49ers back at home … Can they win again?

The Charlotte 49ers take the field Friday night in a position they haven’t experienced any other time this season – coming off a victory.

The 49ers (1-6, 1-2 American) host Tulane (3-4, 1-2) in a 7 p.m. nationally-televised (ESPN2) contest from Jerry Richardson Stadium.  Charlotte was off last week, but the 49ers snapped a lengthy losing streak two weeks ago with a 38-31 victory at Temple.

Now, the big question … are the 49ers capable of winning again this week?

Charlotte head coach Tim Albin said this week that his team is in a good place.

“I was really impressed by the grit that our team showed,” he said of the Temple contest. “And then we got a much-needed open week.”

“Some of the guys who have been playing a lot got some rest,” he added.

The circumstances surrounding this game are a lot different, compared to last season’s  Charlotte-Tulane game.  That time, the teams were playing in the regular-season finale (Nov. 29) in New Orleans, and Tulane was playing for a berth in the American Conference championship game.

The Green Wave won 27-0.

A lot has changed.  Then-Tulane coach Jon Sumrall is now at Florida, and a number of top players on the 2025 Green Wave team have moved elsewhere.

Still, Albin said, Tulane poses plenty of problems for the 49ers.

“You need two or three game plans in preparing for them,” he said.

Albin said the Green Wave can run an option offense, or use a two-back running-oriented attack.  They also have an effective short-yardage passing game, he said.

“They have two backs (Johnnie Daniels and Maurice Turner) who are both dynamic,” he said. “They can make a lot of things happen.”

The 49ers are likely to go with Conner Harrell at quarterback, after he threw for 281 yards and a pair of touchdowns against Temple. Henry Rutledge rushed for 123 yards and has become an important part of the 49ers’ attack.

Just noting:

Charlotte is 0-2 all-time against Tulane.  The 49ers lost at home, 34-3, in 2024.  That means they’ve been outscored 61-3 in the two contests.

This is Charlotte’s only non-Saturday game of the season.  The 49ers played four such contests a year ago.

There will be a Halloween theme to Friday night’s game, with 49ers’ athletes handling trick-or-treating duties before the game.