Over the next four weeks, BleedTechBlue.com will preview Louisiana Tech's 2021 schedule.
Today, we breakdown the Charlotte 49ers.
Charlotte | After finishing 7-6 in 2019, Charlotte took a step back in 2020 only going 2-4 in a shortened season. Will Healy will enter year three as the 49ers Head Coach in 2021 looking to get the 49ers into C-USA Championship contention. The non-conference schedule isn't overly difficult with Duke, Gardner-Webb, Georgia State, and Illinois on the docket. The 2021 season will be defined by a five-game stretch includes FAU, Western Kentucky, Rice, Louisiana Tech, and Marshall beginning October 21st.
Who | Charlotte (2-4 overall in 2020, 2-2 in C-USA)
When | November 13, 2021
Where | Joe Aillet Stadium in Ruston, LA
Who to Watch, Offense | Victor Tucker is only 5'11, 177 pounds, but the 49er wide receiver is explosive. In three years at Charlotte, Tucker has caught 136 passes for 2,021 yards and 11 TDs.
Who to Watch, Defense | Tyler Murray is a hybrid LB/S that lead the 49ers with 48 tackles and 2 INTs a season ago. Murray leads the Charlotte LB corp that is extremely undersized on paper. Murray is the biggest of the bunch at 215 pounds.
Outlook | In the two games that Charlotte won a season ago, the offense averaged 43.5 points per game.
In the four losses, the 49ers averaged only 18.7 points per game.
On paper, Chris Reynolds was pretty solid at QB with 8 TDs and 2 INTs.
However, Will Healy obviously wasn't satisfied with Reynolds play as he went and added James Foster from Texas A&M to compete for the starting role this fall.
Whether it's Reynolds or Foster at QB, the 49ers must get more consistent on the offensive side.
The receivers are really good with Tucker, Cameron Dollar, and Micaleous Elder, but finding a run game early on will be a key.
Charlotte does return four starters on the offensive line, but the unity only paved the way for a 3.9 yards per carry average in 2020.
Defensively, Charlotte allowed 32.5 points per game in 2020.
Healy and co. hit the transfer portal hard on the defensive line in the off-season.
Kofi Wardlow (Notre Dame) and Joshua Bailey (Iowa State) hope to provide pass rush help for a defensive line that only had 2.5 sacks in 6 games last season.
The linebackers lack size and the secondary is full of youth and inexperience, if the defensive line can't get pressure up front, the 49ers could struggle on defense once again in 2021.
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