just 75 rushing yards against the Owls, returning to their sub-100-yard average for the season.

What’s next?

After playing four straight games in the Queen City, Charlotte now enters a much-needed bye week before hitting the road to take on South Florida (2-1) in Tampa.

“We’ll get back at it in film review on Monday, and practice on Tuesday. We’re taking our show on the road to one of the best teams in the league in South Florida,” Albin said. “We’ll have to piece some things together on injuries and see where we’re at.”

South Florida has beaten formerly ranked teams Boise State and Florida in its non-conference games and will test a struggling 49ers defense with its spread offense.

Albin vowed to keep fighting through the injuries and early-season struggles.

“This break here couldn’t have come at a better time. I told them to keep their heads up, because we’re going to fight,” Albin said. “We love Charlotte, and we’re going to keep battling. You have my word.”

This story was originally published September 18, 2025 at 11:22 PM.