2020 Season Preview

Charlotte 49er Football šŸˆ
21

Following Clayton lead.

@UT - L They have a NFL O-line, we might hang around for a quarter but I think weā€™re gonna get worn down. 0-1

Norfolk - W We win big, this shouldnā€™t be close. 1-1

@Duke - W I think (hope?) we surprise some people and win a tight one. Theyā€™ll be breaking in a new QB, secondary got hammered by transfers and they have new tackles. If our WRs get going along with our pass rush, that should bode well for us. Their DL worries me, but hopefully be able to keep their DL off balance with misdirections and the short passing game. 2-1

GaSt - W We win this one, but is closer than anyone likes. Avoid the post Duke hangover. 3-1

@Fau - L Talent wise, weā€™re just not at their level. If it was at home, we might have a chance but on the road we drop this one. 3-2

@NT L I think NT is going to be the bounce back team for the CUSA in 2020. Theyā€™ve been recruiting well for the past couple seasons and new coordinators will help drive them to be better. Theyā€™ll catch us on the road. 3-3

FIU - W We need to get the monkey off our back and beat FIU. Iā€™m tired of losing against them. 4-3

UTEP - W At home, we wreck them. 5-3

@MTSU - W We also beat them, never been impressed by Stock. Donā€™t think theyā€™ll have the talent level to compete with us. 6-3

ODU - L Iā€™ve always considered them our CUSA rival, I think this is one of those games we lose that we shouldnā€™t. 6-4

@Marshal - W Doc doesnā€™t impress me as a coach. We beat them bad. 7-4

WKU - L 7-5 Its a statement game to Claytons point, but they beat us in a close one. The wins is we have another great late season atmosphere and game, but you canā€™t win them all.

We finish with the same record, but I think weā€™re a better team. We have more blow out wins and closer losses, weā€™re setting up for a championship level 2021 with the continued strong recruiting and development.

22

Would love to go 8-4 this year. I see UT and FAU as losing, but should be able to compete with everyone else

23

cltā€™s conservative picks

@UT - L SEC TALENT

Norfolk - W

@Duke - W

GaSt - W LOWLY SUNBELT

@Fau - W

@NT W

FIU - W

UTEP - W

@MTSU - W

ODU - W. THIS ISNā€™T TENNIS

@Marshal - W

WKU - W

3 Likes
24

I really think we could go as bad as 3-9 and as good as 10-2.

While Iā€™m a pessimist, here is my game by game

Tenn - if Ga St hadnā€™t snuck them last year, Iā€™d like our chances slightly more than the no chance I give now. They made UAB look terrible last season. They are unorganized, but very talented and itā€™s a long day - L

Norfolk State - they beat the 5 thru 8 teams in the MEAC last season. We win by a bunch. W

Duke - sorry, they beat us pretty easily. If they were a sloppy team, the talent and depth differences wouldnā€™t matter as much, but Cutcliffe knows what he is doing. L

Ga State - this is 2020s Umass game. We donā€™t win and the season goes to pot real fast. I think we will win this one. W

FAU - I toyed with us winning this one, but they still have Laneā€™s players, brought in transfers as good as ours, and pushed us around all over the ball last season. If we played this at home in November I might pick us, but we wonā€™t have our season legs on us yet. L

UNT - I think that UNT fulfills part of the CUSA contract that says that two or more teams from Texas must suck every year so that Southern Miss can get their four free wins every season. While I hate playing two straight on the road and I donā€™t hate UNT skill position players, I think we should take this one. W

FIU - This is key game #2. I hope we arenā€™t sitting 2-5 after this one which has been the case in 3 if our 5 CUSA season. I think we win this one. Their offense should take a step back and they are the one team in CUSA weā€™ve always been able to score on. This is really the first time since the stop before Lambertā€™s hurry up with a lead drive in ā€˜16 that I really think we can beat them. W

UTEP - see UNTā€™s contract with CUSA to keep USM bowl eligible. How a 1-11 can get worse is beyond me, but Kai Locksley is gone and I think we cruise in this one. Think ODU last year. W

Middle - there is a chance that my wife goes to the beach this weekend in November. If she does, I might fly to Nashville, rent a car, and make this game. On Sat night/Sunday, I will drive my rental back to Greensboro. If I do this, Iā€™m going to pack my gold bowling ball (In my carry on) and try to get it into Floyd Stadium. However, Iā€™ll be willing to bet that they wonā€™t let it in either and my bowling ball will spend itā€™s second Charlotte bowl clinching win being the oddest thing checked at guest services all season. Basically, I think we beat Middle and become bowl eligible. W

Old Dominion - five in a row with fifth against Old Dominion. Deja Vous? W

Marshall - If we are 7-3, I might drive up. This is the one I canā€™t figure out. They were better than us paper last year. The rain and our hustle as well as the inability of Doc to inspire anyone plus Greeneā€™s inability to complete a pass got us over.
Marshallā€™s non con is nasty and then they get FAU, Western, and Tech in their first four CUSA games. If they are 4-6 when we get to Huntington, thry might be ripe. If they are fighting for bowl eligibility, maybe thry are inspired. Iā€™m calling this one a loss. L

WKU - this was the only game I watched last season that I didnā€™t love out effort. The penalties, the play calling, the inability to get off the field on defense. Two road games is seven days is no joke (but Iā€™m not worried about the UNT game, except I am).
Iā€™d love this to be a replay of the Marshall game in 2019, but I donā€™t think we pull it off. L

So Iā€™ve got us 7-5, 5-3 in CUSA and a berth in the Myrtle Beach Bowl.

1 Like
25

We really racked up on defense in recruiting plus the redshirt freshmen on top of our offense ā€¦-although I see Duke and FAU as a loss ā€¦if we somehow beat Tennesseeā€¦I see us going UNDEFEATED with FAU being the toughest game. The MOMENTUM would be ecstatic ā€¦wishful thinking but in my mind realistic

BEAT TENNESSEE 12-0
lose Tennessee. 9-3. (Duke, FAU)

26

From a buddy today.

ā€œGreensboro paper had a article this morning on 49er football. Said players family would sat in the student section. Season ticket holders will be allowed with social distancingā€

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27

Charlotte paper practicing social distancing and letting Greensboro paper report on the the 49ers.

7 Likes
28

Typical for David Scott and the Observer. I wish Scott would retire and the big O give us a real reporter

29

I only read the occasional story on the Oā€™s website, but do they have any sports reporters left if Scott retires? I know they got rid of the Sports Editor (Mike P) a couple of years ago.

30

The only thing even close Judyā€™s ass finally being booted out was Mike P being out of the mix.

31

good read on chris reynolds here. so proud to call him charlotteā€™s qb, he works extremely hard and is very skilled at what he does. can definitely see him breaking some more school records in the very near future.

8 Likes
32

Here are my predictions:

  • @Tennessee - Yeah, no. I donā€™t care what you say about Georgia State, we arenā€™t winning this one. This is an L but itā€™s actually a W in terms of finances. Take the $1.3m and run. Would love to be proven wrong though.
  • Norfolk State - After losing to Tennessee, we take out our frustrations on Norfolk and Hulk smash them to oblivion. Our defence takes control of their village and absolutely ransacks their offence. Air reinforcements for this pillage are provided by Chris Reynolds. Victor Tucker catches everything even remotely related to a pigskin and takes it for a touchdown. Should be a big W.
  • @Duke - I have no clue what to think about this one. On one hand, we win this game and it would be a massive boost to our season. On the other hand, it is 2020ā€™s App State game. I donā€™t care what any of you say, Iā€™m going for a W because fuck you Iā€™m hopeful.
  • Georgia State - I want revenge for 28-0. And their logo looks weird. We canā€™t be having that weird looking incest cat logo beating us at our own home. Georgia State, take the L and get the hell out of my sight. W for us, to put it quite simply.
  • @FAU - Due to the confidence in the Georgia State and Duke games, Iā€™d reckon we can give these guys a close game. At the end of the day though, this may result in an L for us. They simply have too much talent for us to handle, and it doesnā€™t help that we are away either. If we beat Duke, then maybe but even then, I canā€™t really see us beating them. Yeah, L for us.
  • @North Texas - We bounce back from such defeat with a W over North Texas. Once again, Chris Reynolds is like a man on fire and decides to achieve Jesus status by throwing to Victor Tucker. Who catches the 34 yard pass. With 18 seconds left. You know where Iā€™m going with this. W for us.
  • FIU - Pleaseā€¦ Just onceā€¦ Let us beat them just at least once is all I ask. Iā€™m tired of losing to these guys and I think this season wonā€™t change anything because itā€™s how this stuff works. L for us.
  • UTEP - The funeral for UTEPā€™s football team and athletics program in general has finally arrived in Charlotte. Fans from El Paso are mourning over their team and crying over the sight of Dana Dimel as their head coach still. It is this when masked men with Club Lit signs interrupt the service being performed at Jerry Richardson Stadium. Who are these men you ask? None other than Will Healy and the boys of course. They beat an already dead horse miner in UTEP and Tre Harbison dances on top of their coffin. Club Lit laughs as they continue their C-USA pillage to Middle Tennessee. W for us.
  • @MTSU - Another team whose logo sucks. It looks like they had a deadline for a logo, waited until the very last minute, and then thought ā€œOh shitā€ and quickly drew it on Microsoft Paint. Logos aside, I think it will be a similar game to last year. The score might be closer because we are away and also due to Asher Oā€™Hara but we should be able to win this game. W for us.
  • ODU - Ah, a quiet and peaceful day. The birds are singing and there appears to be a sense of something that has not been felt in the ODU locker room before. Could it be? No it canā€™t. Wait a minute, there it is! Hope and optimism! This appears to be short lived however as Will Healy and the boys arrive with their Club Lit signs and speakers. Club Lit reduce ODU to nothing more than simple choir boys on a Sunday morning and a stain to Virginian college football. After the embarrassment, ODU learns that by law, they have been reduced to a bunch of limited monarchs as they pretend that they have power, but are just sort of there to the rest of the world. How unsurprising. W for us.
  • @Marshall - They will want revenge after last season and plus itā€™s away. Itā€™s tricky but weā€™ll manage to pull it off. This wonā€™t be enough for them however as we continue our reign of terror to Kentucky with a nicely worked W.
  • WKU - I thought we could beat them last season but I was wrong. Iā€™m going for the same thing again because optimism. Let me have hope in my team damnit. W for us.

9-3, we go to Myrtle Beach, and hopefully win there. And maybe even a C-USA championship too? Yeah nevermind, Iā€™m asking for too much. Iā€™ll be happy with a bowl again as long as we win. Would be nice to see us win at least something for once.

1 Like
33

clt says the Salisbury post is the paper of record for Charlotte sports

3 Likes
34

ESPN has us at 6-6. Losses @UT, @Duke, @FAU, @NT, @Marshall and WKU.

6-6 seems like the sweet spot. Iā€™ll go with that.

35

Iā€™d love for us to be bowl eligible and go to Myrtle beach. I think as long as we get six wins that is where we will end up.

36

To add to this, back to back bowls is a huge step for the program. Sets an expectation for bowling and a minimum bar for success. Also helps perception and recruiting.

37

Iā€™m nervous about UNT as it will be the 2nd road game in seven days.

I think we played our worst game of 2019 in that scenario at Western.

Our second worst game was at UTEP out of times zone.

We will not be so good that we can play a bad game 1500 miles from home and win.

38

call me crazy, but I have us at 1 conference loss and losses to Duke and UT. Conference champions for the 49ers

39

Thatā€™s an excellent article on Reynolds, thanks for posting,

40

Send the writer a quick thank you (I did). Maybe we will get more coverage in the Post.

2 Likes