Like a broken record, Charlotte 49ers must stop big plays from Mason Fine, North Texas
The Charlotte 49ers have been hurt by big-yardage plays this season.
North Texas, which visits Charlotte this week for the first-ever meeting between the schools, had 12 plays of 15 or more yards in its last game and has 63 for the season.
“Yes, it’s a tough matchup for us,” said 49ers head coach Will Healy, whose team is trying to snap a four-game losing streak.
Charlotte (2-4, 0-3 Conference USA) and preseason conference favorite North Texas (3-4, 2-1) meet at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Richardson Stadium.
“They can beat you in a multitude of ways,” Healy says of the Mean Green. “We know it’s an explosive offense. We’ve got to control that.”
Healy says he’s sure his team’s problem with big-yardage plays hasn’t gone unnoticed with the North Texas coaching staff and expects the Mean Green to try and exploit it.
The key to the Mean Green’s attack is quarterback Mason Fine, a senior who was slowed by injuries earlier this season but has been sharp in recent weeks. He ran for a touchdown and passed for another in last week’s 33-30 victory over Middle Tennessee State and has accounted for 85 touchdowns in his college career.
“He can definitely sling it around the field,” 49ers linebacker Jeff Gemmel says. “He’s got a really good arm and some dangerous receivers. Our goal is to keep him contained.”
The 49ers say their 0-3 start to the conference season hasn’t become an emotional burden.
“I’m excited about where we’re going,” Healy said. “I realize that might sound strange, but we’re doing things right. We’re making progress.”
Sophomore receiver Victor Tuckier, who passed the 1,000-yard mark in career receptions during Saturday’s 30-14 loss at Western Kentucky, says the team’s “energy has been great” and feels Charlotte has been “just a couple plays away from winning these games.”
Gemmell acknowledges that the Conference USA season so far has “been tough,”but adds, “I think we’re 100 percent confident of turning this around. There’s high energy with this team.”
Fourth-quarter blues: The 49ers have scored only six fourth-quarter points in their conference games, and standout senior running back Benny LeMay is averaging only six carries in the final period this season.
“We’ve trailed too much in the fourth quarter,” Healy says, adding that the team has been forced to throw the ball. “And in the games we won, we were ahead, so we pulled him (LeMay).”
As for the lack of scoring, Healy says, “Some defenses have worn us down. It’s such a small margin of error for us. When we commit penalties or make mistakes, it really hurts us.”
Sack records: The 49ers have 23 sacks this season, which breaks the program’s old single-season record of 21. Defensive end Alex Highsmith’s 7.5 sacks this season and 13.5 for his career have broken the 49er records held by Larry Ogunjobi, now a starter with the Cleveland Browns.
Injury report: Healy says freshman linebacker Jaylon Sharpe (of Rocky River High) and senior defensive lineman Tommy Doctor are questionable for the North Texas game due to injuries. He said offensive linemen D’mitri Emmanuel and Dominic Taylor are “probable.”
Defensive end and captain Tyriq Harris will undergo surgery Wednesday for a back injury and is out for the season.
Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle