Goldrush: September 22 vs. Florida Atlantic

SEPT. 22, 2015 VS. FLORIDA ATLANTIC CHARLOTTE VS. FLORIDA ATLANTIC 路 SEPT. 22, 2015

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UNC CHARLOTTE FOOTBALL 2015 FRIDAY, SEPT. 4

Georgia State at Atlanta, Ga.

3:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 12

STAFF PICKS

Presbyterian at Charlotte, N.C.

Noon SATURDAY, SEPT. 19

Middle Tennessee at Murfreesboro, Tenn.

7 p.m.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 26

Florida Atlantic at Charlotte, N.C.

7 p.m.

FRIDAY, OCT. 2

Temple

at Charlotte, N.C.

7 p.m.

SATURDAY, OCT. 17

Old Dominion at Norfolk, Va.

3:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, OCT. 24

Southern Miss

FINAL SCORE: CHAR 24, FAU 34

“The 49ers return home after a blowout loss in their first C-USA game. I expect Charlotte to make adjustments, but this is still a learning process and fans will need to be patient.”

at Charlotte, N.C.

Noon SATURDAY, OCT. 31

Marshall

at Charlotte, N.C.

TBA SATURDAY, NOV. 7

FIU

at Miami, Fla.

Noon SATURDAY, NOV. 14

UTSA

at Charlotte, N.C.

TBA SATURDAY, NOV. 21

Kentucky

at Lexington, Ky.

TBA SATURDAY, NOV. 28

Rice

at Houston, Texas

TBA

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FINAL SCORE: CHAR 21, FAU 48

“In the first game under the lights in school history, Charlotte will play inspired but it won’t be enough to knock off a solid FAU football team.”

Tweet us your predictions to @NT_Sports using #CHARPRESPicks

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49ERS PREPARE FOR FLORIDA ATLANTIC

After a blowout loss, Charlotte returns home for the first game under the lights JESSE HODGES INTERN

The 49er football squad hopes to bounce back heavily in their second home and conference game of the season after an embarrassing performance against Middle Tennessee State this past weekend (73-14).

Charlotte was welcomed into the conference with a friendly beat down by one of the conference’s best teams.

Charlotte hopes to clinch their first conference win in Conference USA next weekend versus a struggling Florida Atlantic football team (0-3).

This is the first ever meeting between these two programs.

Charlotte’s defense looked good early shutting down Middle Tennessee State on their first drive.

Quickly after, Charlotte allowed 49 points in the first half, which is the most points they have allowed in a single half in program history. The 73 points allowed over the course of four quarters is also a school record Charlotte isn’t proud to have

set. Middle Tennessee State calculated 695 yards of total offense on the evening.

Kalif Phillips and Uriah Lemay accounted for Charlotte’s only touchdowns of the game. Lemay returned an onside kick for a touchdown in the middle of the first quarter. Lemay’s return was only the third kickoff return for a touchdown in 49er football history. Phillips, who also lead the team in rushing with 72 yards, added a rushing touchdown from one yard out in the second quarter. Quarterback Matt Johnson finished 5-12 for 60 yards and threw two interceptions. He was relieved by Brooks Barden who was 5-16 with 27 yards passing and one interception.

Charlotte didn’t tally any additional points in the second half.

They were completely shut down by Middle Tennessee State’s grimey defense who proved to be able to commit turnover opportunities.

Charlotte only accounted for 219 total yards in

the game and had trouble recording first downs throughout the four quarters.

“We have to have a quick memory and come back this week, work hard, learn from this film and get ready for our home opener in conference,” Charlotte head coach Brad Lambert said.

Austin Duke suffered a leg injury early in the first quarter and did not return to the game. His status for next week’s game is unknown.

Florida Atlantic lost last week’s game to Buffalo (33-15) after the Bison tried to redeem themselves following a tough loss the previous week. Florida Atlantic committed four turnovers and their quarterback was sacked twice.

The Florida Atlantic offense who has had quarterback issues, a low red zone efficiency and a frequent turnover rate.

The keys to Charlotte having success in this week’s matchup is cutting down on turnovers.

Charlotte accounted for seven turnovers against Middle Tennessee State. The 49ers also need to capitalize on opportunities when in the red zone.

Charlotte missed a field goal early in the game against Middle Tennessee State that would’ve potentially given them momentum in the bizarre first quarter.

Lastly, Charlotte needs to fix their miscues, especially in the secondary. Middle Tennessee State registered three 60 plus yard plays in the first half alone. the 49ers will need to eliminate FAU’s big play opportunities Saturday night.

Charlotte’s use of two quarterbacks in the previous game will also be a talking point leading into FAU. If Johnson performs like he did on the road this past week, Barden may get the nod.

Charlotte will need to come out of the gate with a purpose in their next game. The 49ers need to prove that they are worthy of being in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and have a reputation of building a legitimate program in C-USA. The 49ers hope to bounce back with intensity as they perform under the lights for the first time, in front of their home crowd this upcoming Saturday at 7 p.m. at Jerry Richardson Stadium.

Austin Duke hauls in a Matt Johnson pass. Photo by Chris Crews

CHARLOTTE VS. FLORIDA ATLANTIC · SEPT. 22, 2015

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GAME-DAY TAILGATING EDEN CREAMER GUEST WRITER

With the launch of a new football program, the need for an official policy regarding tailgating at the university becomes necessary.

As the university revved up for football, a tailgating policy was created to make sure students and fans have the most fun possible while being safe. These rules and regulations are meant to maximize safety and comfort for all that attend.

Tailgating rules and regulations are completely broken down in University Policy 706, Alcoholic Beverages.

Any violation of this policy may cause students and campus guests revoked tailgating rights, criminal prosecution, disciplinary action through the Office of Student Conduct if the violator is a UNC Charlotte student and/or trespassing charges should the individual be a campus guest.

CAMPUS ENTRANCES AND LOT INFORMATION All entrances except the main entrance and the John Kirk Road entrance will be closed five hours prior to kickoff. Game-day entrances open four hours prior to kickoff.

Parking and tailgating will be available in lots 5, 5A, 6, 7, 7A, 14, 18, 19, 23, 25, 27 and CRI 2 and 3. Decks available for parking are Union Deck, Cone Deck 1 and 2, West Deck and CRI Deck. Oncampus residents not attending the game can park in East Deck 2 and 3 or North Deck.

Students who live on campus who normally park in lots designated for tailgating for football game-day parking will be required to move their vehicles to an alternative parking location the night before a home game. If there are any cars in the parking lots as of midnight on game day, the vehicle will be automatically towed.

Tailgating areas will open four hours prior to the game.

Tailgating at halftime and during the game time is prohibited, and tailgaters will be encouraged to vacate lots. Lots must also be evacuated no later than two hours after the end of the game.

49ers fall by 59 in first Conference USA action The Charlotte 49ers ran into a buzzsaw in Saturday’s lopsided 73-14 defeat at Middle Tennessee

MATT CHAPMAN SPORTS EDITOR

The Charlotte 49ers traveled to Murfreesboro, Tenn. on Saturday evening for the first Conference USA game in program history. Unlike in Charlotte’s previous milestone moments, the Niners (2-1, 0-1) came out flat and got punched in the mouth by the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (2-1, 1-0). The Blue Raiders lit up the scoreboard with 42 first quarter points and cruised to a 73-14 victory as the 49ers committed seven turnovers in their conference opener.

“We’re just turning the ball over too much,” said Charlotte head coach Brad Lambert following the most lopsided loss in school history.

“That’s why the score is what it is. I thought Kalif (Phillips) was running hard. I thought the offensive line was blocking decent up front. We’re just making too many silly mistakes and if you don’t take care of the ball you’re going to run into trouble.”

The Niners’ defense picked up where they left off after a dominant performance against Presbyterian last week and forced a three-and-out on the opening drive of the game. Unfortunately for fans in the Queen City, Middle Tennessee responded, rattling off seven touchdowns on a mere 23 plays and took a commanding 49-7 lead as the 49ers imploded on both sides of the football.

“They were a very good football team. They came out and executed what they wanted to,” said Niner linebacker Nick Cook who led the team with 13 tackles.

“There’s a lot of little things that we messed up, personally. We’re not going to let this define us as a defense or a unit.”

The Blue Raiders put up Madden numbers in the first quarter, racking up over 350 yards while gashing the 49ers with five touchdowns of at least 50 yards.

Charlotte showed tremendous grit and tenacity by putting the clamps on

LOT CONTRABAND Kegs, glass containers, drinking games, devices used to accelerate the consumption of alcohol, grills in parking decks and on brick pavers, open pit fires, staked tents, household furniture and animals are prohibited.

STADIUM CONTRABAND Tobacco products, other drugs, alcohol of all kinds and weaponry are prohibited.

Football patrons will be permitted to bring empty, clear, plastic bottles into the stadium to fill with water at designated fill stations, but other beverages will be prohibited.

The complete University Policy 706 is available online. Tailgaters are encouraged to read this policy prior to game-day.

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49ers head coach Brad Lambert has a lot of adjustments to make before next week’s game.

GOLDRUSH · A NINER TIMES SPECIAL SECTION

Photo by Chris Crews

the high-flying Middle Tennessee offense late in the first half. The defense bounced back, forcing four turnovers in the second quarter alone despite the litany of miscues by the 49ers’ offense.

“This is definitely the best team we’ve played so far,” Cook continued.

“I saw a better effort from the start of the second quarter. We got after it a little bit. We tried to play like it was zero-zero. We have to have a quick memory and come back this week, work hard, learn from this film and get ready for our home opener in conference.”

Charlotte appeared to shift momentum midway through the first quarter on a bizarre, unexpected onside kick by the Blue Raiders.

Uriah LeMay, a transfer from the Georgia Bulldogs, scooped up the kickoff and sprinted 48 yards to pay-dirt, trimming the deficit to a manageable 21-7.

However, the Blue Raiders answered back immediately as Brent Stockstill launched one of his five touchdown passes on the night, connecting with Terry Pettis on a 75-yard bomb.

The Niners then proceeded to cough up the football on four of their next five possessions, including three fumbles on their first three drives of the second quarter.

The 49ers employed the dualquarterback system that Lambert unveiled during last Saturday’s thrashing of the Blue Hose, but both signal callers struggled to adjust to the speed displayed by Middle Tennessee. Redshirt freshman Brooks Barden made his second career start at the helm of the offense and displayed the same early-game jitters that plagued him in his first start.

Barden floated several passes over the heads of his receivers and struggled to push the ball downfield in a Charlotte attack that thrives on hitting home runs. He completed only 5-of-16 pass attempts for a meager 27 yards and tossed a first quarter interception deep inside his own territory.

Matt Johnson, the team’s starting quarterback for the majority of the past two seasons, didn’t fare any better when given the opportunity.

Johnson impressed in limited action

last weekend, but accounted for three costly turnovers, including a pick-six late in the third quarter that pushed the Blue Raiders over 60 points.

Phillips provided the only spark for the Niners on offense, carrying the ball 15 times for 72 yards and one touchdown in the second quarter. Phillips stood on the sideline for most of the second half, but seemed more comfortable than anyone with the adjustment in competition level.

Charlotte’s defense that looked so stout in the first two games allowed 695 yards of total offense, setting records for most points and yards allowed during the program’s brief history.

The 49ers will return home to Jerry Richardson Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 26, hoping to receive a boost from what should be a raucous atmosphere for the first home game under the lights.

Charlotte hosts Florida Atlantic (03) at 7 p.m. with their sights set on their first C-USA victory.

CHARLOTTE VS. FLORIDA ATLANTIC · SEPT. 22, 2015

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QUARTERBACK QUESTIONS The Charlotte 49ers have turned to a dual-quarterback system as Coach Lambert grooms redshirt freshman Brooks Barden for the future MATT CHAPMAN SPORTS EDITOR

Charlotte 49ers head coach Brad Lambert shocked all of Niner Nation last weekend when redshirt freshman Brooks Barden trotted out onto the field as the Niners’ new starting quarterback.

Redshirt junior Matt Johnson started nearly every game at the helm of the offense during the program’s first two seasons and won a three-way position battle through spring ball and summer camp, but a lackluster performance in the season opening victory over Georgia State made Lambert change direction.

“We just wanted to get Brooks in the game and still use Matt because Matt’s got a lot of qualities that we want,” said Lambert following the move.

“I thought Brooks had a really good spring and I wanted to get him in the game and let him play because as we move forward we’re going to need two quarterbacks. I liked the way Matt handled the situation and both of them have done a phenomenal job.”

The dual-quarterback system has been a heated topic of discussion for years and many believe that when a team plays two quarterbacks, in reality they have zero. More often than not a quarterback carousel not only disrupts the play under center, but also has a negative effect on the rhythm of the entire offense.

However, the game plan has worked wonders before and Lambert looks at Coach David Cutcliffe and Duke University as a blueprint for Charlotte’s success. Cutcliffe rescued

the Blue Devils from the depths of college football purgatory when his unorthodox two-headed attack caught the nation by surprise in 2013.

“I’ve always liked the way Coach Cutcliffe’s done it at Duke,” said Lambert.

“When you have the ability of a quarterback like Matt you can get two guys involved. I liked the way it flowed and I thought Matt was really calm throughout the whole process.”

As the quarterback, Johnson has been the face of Charlotte’s program since the inaugural

season in 2013. His high-risk, high-reward ups and downs have been well documented for over two years now and the coaching staff has finally decided to move another direction.

It’s essential for the 49ers that the more experienced Johnson buys into the new scheme and aids in the development of the younger Barden. The Niners are in the midst of a terribly difficult transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision and need Johnson’s leadership intangibles on and off the gridiron now more than ever.

“A lot of times the quarterback has to take on a role of stepping back, being isolated and making sure that he’s got his stuff together,” said Johnson.

“In this situation Brooks is going to be the guy who needs to do that and lead through his example and I kind of get to bounce around and keep morale up and keep tempo up.

I’m getting to play on some of my strengths and I feel like those are a couple things that I’m pretty good at.

It’s given me a little more free reign to have emotion and show emotion. I think it has helped our offense stay very supportive of what we’ve been doing.”

Barden echoed Johnson’s sentiments, adding that both quarterbacks possess a different set of skills that bring a unique element to the 49ers’ offense.

“I’M GETTING TO PLAY ON SOME OF MY STRENGTHS ... IT HAS GIVEN ME A LITTLE MORE FREE REIGN TO HAVE EMOTION AND SHOW EMOTION. I THINK IT’S HELPED OUR OFFENSE STAY VERY SUPPORTIVE OF WHAT WE’VE BEEN DOING.”

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QUARTERBACK MATT JOHNSON GOLDRUSH · A NINER TIMES SPECIAL SECTION

Top: Brooks Barden provides a threat running and throwing the football.

Bottom: Matt Johnson has shown a knack for throwing the deep ball.

Photos by Chris Crews

“Mixing me and Matt both into the game, I like that a lot,” said Barden.

“He brings a lot to the table and he has a lot of gifts. Obviously he throws the deep ball well and I think we’ll both play really well.

I’ve learned a lot. When Matt comes off the field we sit down and talk through it. It’s really been good for me to learn a lot from him.”

Both quarterbacks have struggled thus far early in the 2015 season as the entire team tries to adjust to the size and speed of the game after the change in competition.

Barden has shown the rust and jitters one would expect from a quarterback playing for the first time since high school. His accuracy downfield has been inconsistent, evidenced by his 48.5 completion percentage and lack of explosive plays in the passing game.

Johnson has had more success marching the football down the field, but the turnovers that plagued him last season are still a cause of concern in 2015. He has already given the ball away on eight different occasions, throwing four interceptions to go along with four additional fumbles.

Lambert intends to utilize both

guys throughout the rest of the season in an attempt to groom Barden into the quarterback of the future while still taking advantage of the big-play ability Johnson brings to the table. The 49ers got a taste of the growing pains that will define this season in last night’s blowout loss, but the team has bought into the grind from day one and will no doubt continue to work each and every day.

“The way that me and Brooks handle it, there’s not a lot of difficulties that come with the situation,” said Johnson.

“It’s all about Charlotte succeeding and we know that we’re going to have to do what they tell us anyway.

We’ve adapted to it really well, honsetly within a practice. We’ve been able to keep tempo up which is what we want to do. Brooks has definitely stepped up to the plate to take care of what he needs to take care of. It has also helped me hone in on some things that I’m good at, but I can also get better at.”

The two quarterbacks will look to rebound on Saturday, Sept. 26 when the 49ers welcome Florida Atlantic to Jerry Richardson Stadium.

CHARLOTTE VS. FLORIDA ATLANTIC · SEPT. 22, 2015

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