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NCAA Football Betting Online: The Charlotte 49ers are one of the newest teams to FBS football, but head coach Brad Lambert might be coaching for his job this season. He hasn’t been able to find much success since the program moved up to Conference USA with just six wins in two seasons and wasn’t that good at the lower levels of college football either. Six wins and a bowl would likely guarantee him a new contract, but that’s easier said than done.
2017 Charlotte 49ers at a Glance
Charlotte National Championship Odds:
Charlotte Odds to Win Conference USA:
Charlotte Regular Season Win Total:
Charlotte needs to see some improvement from its quarterback in 2017. Kevin Olsen was the initial starter last year, but Hasaan Klugh ended up wrestling the job away.
Klugh was great in his debut, but was somewhat inconsistent the rest of the way. He is not the most accurate passer in the world, but is mobile and that gives him opportunity to make plays at least. Klugh averaged just 6.05 yards an attempts last season, but threw only three interceptions in 224 attempts and will protect the ball.
The 49ers won’t have the same rushing attack they did last season either. It’s not like this team was great on the ground, but it was something at least. Robert Washington and Ben LeMay both return at running back and each averaged five yards a carry last season.
The receiving corps is one of the strengths of the team. Austin Duke may have left, but the team’s other big targets are back and will do their best to find open pockets of space for Klugh to throw into. TJ Ford and Workpeh Kofa won’t see a lot of action for a team that averaged 200 yards a game passing last season, but are a serviceable duo.
There are some real areas of concern along the defense. First and foremost is the amount of sophomores projected to end up starting this year.
Seven sophomores are projected to start on this defense. That’s an absurd number and shows just how inexperienced this team as a whole is. There are only two seniors and one junior projected to start so growing pains are a given.
More importantly are where the team actually has returning starters. Both cornerbacks from 2016 are gone as well as four starters along the front seven. This defense was one of the worst in the country at stopping the pass last season and might not be much better.
2017 Charlotte 49ers Schedule
September 1: Charlotte at Eastern Michigan
September 9: Charlotte at Kansas State
September 16: Charlotte vs. North Carolina A&T
September 23: Charlotte vs. Georgia State
September 30: Charlotte at Florida International
October 7: Charlotte vs. Marshall
October 14: Charlotte at Western Kentucky
October 21: Charlotte vs. UAB
November 4: Charlotte at Old Dominion
November 11: Charlotte vs. Middle Tennessee State
November 18: Charlotte at Southern Miss
November 25: Charlotte vs. Florida Atlantic
List of Charlotte 49ers Seasons
| Year |
Record |
Bowl Game |
| 2016 |
4-8 |
|
| 2015 |
2-10 |
|
Brad Lambert is the first and only coach in Charlotte’s history. He has yet to have a winning season during his time at the school but this is still a growing program.
Lambert is a defensive-minded coach and delegates the offense to Jeff Mullen. Mullen was brought over just as the team was getting off the ground and has been a loyal foot soldier ever since. His offenses haven’t been that good, but what can you expect from an offensive mind that spend nine years at Ohio and seven years at Wake Forest?
It’s not too crazy to see a scenario where Charlotte happens to make a bowl. North Carolina A&T, Georgia State, and UAB should all be wins and that leaves the 49ers three short of a postseason berth.
Aside from those three, it’s hard to see another win on the schedule. Sure, they will probably shock one or two other teams, but it’s too much to ask for six wins this year. They are slowly building and should be much better in 2018, but this season won’t be pretty.
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