Photo credit: Charlotte Athletics
I'm green-tinted (optimistic by nature, though sometimes it's not easy being green), so I went B-. Honestly, coming into the season I wasn't really unsure what to expect. I thought Charlotte would hang their hat on Ryan Osborn's defense, and that the ceiling/floor depended on 2 things: Max Brown and the offensive line. Fast-forward, Max Brown's playing time was cut short due to a broken thumb, but sounds promising for a return soon? The offensive line has had their struggles and PFF hasn't graded them out well thus far, even with the explosion on the ground against ECU.
So why a B- you might be asking?
Charlotte had a tough non-conference slate, and while it wasn't a thing of beauty, they are sitting at 3-3 (2-0) at the half-way point and a bowl game is within reach. The progression Charlotte fans want to see is a bowl appearance under Biff Poggi, then you start to raise the expectations of the program. Sure, we'd love to win 8+ this year, which is on the table but it's a difficult stretch looming. Secure a bowl appearance, and then take incremental steps forward. Right now, Charlotte has matched their win total from last season, man-handled in-state foe ECU, and has played their best ball of the season over the past 6 quarters. The positives are there for 49er faithful, and if Charlotte can get healthy, along with the NCAA hopefully resolving Ja'Qurious Conley situation favorably, they optimism will shoot upward.
Offense: C+
By far the best football from Mike Miller's unit has come over the last 6 quarters, so their riding into the bye week on a bit of a high. The quarterback room looks to be in good hands, with a high-stakes decision to likely make at the end of the year: Purdie or Brown? Beyond the QB room, Charlotte appears to be well tooled at RB, WR and TE, the offensive line has been inconsistent at best. Time will tell how the offensive develops, and who quarterbacks in Annapolis after the bye, but with Charlotte having their deepest QB room in its history, it's easy to be excited for the offense's potential.
Defensive: C-
Ryan Osborn's group has held their own in AAC play, giving up just 4 touchdowns against Rice and ECU. Again, it appears this side of the ball is trending up. I'll do my best Jeremy Grandison impersonation here, from the Highway 49 Pod. My macro concern has to be the front seven, especially heading into Annapolis to take on #25 Navy. Micro concerns: stopping the run (allowed over 350 yards on the ground in 2 AAC games) and generating a consistent pass rush (2 sacks in league play, both against ECU). The Niners need Stone Handy to emerge as a topflight pass rusher, we've seen the flashes, but consistency has yet to materialize.
Special Teams: A-
Greg Froelich's group has shined, with the only blemishes being a shanked punt (maybe 2?), and a kickoff return for a touchdown for ECU, when the game was well out of hand. Transfer kicker Stephan Rusznak (Michigan State) is 4-4 on FGs, 13-13 on PATs, and 22 of his 28 kickoffs have gone for touchbacks. Kyle Cunanan is also 2-2 on FG attempts. Henry Rutledge is currently tied for 15th in the nation for yards per Kickoff Return at 25.5. Michael O'Shaughnessy, another Michigan State transfer, has an AAC Special Teams Player of the Week award under his belt, and a healthy 43.1 yards per punt average on the season.
