The 2020 Charlotte 49ers football team represented the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The 49ers played their home games at Jerry Richardson Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, and competed in the East Division of Conference USA (C–USA). They were led by second-year head coach Will Healy.
Coaching staff On December 29, Offensive coordinator Alex Atkins officially left the program to become Offensive line coach at Florida State. On January 22, Quarterbacks coach Mark Carney was promoted to replace Atkins as Offensive coordinator, retaining Quarterbacks responsibilities as well. On February 10 two coaches were added to the 49ers staff to replace outgoing Linebackers coach and Special teams coordinator Max Thurmond. Richmond Defensive coordinator Adam Braithwaite joined the staff to coach Linebackers, and former ODU Running backs and Special teams coordinator Charles Bankins joined to oversee Special Teams. On February 17, Texas A&M alum and Offensive analyst Lee Grimes joined the staff to coach the Offensive line.
Name Position Seasons atCharlotte Alma mater Will Healy Head coach 2 Richmond (2008) Marcus West Assistant Head coach/co-Defensive coordinator/Defensive line 2 Memphis (2005) Mark Carney Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach 2 Fordham (2004) Brandon Cooper Co-Defensive coordinator/Safeties 2 UT Martin (2007) Charles Bankins Special teams coordinator 1 James Madison (1994) Adam Braithwaite Linebackers coach 1 William and Mary (2002) Sean Dawkins Runningbacks coach/Run game coordinator 2 Troy (2007) Lee Grimes Offensive line coach 1 Texas A&M (2009) Montario Hardesty Wide receivers coach 2 Tennessee (2010) Eddie Hicks Cornerbacks coach 2 So Miss (2010) Cody Woodiel Tight ends coach 2 Troy (2012)Reference:
Recruiting
Recruiting class The following recruits and transfers have signed letters of intent or verbally committed to the Charlotte 49ers football program for the 2020 recruiting year.
Key transfers Player PositionPreviousHome townHigh schoolClassHeightWeightDerek BoykinsLinebackerS. CarolinaConcord, NCCentral Cabarrus HSFR6'-1"224 lbsTre HarbisonRunning backN. IllinoisShelby, NCCrest HSSR5'-11"208 lbsIssac HamptonDefensive tackleMiami (OH)Charlotte, NCMallard Creek HSRJR6'-0"296 lbsHunter KellyOffensive linemanPenn St.Langhorne, PANeshaminy HSRSR6'-2"310 lbsJosiah So'aDefensive tackleVanderbiltSan Diego, CAKearny HSRJR6'-2.5"285 lbsAntone WilliamsSafetyDukeAtlanta, GAWoodward AcademySO6'-0"170 lbs
Preferred walk-ons Player Position Home Town High school Height Weight D.J. BagwellOffensive linemanKings Mountain, NCKings Mountain HS6'-3"295 lbsJake ClemonsAthleteChristiansburg, VAChristiansburg HS'6-6" 220 lbsChristopher HoustonRunning backMidlothian, VAFork Union5'-9"180 lbsWhit KaneWide receiverWake Forest, NCHeritage HS5'-11"165 lbsBryce KennonWide receiver/Tight endWaxhaw, NCMarvin Ridge HS'6-4" 210 lbsKeegan WilliamsRunningbackMt. Pleasant, SCOceanside Collegiate Academy'5-9" 185 lbs
Players Roster
Depth chart
Awards and honors Preseason Biletnikoff AwardVictor TuckerWRJROutland TrophyJaelin FisherCRSRWuerffel TrophyTyriq HarrisDEGradMaxwell AwardChris ReynoldsQBRJRManning AwardChris ReynoldsQBRJR
Preseason All-Conference USA First TeamBen DeLucaSRSRPreseason All-Conference USA First TeamMarkees WattsDEJR
In season Campbell Trophy FinalistTyriq HarrisDEGradWuerffel Trophy SemifinalistTyriq HarrisDEGradRimington TrophyJaelin FisherOLRSRFWAA Freshman all-America Watch ListTaylor ThompsonTEFR
Conference USA Defensive Player of the WeekTyler MurrayLBRJRAppalachian StateConference USA Offensive Player of the WeekAaron McAllisterRBRSRNorth Texas
Wearing Jersey #49 Position Game D'Mitri EmmanuelOffensive linemanAppalachian StateCameron DollarWide receiverFlorida AtlanticLuke MartinLinebackerNorth Texas Jalen AllenOffensive linemanUTEPTyler MurrayLinebackerDukeWestern Kentucky
Postseason
C-USA All-Academic TeamTyriq HarrisDERSRC-USA All-Academic TeamTyriq HarrisDERSRC-USA All-Conference Second TeamVictor TuckerWRRJRC-USA All-Freshman TeamColby GarfieldLSFRC-USA All-Freshman TeamTaylor ThompsonTEFR
All Conference Honorable Mentions:
Offense: QB – Chris Reynolds, R-Jr. • RB – Aaron McAllister, R-Sr. • OL – Jaelin Fisher, R-Sr.
Defense: DT – Timmy Horne, R-Sr. • DE – Romeo McKnight, R-Sr. • DE – Tyriq Harris, R-Sr. • LB – Tyler Murray, R-Jr. • DB – Ben DeLuca, R-Sr.
Special Teams: P – Conner Bowler, R-Jr.
2021 East–West Shrine Bowl:
Participants: S - Ben DeLuca • DE - Romeo McKnight
2021 SPIRAL Tropical Bowl:
Participant: RB - Tre Harbison
2021 College Gridiron Showcase & Symposium:
Participants: RB - Aaron McAllister • OL - Jaelin Fisher
Schedule Charlotte originally had games scheduled against Norfolk State and Tennessee, which were canceled due to their respective conferences' decisions on the COVID-19 pandemic. The game with Duke was originally scheduled for Thursday September 17 but was moved to Saturday October 31.
On Saturday, August 8, it was announced that the 49ers would play the UNC Chapel Hill Tar Heels on September 19 in Chapel Hill. On August 10, fellow Conference USA member Old Dominion suspended all fall sports, creating another opening on the 49ers' schedule. Appalachian State was added to the schedule on August 12.
On September 14, the home opener against Georgia State was moved from a 6:00 p.m. to a noon start time and also moved from ESPN3 to ESPNU. On September 17, Charlotte announced they had canceled their game at North Carolina scheduled for September 19 due to the impact that contact tracing quarantine has had on a key position group. Several members of the Charlotte offensive line were placed into quarantine following the university's COVID-19 contact tracing protocols, effectively depleting that unit. On September 21 the Conference USA opener against Florida Atlantic was moved from a 6:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. start time and also moved from ESPN3 to ESPNU. On Friday, September 25, Georgia State postponed Charlotte's home opener the next day due to contact tracing issues with a player on their team testing positive for COVID-19. ESPNU picked up Charlotte's games against North Texas and the home opener against FIU, moving both games to 8:00 p.m. starting time. On October 15, FIU postponed their game at Charlotte due to COVID-19 contact tracing player availability issues, marking the sixth game lost for the 49ers in the season and the second time that the home opening was delayed.
On November 3 it was announced that Charlotte had added a home game with Gardner-Webb for November 14. On November 4 CUSA rescheduled the previously postponed FIU conference matchup to December 5. On November 6 Charlotte had to postpone its away game with Middle Tennessee after several players had positive COVID-19 tests. On November 13 Gardner-Webb canceled their game for the next day due to COVID-19 cases on their team. Charlotte postponed its game with Marshall on November 16 due to COVID-19 issues on the team. To clear COVID-19 related quarantine issues Charlotte's home game against Western Kentucky was moved to the following Tuesday morning, December 1, 2020, at 10:30 a.m. Charlotte had to postpone the rescheduled game with Western Kentucky on December 1, 2020, due to COVID-19 concerns. Conference USA canceled FIU's postponed game with Charlotte on December 5, 2020, and replaced them with WKU on December 6, 2020. Conference USA rescheduled the Marshall game for December 11, 2020. Marshall canceled the make-up match on December 9, 2020, due to COVID-19 concerns on their team, effectively ending the 49ers season at six games played.
Television Charlotte 49ers home games and conference road games will be broadcast through Conference USA's television partners ESPN, CBS Sports, and Stadium.
Radio Radio coverage for all games is broadcast by IMG College through the Charlotte 49ers Radio Network flagship station WZGV ESPN Radio 730 AM The Game, and the TuneIn Charlotte 49ers IMG Sports Network app. The radio announcers are "Voice of the 49ers" Matt Swierad with play-by-play alongside NFL veteran Al Wallace providing color commentary and Bobby Rosinski and Walker Mehl with sideline reports.
Preseason media poll No Conference USA Preseason Media Poll has been released as of September 2, 2020.
Game summaries Appalachian State Mountaineers
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Charlotte would strike first with a Tre Harbison run into the end zone but App would tie the game and then go up a touchdown in the second quarter. Jonathan Cruz would tack on a field goal before the half leaving App with only a four-point lead. The fog and rain would continue to plague both teams in the nearly empty stadium as Cruz would add another field goal late in the third to bring the score difference to a single digit, but on the next series App stretched the lead back out to eight points only to have Charlotte's Aaron McAllister get it back to within a point on a 97-yard kick off return. App would again take their lead out to eight points early in the fourth quarter as Charlotte still couldn't find its offensive rhythm in the second half. A late touchdown by App made the score difference fifteen points but didn't change the outcome of the game as the 49ers would drop the season opener 20 to 35.
Top performances were dominated by the Mountaineers and included quarterback Zac Thomas who passed for 204 yards and 1 touchdown with 1 interception. Running back Marcus Williams had 14 carries for 117 yards and a touchdown. Receiver Thomas Hennigan had 5 receptions for 120 yards and a touchdown.
Game notes: Aaron McAllister's 3rd quarter 97 yard kickoff return set a new program record in that category, topping Mike Hunter's 96-yard return in the Chowan game in 2013. McAllister now owns two program records, longest kickoff return and longest run (89 yards at WKU in 2017). Game attendance by non-game officials, teams and players was prohibited by the state government due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Troy transfer redshirt junior linebacker Tyler Murray capped an impressive debut in Niner green with a Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week Award. The ESPN broadcast crew created a minor controversy complaining about the supposed lack of contrasting colors for Charlotte's new away jersey numbers. Additional controversy occurred after the game when an Appalachian State assistant coach posed with App. St. players displaying obscene hand gestures while holding a Charlotte related sign. App. St. Head Coach Shawn Clark would call Charlotte Coach Will Healy to offer an apology for the incident.
Florida Atlantic Owls
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Charlotte would open conference play after two unexpected weeks off visiting their second defending conference champs. Charlotte would go up by 10 points in the 1st quarter, but two long missed field goals by Jonathan Cruz, one in the 2nd quarter and the other off the first drive of the 3rd quarter, would come back to hurt the Niners later. After a scoreless 2nd quarter Charlotte would take a shutout lead into the halftime. Shortly before the halfway point of the 3rd quarter the Owls would finally find the end zone and with under 3 minutes left in the quarter would find it again for their first lead. A Charlotte fumble on the next series would give FAU their third touchdown of the quarter. Early in the 4th quarter Charlotte would get the game into a single score affair again. Charlotte would get into the redzone on the final drive of the game but two sacks of Chris Reynolds would lead to time running out as the Niners would lose 17 to 21.
FAU quarterback Nick Tronti would dominate passing and rushing yards with 98 yards through the air for 2 touchdowns and 10 carries for 94 yards on the ground and a third touchdown. T.J. Chase would have 3 receptions for 31 yards and a touchdown.
Game notes: First time in the 6-game series that the home team has won.