49ers Notes
10th Season of 49ers Football
Charlotte will be competing in its 10th season of football in 2022. Charlotte’s program began in 2013 as an FCS Independent. After two seasons, the 49ers made the leap to the FBS as a member of Conference USA in 2015. Charlotte has played seven seasons at the FBS level as a member of C-USA. This will be Charlotte’s final season in C-USA. In 2023, the 49ers will move to the American Athletic Conference.
PASSING RECORDS
Chris Reynolds broke the 49ers single-season records with 26 passing TDs (15th, FBS; 2nd, C-USA) and 2,684 passing yards (244.0/gm; 5th in C-USA) and owns career records for passing yards (7,726) and TDs (62). He threw for 300+ three times in 2021 including a school-record 448 at Louisiana Tech.
MANNING PASSING ACADEMY
Chris Reynolds completed a neat circle this summer. He was selected to be a counselor at the Manning Passing Academy, where he worked side-by-side with all-time NFL greats Peyton and Eli Manning. When he was in the eighth grade, Reynolds participated in the Academy as a camper — training under the likes of then-college QBs Dak Prescott and Jameis Winston. Reynolds was named to the 30-player Manning Award Watch List. Aug. 22.
THREE WIDE
Charlotte’s wide receiving unit boasts a 2020 Biletnikoff Watch Lister: Victor Tucker, the program’s second all-time leading receiver; a 2022 Biletnikoff Watch Lister: Grant DuBose, the team’s leading reveicer in 2021; and the 2021 C-USA Freshman of the Year: Elijah Spencer, who shared the team-lead with DuBose with six TD catches in 2021. Big Game Boomer ranks the duo of Tucker and DuBose as the 19th-best in the nation, the third-best in North Carolina and the best in C-USA. Both Tucker (2020) and DuBose (2022) have appeared on the Biletnikoff Watch List during their careers. DuBose (892 yds) and Tucker (639 yds) became the 49ers’ first duo to both put up over 600 receiving yards in the same season. Tucker ranks second all-time in career receiving yards and TDs and shares the program record with 13 100-receiving yard games.
WATTS HAPPENING
DE Markees Watts keeps good company. Watts (17.5 sacks), who has bulked up to 240 pounds, is sandwiched between NFL starters Alex Highsmith (20.0 sacks) and Larry Ogunjobi (13.0 sacks) on the 49ers’ career sacks list. With 22.0 career TFL he could join Ogunjobi (49.0) and Highsmith (46.0) at the only three 49ers with 30+ TFL. Ogunjobi, the first 49ers’ player selected in the NFL Draft, started last year for the AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals and signed this offseason with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Highsmith, who played DE at Charlotte, is a starting linebacker for the Steelers
Returning starters:
Charlotte returns 14 starters (8 offense; 6 defense).
On offense, Charlotte returns its starting QB (Chris Reynolds), top two running backs who split starting duties (Shadrick Byrd; Calvin Camp) three starting receivers (WR: Victor Tucker, Grant DuBose TE: Taylor Thompson) and three offensive linemen (Panda Askew, Ashton Gist, T.J. Moore).
In addition, Charlotte returns 2021 C-USA Freshman of the Year: WR Elijah Spencer On defense, Charlotte returns its two defensive ends (Markees Watts; Kofi Wardlow), one defensive tackle (Jalar Holley and three defensive backs (S Solomon Rogers; CBs Trey Creamer and Geo Howard). In addition, Charlotte will welcome back S Tank Robinson, who started game one in 2021 but suffered a season-ending injury. Robinson transferred to CLT from East Carolina in 2021. OL Jon Jacobs, a transfer from Arizona, missed the 2021 season with injury after starting in 2020.
NEED TO KNOW
Charlotte ranked 2nd in C-USA and 14th in the NCAA in time of possession (32:14)
Charlotte forced 5 redzone turnovers
Chris Reynolds and Calvin Camp shared the team-high 4 rushing TDs
Grant DuBose (892 rec. y) recorded the 3rd-most receiving yards in a season by a 49er
Grant DuBose (892 rec. yds) and Victor Tucker (639 rec. yds) became
the first 49er receiving duo to notch 600 receiving yards each in the same season
Chris Reynolds: 3rd, C-USA: TD passes (26); 2nd, points resp. (16.5); 4th: pass eff. (150.8)
DE Mike Kelly posted 23 of his 24 tackles in the 49ers last five games (4.6/gm)
CB Trey Creamer led the 49ers with 7 PBU, including a best of 3 vs. Rice
3 PBU vs. Rice ties a 49ers single-game record against C-USA competition
S Marcus Robitaille made his first career start at WKU, posting an INT, 2 TFL and 6 tackles Robitaille had a career-best 12 tackles at Louisiana Tech (2nd-most by a 49er)
S Solomon Rogers has 31 tackles over his last five games (6.2/gm) (DNP-inj at ODU)
ON THE OFFENSIVE
Charlotte averaged 37.4 points in its five wins with a 10.6 avg. margin of victory
Charlotte scored 30+ points in seven games
Charlotte averaged 31.25 points over the final four games; scoring 4 TDs in each
Charlotte ranked 28th in FBS on 4th down: .629, 22-35, including 8-of-10 in last 2 games
16 different 49ers scored Charlotte’s 42 TDs (13 rush; 27 passing; 2 defense)
HOME SWEET HOME
Charlotte was 4-2 at home and averaged 29.7 points. Charlotte is 10-4 at home in its three years under head coach Will Healy.
Florida Atlantic Notes
NEXT UP
Series: FAU holds the all-time series at 5-2. The Owls have opened the season with conference play just once before, and coincidentally, that too was versus the 49ers. Th at matchup was played on Oct. 3, 2020, a year that schedules were altered due to COVID-19. The last time FAU opened the season in August and at home was versus Wagner, on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2012.
Year-by-Year
09/26/15 A W 17-7, 10/09/16 H L 28-23, 11/25/17 A W 31-12, 11/24/18 H L 27-24, 09/28/19 A W 45-27, 10/03/20 H W 21-17, 10/21/21 A W 38-9
AN OWL WIN WOULD…
• Be the program’s 114th win
• Be Taggart’s third versus Charlotte
• Be the Owls’ fi rst August home opening win since Aug. 31, 2012 versus Wagner
• Move FAU’s record verus Charlotte to 6-3
• Be the Owls eighth season opening win in 22 seasons
2022 Owls’ Preview
Florida Atlantic University’s football team has retooled its young roster and did so by concentrating on the trenches. The Owls, under third year FAU Hagerty Head Football Coach Willie Taggart’s direction, will return an offensive line that features seven of the 10 listed on the two-deep having started for the Owls, along with the addition of Brendan Bordner, a Rutgers transfer who drew five starts last year. The Owls’ offense also will return N’Kosi Perry under center. Perry’s return marks the first time since the summer of 2014 that the Owls have entered the off season with a leading quarterback candidate.
The defensive line finds itself in a similar situation. The four of six projected to be listed on the two-deep have started as an Owl. Wheaton starting defensive lineman transfer Jake Holaday has joined the mix, bringing the total of previous starting linemen to five of six.
That experience will pay off for the three new FAU coordinators, all of whom are stressing up-tempo aggressive play. Brent Dearmon will call the plays for the Owls’ offense, while Todd Orlando will do the same on the defensive side of the ball. The FAU special teams’ reigns have been turned over to Chad Lunsford, who brings former head coaching experience to the Owls.
