Opponent preview: Charlotte finds momentum before Gamecocks game

This season couldn’t have started worse for the Charlotte 49ers. An injury to their veteran quarterback and three straight losses became the catalyst for what looked like a long year ahead.

Sometimes though, all it takes is one play to change the momentum.

Down by six points with 21 seconds remaining, fifth-year quarterback Chris Reynolds threw a two-yard slant pass to wide receiver Grant DuBose to give the 49ers a late lead over Georgia State. Four plays later, the clock struck zero and Charlotte picked up its first win last Saturday.

“It’s a feeling of excitement. It’s a feeling of relief,” DuBose said after the game, with a huge smile on his face. “To get over the hump, get that first win of the season, and get some momentum going into next week.”

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With the first win out of the way, the 49ers will have to carry that late-game magic into this weekend when they face a struggling South Carolina team.

The Gamecocks are coming off a pair of losses to top-10 teams in Arkansas and Georgia. One thing both teams have in common is beating Georgia State, which the Gamecocks did back in week one, winning 35-14.

“They scored more points on Georgia State than we did and they scored more points on Georgia State than North Carolina did, and I know North Carolina’s playing pretty good offense this year up in Chapel Hill,” Shane Beamer said. “So, our defense has a big challenge.”

There’s been a noticeable difference in play for the 49er’s offense when Reynolds is on the field. After missing the previous two games—both of which were losses—the four-year captain came back from an upper-body injury with a resurgence. He completed 31-of-43 passes for 401 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 9.3 yards per throw last week.

For the players around Reynolds, having him under center is important, as he’s their “field general.”

“He knows everybody’s role, he knows where the ball is supposed to be,” Charlotte wide receiver Elijah Spencer said. “To have that confidence, it kind of feeds off to each and every one of us. So, we feel really confident driving down the field with him.”

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Surrounding Reynolds is a talented receiver group that features DuBose and Spencer as its top two targets. DuBose leads the team in receptions (25) and touchdowns (5). Spencer has caught 16 passes for a team-leading 319 yards with one touchdown. He’s also averaging nearly 20 yards per catch this year. In addition to the tandem is another talented weapon, senior wideout Victor Tucker. He’s hauled in 24 passes for 233 yards and three touchdowns, with 9.7 yards per catch.

“Three of their receivers are really good. That’s all I keep hearing about their receivers, especially (DuBose),” Zacch Pickens said.

On the opposite side of the ball, the 49ers rank last in FBS in total defense and have given up 563.8 yards per game. Dating back to last season, they’ve allowed at least 40 points in eight of their last nine games played.

Without any context, this would bode well for the Gamecock offense. But when diving into their recent woes, it could be a challenge early on. Through three games, they’ve turned the ball over eight times, six of which have been interceptions by Spencer Rattler.

Charlotte owns a 0.25 turnover margin and played disruptively against Georgia State’s offense, which caught Beamer’s attention.

“They’ve got some transfers that are helping them. It’s a new defensive coordinator, a new system, so you can see them getting more and more comfortable each week,” Beamer said. “Probably the turning point in that game against Georgia State the other night was they brought up pressure off the backside, hit the Georgia State quarterback in the back, he fumbled, they pick it up and they ran it in for a touchdown.”

‘The very next drive, they get pressure on the quarterback. Quarterback gets hit, it’s another interception and Charlotte takes over at midfield.”

Since joining Conference USA in 2015, Charlotte has never beaten an SEC opponent in its two tries. Despite being massive underdogs, the 49ers are looking forward to taking on the challenge ahead with momentum on their side.

“It’s important we have a great week of preparation this week,” Charlotte head coach Will Healy said. “I think everybody in here understands the task that’s at hand. We’re excited about the opportunity, playing a great football team in a great environment. But we still have so much to do in this building and that’s our focus right now.”

The Gamecocks and 49ers will kick off from Williams-Brice Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Saturday night. The game will be televised on ESPNU with Jay Alter, Forrest Conoly and Tamara Brown on the call.

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