The 2013 Charlotte 49ers football team represented the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (also called Charlotte or UNC Charlotte) in the 2013 NCAA Division I FCS football season. 2013 was the inaugural season for 49ers football and they were classified as an FCS independent school, meaning they had no athletic conference affiliation for the 2013 season. The team was led by first time head coach Brad Lambert and played its home games on campus at the newly built Jerry Richardson Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. As the team was in their two-year transition period before reclassifying to the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), they were ineligible to participate in the FCS playoffs.
Personnel
Coaching staff Name Position Seasons atCharlotte Alma mater Brad Lambert Head coach 1 Kansas State (1987) Jeff Mullen Offensive coordinator 1 Wittenberg (1990) Bruce Tall Defensive coordinator 1 Ohio Wesleyan (1982) Phil Ratliff Offensive line/Recruiting coordinator 1 Marshall (1994) James Adams Secondary 1 Wake Forest (2006) Drew Dayton Inside linebackers 1 Wake Forest (2003) Damien Gary Running backs 1 Georgia (2005) Johnson Richardson Tight ends 1 Wofford (2010) John Russell, Jr. Secondary 1 Wake Forest (2010) Napoleon Sykes Outside linebackers 1 Wake Forest (2006) Joe Tereshinski III Wide receivers 1 Georgia (2006)Reference:
Recruiting
Recruiting classes
Charlotte's first recruiting class was signed in 2012. The entire first recruiting class was red-shirted, as the 49ers would not play until the 2013 season.
The following recruits signed their letters of intent with the Charlotte 49ers football program for the 2013 recruiting year.
Players
Player notes Starting redshirt freshman quarterback Matt Johnson of Maiden, North Carolina was named to the Jerry Rice Award Watch List.
Player gameday honors
Wearing jersey #49 Position Game Jersey name Game captains Flag carriers Larry Ogunjobi NT Campbell Grit Daniel Blitch, Desmond Cooper, Mikel Hunter, Martay Mattox Brandon Banks, Jamal Covington, Thomas La Bianca Caleb Clayton-Molby LB Chowan Leadership Danny Book, Micah Bryan, C.J. Crawford, Mark Hogan Alan Barnwell, Blake Brewer, James Middleton Mikel Hunter WR NC Central Determination Matt Johnson, C.J. Crawford, Brandon Banks, Micah Bryan Mason Sledge, Terry Caldwell, Trent Bostick Danny Book RT James Madison Opportunity Daniel Blitch, C.J. Crawford, Nico Alcalde, Mark Hogan Kalif Phillips, Devin Pearson, Brandon Banks Devon Johnson DE Presbyterian Determination Jamal Covington, C.J. Crawford, Mark Hogan, Martay Mattox Kalif Phillips, Keaston Sinicki, Daquan Lucas Thomas La Bianca C Gardner-Webb Grit C.J. Crawford, Mikel Hunter, Mark Hogan, Devon Johnson Justin Bolus, Caleb Clayton-Molby, Cortezz Nixon Alan Barnwell RB UNC Pembroke Determination Mikel Hunter, C.J. Crawford, Caleb Clayton-Molby, Mark Hogan Daniel Blitch, Desmond Cooper, Brandon Strupp Keaston Sinicki LS Charleston Southern Determination Brandon Banks, Jamal Covington, Matt Johnson, Brandon Strupp Justin Bolus, James Middleton, Lee McNeill Nico Alcalde LB Coastal Carolina Determination Desmond Cooper, Caleb Clayton-Molby, C.J. Crawford, Jamal Covington Larry Ogunjobi, Austin Duke, Demarrell Alexander Mark Hogan LB Wesley Leadership C.J. Crawford, Mark Hogan, Mikel Hunter, Zeb Little, Alex Petzke, Brandon Strupp Caleb Clayton-Mobly, Kalif Phillips, Keaston Sinicki Casey Perry OT Morehead State Leadership C.J. Crawford, Mikel Hunter, Mark Hogan, Caleb Clayton-Molby Jamal Covington, Mark Pettit, Lee McNeillReference:
Roster
Depth chart
Schedule
Denotes the then largest crowd in Jerry Richardson Stadium history.
Television
Local TV coverage was provided on WCCB with Sam Smith calling play-by-play. Former Carolina Panther Quarterback Brett Basanez and Jeff Zell with color commentary; and Brandon Davidow from the sideline.
Radio
Radio coverage for all games was broadcast by IMG College through the Charlotte 49ers Radio Network flagship station WZGV ESPN 730. The radio announcers were Matt Swierad with play-by-play, former Carolina Panther Kevin Donnalley with color commentary, and Bobby Rosinski with sideline reports.
Game summaries
Campbell Fighting Camels
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To open their inaugural season, Charlotte faced the Campbell Fighting Camels. Charlotte dominated the game, winning 52–7.
Charlotte opened the scoring in the first quarter when Mark Hogan returned an interception 32 yards for a touchdown, marking the first points in Charlotte 49ers football's history. Justin Bolus scored the 49ers' first offensive touchdown on a 1-yard pass from Matt Johnson. That was followed by the 49ers' first two-point conversion on a rush by C. J. Crawford. Austin Duke caught another touchdown pass from Matt Johnson followed by the first of Blake Brewer's four successful point-after attempts that day, to close out the first quarter.
Brewer opened the second quarter scoring on the 49ers' first three-point kick from 35 yards out. Kalif Phillips added to the 49ers' point total with a 15-yard touchdown run. Campbell scored their only points of the day on a 1-yard touchdown run by Dakota Wolf, and a successful point-after kick by Alex Biby. Charlotte ended the first half by scoring on a 20-yard Blake Brewer kick with no time left on the clock. Charlotte led Campbell at the half, 35–7.
Charlotte received the ball to open the second half and concluded the opening drive on Blake Brewer's third and final three-point conversion of the day, a successful 40-yard field goal. Trent Bostick closed the third-quarter scoring with a 47-yard passing touchdown from Matt Johnson.
The fourth quarter featured only one scoring drive, as Corey Nesmith Jr. ran in a 33-yard touchdown.
Top performers for the game included Charlotte quarterback Matt Johnson, who passed for 282 yards and 3 touchdowns. Charlotte running back Kalif Phillips had 9 carries for 66 yards and a touchdown. Charlotte receiver Trent Bostick had 4 receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown.
Game notes: First game in program history First game in the newly opened Jerry Richardson Stadium First game against an FCS opponent First win in program history
(DII) Chowan Hawks
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In their second home game Charlotte faced the Chowan Hawks. Charlotte got their second victory in dominating fashion, winning 47–7.
Charlotte opened the scoring in the first half on an Austin Duke 10-yard touchdown reception from Matt Johnson. Charlotte scored the first safety in program history late in the first quarter. Blake Brewer added a 27-yard field goal, followed by a Kalif Phillips 40-yard touchdown reception from Matt Johnson to end the first-quarter scoring.
Chowan opened the second quarter scoring with a 35-yard touchdown reception for Antjuan Randall off a pass from Cameron Stover for Chowan's only points of the day. On the subsequent kickoff return Mikel Hunter returned the kick 96 yards for a touchdown, marking the longest scoring play in Charlotte's program history and ending the first-half scoring with Charlotte having a 26–7 lead.
Trent Bostick opened the third-quarter scoring with a 30-yard passing touchdown from Matt Johnson. Austin Duke closed the quarter with a 7-yard touchdown reception from Johnson as well.
The fourth quarter featured only one scoring drive, as Corey Nesmith Jr. caught in a 10-yard touchdown pass from Johnson, marking Matt Johnson's fifth touchdown pass of the day.
Top performers for the game once again included Charlotte Quarterback Matt Johnson, who passed for 256 yards and 5 touchdowns. Charlotte Running Back Alan Barnwell had 14 carries for 80 yards. Charlotte Receiver Austin Duke had 7 receptions for 83 yards and two touchdowns.
Game notes: First game against a Division II program.
NCCU Eagles
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In their third home game Charlotte faced the NC Central Eagles. Charlotte suffered the first loss in program history as well as their first ever home loss, defeated soundly by the Eagles, 40–13
NC Central opened the scoring in the first half on two Oleg Parent field goals, the first from 39 yards and the second from 20 yards.
NC Central scored the first touchdown of the game late in the second quarter on a Deyonta Wright 4-yard run. NC Central took a 13–0 lead into halftime, holding the Charlotte 49ers to their first scoreless half of play.
Central took the opening second-half kickoff in on Adrian Wilkins 100-yard kickoff return. Midway through the third quarter a Tony Williams IV 48-yard interception of a Matt Johnson pass was returned for another Central touchdown. Idreis Augustus added a late third quarter score on a 2-yard run, holding the 49ers pointless going into the final quarter of play.
The 49ers avoided their first shutout after an Alan Barnwell 2-yard run gave them their first score of the game. Central responded on an Idreis Augustus 5-yard run. On the final play of the game the 49ers scored their second touchdown on a Lee McNeill 10-yard run.
Despite his 5 interceptions thrown in the game, Charlotte quarterback Matt Johnson passed for over 335 yards, setting a new personal best. NC Central running back Idreis Augustus had 16 carries for 80 yards and 2 touchdowns. Charlotte receiver Austin Duke had 7 receptions for 97.
Game notes: First game against a scholarship FCS opponent First loss in program history
#15 James Madison Dukes
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James Madison was a late addition to the Charlotte 49ers' 2013 football schedule. Originally Charlotte had been scheduled to play future C-USA opponent ODU in 2013 and 2014. ODU, having secured a game against Vanderbilt during the summer, dropped the return game at Charlotte in 2014. Needing a short notice replacement home game for the next season, Charlotte reached out to JMU. JMU agreed to add an away game against Charlotte in 2014 in exchange for a home game in 2013. Subsequently, Charlotte dropped the ODU game in 2013 and replaced them with the game at JMU.
This was not only the first away game in Charlotte 49ers football history, but also the first night game and the first road loss. In addition, James Madison was ranked 15th in the Week 3 FCS polls at the time, making them Charlotte's first ranked opponent.
Charlotte recovered a JMU fumble on the opening kickoff, which set up a touchdown two plays later as Matt Johnson ran it in from 8 yards out. This early lead proved to be Charlotte's only scoring drive of the game. JMU answered on a 13-play scoring drive that concluded with a Dae'Quan Scott 9-yard rushing touchdown. Charlotte's next drive included 12 plays and got the 49ers to the JMU 1 yard line, but Charlotte turned the ball over on downs after being unable to break the plane of the goal line. JMU's next drive ended in a score as Dea'Quan Scott ran the ball in from 20 yards out for his second touchdown of the quarter.
The only score of the second quarter was a Michael Birdsong 37-yard pass to Quinton Hunter for a touchdown. Charlotte attempted a 58-yard field goal at the end of the half but missed. The halftime score was JMU up, 20–7.
The only score of the third quarter came on a Rashard Davis 36-yard rushing touchdown.
The final score of the game came in the fourth quarter as Khalid Abdullah ran in a touchdown from 2 yards out. The game ended in a JMU 34 to 7 victory.
Top performers for the game were all from JMU. Quarterback Michael Birdsong passed for 201 yards and 2 touchdowns, with only 1 interception. JMU running back Dae'Quan Scott had 35 carries for 176 yards and 2 touchdowns. JMU receiver Quinton Hunter had 3 receptions for 63 yards and a touchdown.
Game notes: First away game in program history. First away loss in program history. First night game in program history. First ranked opponent in program history. First rain game in program history. First out of state game in program history. First game in program history played in Virginia.
Presbyterian Blue Hose
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