College preview: 49ers update; JCSU plays Friday night
Turnovers and third-down failures are the biggest problems.
Quarterback Cole Gonzalez is not totally to blame for the offensive woes.
But backup quarterback Conner Harrell is ready to go, just in case.
And head coach Tim Albin is playing a role in the offensive play-calling.
Those were takeaways from Albin’s meeting with the media earlier this week, in advance of the winless Charlotte 49ers’ game Saturday at North Texas.
It is among seven college football games Saturday involving Charlotte-area teams.
The weekend schedule actually begins Friday night, when Johnson C. Smith hosts Shaw. That game was pushed forward a day, due to weather concerns about Hurricane Isaias.
The Charlotte 49ers (0-5, 0-1 American) face North Texas (3-2, 1-0) in a 3:30 p.m. contest in Denton, Texas.
The 49ers are coming off a 59-8 homecoming drubbing last Saturday by Memphis.
That loss, and the four preceding it, have some fans critical of the job being done by offensive coordinator Todd Fitch … and the play of Gonzales.
Albin said it starts with the turnovers and third-down woes.
“The most glaring thing is the turnover problem, and the third-down situation,” he said. “We’re working on it.”
Albin said the turnovers have caused coaches to make some personnel changes this week.
“You’ll see some new faces in there,” he said. “If you put the ball on the ground, you don’t play.”
Albin also said the problems can’t be placed directly on the shoulders of Gonzales.
“It’s not all Cole’s fault,” he said. “He’s had pressure (from defenses). We’ve got to fix some things.”
But Harrell, who missed last week with what team officials are calling a “lower-body injury,” will be ready.
“Conner is a full-go,” Albin said. “We’ll see how that plays out. I’m excited about having choices.
And as for Fitch’s work?
“I’m involved in it,” he said. “I have to approved the offensive game plan. And I’m on the headphones during the game and know what’s being called.”
Albin said North Texas presents plenty of problems, especially with quarterback Tayven Jackson and running back Jaheem White. Jackson’s 1,519 passing yards are fifth-best in FBS, and White’s 582 rushing yards puts him ninth in FBS.
North Texas is the only FBS program with a top-10 passer and a top-10 rusher.
Here’s a quick look at this weekend’s college football for area teams:
Charlotte
Opponent: North Texas
Info: 3:30 p.m., DATCU Stadium, Denton, Texas. ESPN+
About North Texas (3-2): The Mean Green is coming off a 45-44 overtime victory over Tulsa. Neal Brown is first-year head coach at the school, but he’s a familiar name. He was head coach at Troy and then at West Virginia, before working last year as an assistant under Steve Sarkisian at Texas.
About Charlotte (0-5): The 49ers’ depth chart for this week lists an “either/or” for Cole Gonzales and Conner Harrell at quarterback. Offense has been a big problem for Charlotte, although RB Henry Rutledge broke a 75-yard touchdown run last week against Memphis.
Note: The 49ers are averaging 17.2 points a game. North Texas is averaging 40.6. the 49ers have converted 27 percent (17-of-63) third-down conversions. The Mean Green has converted 51 percent (36-of-70).
Johnson C. Smith
Opponent: Shaw
Info: 7 p.m. Friday, Irwin Belk Complex, Charlotte.
About Shaw (4-2, 2-2 CIAA): The Bears are coming off a 34-29 loss last Saturday to Bowie State. They have been playing wide-open football, averaging 30.5 points on offense and 27.0 on defense. RB Trey Thorpe is averaging about 100 yards a game.
About Johnson C. Smith (4-1, 2-0): The Golden Bulls have won four in a row, and last week’s was the most impressive – a 51-0 rout of Bluefield State. Fabian Duncan had three first-half touchdown runs, and Damien Mazil threw a pair of scoring passes.
Note: This game was moved from Saturday to Friday evening, due to concerns about Hurricane Isaias. Shaw leads the all-time series 11-7. But the Golden Bulls won last year 52-0.
App State
Opponent: Old Dominion
Info: 1 p.m. Saturday, Kidd Brewer Stadium, Boone. ESPN+
About Old Dominion (1-4, 0-2 Sun Belt): The Monarchs’ record is deceiving, since they have lost to James Madison (5-0), Georgia State (4-1) and Virginia Tech (4-1). QB Quinn Henicle leads the team in rushing, so he is a two-way threat for the Mountaineers’ defense.
About App State (3-1, 0-0): The Mountaineers are coming off a bye and playing their first conference game of the season. QB Malachi Singleton ranks among the FBS in passing yardage per game (301.51 yards, seventh-best), and App State ranks eighth in FBS in plays of 10 yards or more.
Note: During today’s game, App State will be celebrating its NCAA Division 1-AA (now FCS) national championship team. That squad went 14-1 and beat UMass 28-7 in the title game. A number of players from the team, including QB Armanti Edwards (later drafted by the Carolina Panthers) will be on hand.
Catawba
Opponent: Newberry
Info: 6 p.m. Saturday, Shuford Stadium, Salisbury.
About Newberry (3-2, 2-2 South Atlantic): This season has been a bit of a disappointment for the Wolves, who began the campaign as a nationally-ranked team. Newberry is coming off a stunning 48-38 loss to previously-winless UVA Wise. Newberry QB Kidd Mason threw for 317 yards, but the Wolves’ defense allowed 439 yards.
About Catawba (3-3, 2-2): The Indians are coming off a 35-24 victory over Wingate. As has been the case all season, QB Mason Fortune was a standout. He completed 24-of-31 passes for 216 yards, and WR Nick Venezia, a Florida Atlantic transfer, caught seven passes for 82 yards.
Note: Newberry leads the all-time series 44-42-3, but Catawba won 21-10 last year and snapped an eight-game losing streak in the series. These teams first played in 1932.
Davidson
Opponent: Presbyterian
Info: Noon, Bailey Memorial Stadium, Clinton, S.C. ESPN+
About Presbyterian (2-3, 1-1 Pioneer Football League): The Blue Hose are coming off a surprisingly lopsided 55-21 rout of St. Thomas-MN last Saturday. Presbyterian surpassed 500 yards’ total offense for the second straight time at home.
About Davidson (2-4, 0-2): The Wildcats are trying to bounce back from a 63-14 shellacking last Saturday at San Diego. QB Casey Bullock leads the Pioneer League in passing yardage (1,803) and has thrown for 18 touchdowns. The Wildcats’ defense has been a problem, though, allowing an average of 43 points a game.
Note: Kickoff for this game was moved from 5:30 p.m. to noon, due to the approach of Hurricane Isaias. Presbyterian has won a program-record 10 straight home games. The Presbyterian-Davidson game is called the Carolina Border Clash, with the winner getting the 1919 Cup.
Gardner-Webb
Opponent: Eastern Illinois
Info: 3:30 p.m., Spangler Stadium, Boiling Springs.
About Eastern Illinois (1-4, 0-0 Ohio Valley): The Panthers have been outscored by an average of 41-18 this season. Their main offensive threat is RB Charles Kellom, who has rushed for 327 yards and four touchdowns. They have lost to Minnesota and to the No. 1-ranked FCS team, South Dakota State.
About Gardner-Webb (2-4, 1-0): The Runnin’ Bulldogs are coming off a 12-10 victory at Charleston Southern. QB Cole Pennington has thrown for 1,880 yards, which ranks third in FCS. Defensively, the Bulldogs are holding opponents to a 25 percent success rate on third-down conversions.
Notes: This is the teams’ third meeting. Gardner-Webb won the previous two contests.
Lenoir-Rhyne
Opponent: UVA Wise
Info: 6 p.m., Carl Smith Stadium, Wise, Va.
About UVA Wise (1-5, 1-3): Which UVA Wise team shows up this week? The one that started 0-5 and was badly beaten several times? Or the one that shocked Newberry 48-38 last week, with Evan Kennedy rushing for 151 yards and McCaran Beason throwing four touchdown passes.
About Lenoir-Rhyne (2-4, 1-2): Coach Dave Socha said his team’s biggest problem has been playing consistently. The Bears have been hurt by spells of turnovers and other errors. QB Wells Bettenhausen completed 18-of-28 passes last week in a 20-17 overtime loss to Carson-Newman, and Eddie Clark rushed for 102 yards.
Note: The teams have met five times, with Lenoir-Rhyne winning four of those games.
Wingate
Opponent: Tusculum
Info: 3 p.m. Saturday, Irwin Belk Stadium, Wingate.
About Tusculum (3-3, 2-2): The Pioneers dropped a 42-40 four-overtime decision last Saturday to Mars Hill. They are averaging 225.6 rushing yards a game – second in the SAC (behind Carson-Newman) and 21st in NCAA Division 2. QB Tedros Gleaton rushed for 106 yards last week.
About Wingate (2-4, 1-3): The Bulldogs lost 35-24 to Catawba last Saturday. QB Brooks Brien has thrown for 1,184 yards and eight touchdowns, but he’s been picked off nine times. And his protection has been shaky, as opponents have recorded 16 sacks. Tyson Brown has been a standout on defense, with 6.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and two fumble recoveries.
Note: Wingate leads this series 18-10 and has won five of the last six meetings.
