College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Charlotte 49ers season with what you need to know.
– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– Charlotte Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2019 Record: 7-6 overall, 3-5 in C-USA
Head Coach: Will Healy, 2nd year, 7-6
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 93
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 72
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 103
No one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.
5. College Football News Preview 2020: Charlotte 49ers Offense 3 Things To Know
– There’s only a five-year sample size of Charlotte football being alive and kicking in the FBS world, but the offense was by far the best ever. It led Conference USA in rushing, finished fourth overall, and scored 34 points or more six times after doing it just six times over the first four years.
But now it has to go on without offensive coordinator Alex Atkins – who left for Florida State – and in comes Mark Carney to try keeping it all going.
CFN in 60 Video: Tennessee Preview
Charlotte at Tennessee, Sept. 5
[jwplayer HO2AndTA]
Doing it all again starts with replacing Benny LeMay, the 1,072-yard back who also came up with six scores. Senior Aaron McAllister is a bigger back who can power away – running for 380 yards and five scores – and 5-6, 170-pound sophomore Ishod Finger is a speedster who averaged five yards per crack with five scores.
Those two are strong, but it’s Northern Illinois transfer Tre Harbison who might take over the gig right away – he led the Huskies with over 1,000 yards in each of the last two years.
– Almost all of the top targets are back. The top three receivers – all caught 25 passes or more – form a nice, versatile group starting with junior Victor Tucker, who led the team with 52 catches for 909 yards and seven scores.
6-3, 221-pound senior Tyler Ringwood caught 25 passes with five going for scores, and Cameron Dollar made 41 grabs in the slot. Junior TE Jacob Hunt returns – the 6-4, 255-pounder is more of a blocker catching six passes.
The corps also gets back its quarterback. Chris Reynolds is an all-around baller, throwing for 2,564 yards, averaging close to nine yards per throw, and finishing second on the team with 767 rushing yards and six scores. It’ll be a battle for the No. 2 spot, with JUCO transfer Dominique Shoffner likely getting the job.
– The offensive line that paved the way for the league’s best running game and was decent in pass protection gets back just two starters. The left side is the bigger problem – losing OT Cameron Clark hurts – but veteran Jaelin Fisher is back at center and junior D’Mitri Emmanuel is back at one tackle.