Photo credit: Emmanuel Perkins/Niner Times
I've always been a green-tinted glasses type of writer when it comes to Charlotte 49ers Athletics, but as college athletics have evolved, so too has my view on things. In the past I would lean into the good whereever possible. This athletics program has really broken my ability to do that, along with the state of college sports in general. No, I'm not going all @Normbulance and yelling at the sky here, just level-setting. If Tim Albin and Charlotte Football was good, I'd write good things, unfortunately we're far from that. Are their glimmers of hope? Maybe, but you have to squint pretty damn hard, and a coach starting out 1-14 effectively kills any hope or good faith, no matter what their background was. The Ohio success that we all loved when Albin was hired, it's in the janitors closet in the Judy W. Rose Football Center with a leftover Club Lit sign and Biffmas hashtags.
Through the first quarter of Albin's second season, Charlotte is 0-3, which includes an embarrassing home loss at the hands of The Citadel in 3OT, a road loss at Ole Miss (we did look improved from Game 1), and then a disappointing loss at Appalachian State, where the Mountaineers gave Charlotte a multitude of chances to compete but Charlotte failed to capitalize, ultimately never positioning themselves with a realistic shot of winning in the fourth quarter.
The glimmer I mentioned earlier? Defensive Coordinator Nate Faanes group gave Charlotte a chance to win, only yielding 26 points to App State. The Forty-Niners limited App State on the ground, allowing 90 total yards on 33 carries. Malachi Singleton was able to carve up the secondary however, 29-43 for 345 yards and 2 touchdowns. Charlotte did not get a sack or a hit on Singleton all night, and that's the biggest issue right now for Faanes group; they can't get to the QB. Couple that with consistently soft coverage on the outside (bend but don't break approach may be the mindset, but no idea), it's a recipe for getting torched in the air.
That glimmer is immediately erased when you look at Offensive Coordinator Todd Fitch's offense. If you remove P4/FCS games, Charlotte has scored 14.5 points per game versus G6 programs (I've not taken the time to remove any defensive or special team's touchdowns from this average). I assumed that Fitch would be on thin ice to start the year, but perhaps I was wrong. For those wondering at home, Fitch came to Charlotte on a 3-year deal, with an annual base salary of $254,000. Charlotte would be on the hook for the remainder of his base salary should he be relieved of his duties. For comparison, Faanes signed a 2-year deal at $244,500 annually. I don't believe any other staff member, besides Albin, are under contract. Per Teamrankings.com (uses FBS game data only), Charlotte is currently 113th in yards per carry at 3.1, 87th at passing yards per game with 195, and tied for 133rd witha 3rd down conversion percentage of 16%. If Charlotte's offense sputters against Louisiana this weekend, I'm not sure how Albin can afford to not make a move at the Offensive Coordinator spot. Who might handle those responsibilities you ask? Look no further than Albin, who has a long track record of playcalling.
Thoughts on Ole Miss Louisiana
I won't go as far as saying this is a must win for Albin, but we're approaching that territory, right? I'm not sure any other program has churned throw head coaches at the rate Charlotte has, but with a new Athletics Director in Kevin White, it's certainly warrantsbeing discussed. If this funk continues and a change is made, it'll cost almost $1.5 million to move on (plus the money associated with Fitch).
Faanes' unit will have their hands full with the Ragin' Cajuns QB, Lunch Winfield. At 6'2, 225 pounds, Winfield mandates defenses account for his ability to run the ball, called or improvised. Last year he tallied 667 yards on the ground, 4.4 yards per carry. This season he's at 6.4 ypc and 89 yards per game, while accounting for almost half of their yards per game on the ground. Linebackers Gavin Willis and Kadin Schmitz will no doubt be busy chasing Winfield around, but it's imperative for Charlotte's defensive line to keep containment in an effort to slow him down.
In order for Charlotte to turn the page and win, three areas need to improve:
- Value the ball, Gonzales has already thrown 5 interceptions in three games, couple that with a sputtering offense in general, Charlotte hasn't proven the ability to overcome turnovers.
- Similar to turnovers, Charlotte's created self-inflicted issues with penalties, primarily on offense. They must find a way to clean up penalties, especially when in the red zone.
- Establish the run. Khamani Alexander or Henry Rutledge, preferably both, need to get traction, otherwise Charlotte may as well air things out and play with tempo. Anecdotally, I felt the offense looked the better against App when Charlotte moved with quicker.
