The Charlotte Observer from Charlotte, North Carolina • G16

16G SUNDAY AUGUST 29 2021 Expectations are high as Will Healy enters his third year as head coach of the Charlotte 49ers, who are aiming for their second bowl appearance in three years. team will have a chance to put 2020 in the rear- view mirror as it welcomes an in-state ACC opponent in Duke to Jerry Richardson Stadium for the season opener. Arguably no team was affect- ed more by COVID-19 than the 49ers. Charlotte had nine can- celed games, five coming within 24 hours of kickoff. With the disjointed 2020 season in the past, the 49ers are pushing ahead to their season opener Sept.

3. exciting to be talking about a season, and be even more exciting to play a game on the date as Healy said. year is not the col- lege experience that I want for these guys. Going 2-4 and hav- ing nine games canceled is not the student-athlete experience I want for them, and I take that personally. lost sleep over that.

So to say ready for 2021 is an Two years removed from the first bowl game and winning season, this roster is filled with young talent mixed with veteran leaders and several incoming Power 5 transfers. Piecing together a winning sea- son is attainable, but questions surrounding depth and new- comers remain. CARRYING THE LOAD AChris Reynolds, QB. Of- fensively, the weight is going to fall on the quarterback. Follow- ing a program-best 28-touch- down season in 2019, production dipped after tearing the labrum in his throwing shoulder on the first play of the 2020 season.

Reynolds miss a single snap, but his per- formance suffered, posting the lowest completion percentage of his career at 54.9%. Reynolds must return to his 2019 form both through the air and on the ground to keep this team in contention for the Conference USA East crown. Unlike last year, the quarter- back room has more than two scholarship quarterbacks with the additions of Texas transfer James Foster and fresh- man Xavier Williams. Healy has made it clear that this is Rey- job to lose, but watch for Foster to contribute to the of- fense in several ways through- out the season, including de- signed runs and two-quarter- back looks. AVictor Tucker, WR.

He has been Mr. Consistent for the past three seasons, leading the 49ers in receptions (136), receiving yards (2,021) and touchdowns (11) since 2018. In his final sea- son, Tucker must continue to provide explosiveness and the ability to stretch the field with his speed, especially with the loss of Micaleous Elder to the transfer portal. AVeteran defenders.When watching the film from last matchup with Duke, there are only four players who are returning from that defen- sive lineup: defensive end Mar- kees Watts, linebackers Tyler Murray and Luke Martin and defensive back Antone Wil- liams. With several transfers, this group is completely re- vamped from 2020.

In 2019, Watts benefited greatly from having current Pittsburgh Steeler Alex High- smith opposite him on the de- fensive line. Highsmith was double-teamed nearly every play, leaving Watts with regular one-on-one matchups. Taking that next step and creating chaos in the backfield would propel this unit, and Watts has the physicality and motor to do so. Murray broke onto the scene with a 14-tackle performance with two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble and an intercep- tion in his debut against Appa- lachian State. The Troy transfer led the team with 48 tackles and two interceptions in 2020.

Mur- ray must lead the defense and step into the role of communi- cating the play and getting the unit lined up in his senior sea- son. The secondary is constructed entirely of Power 5 transfers, with the leader being Jon Alex- ander (Kansas State). In his final college season, this is Alexan- first shot at being a full- time starter and he must take advantage and bring his play- making ability to a defense that scored since 2019. AREAS OF CONCERN A all up front. The two biggest areas of concern reside on the line of scrimmage.

While the offensive and defen- sive lines have added Power 5 transfers, both units have taken major hits through graduation and the transfer portal. Starting on defense, rushing the passer was abysmal in 2020. In a six-game season, the 49ers recorded just five sacks. Watts was tabbed as a preseason C- USA first-team defensive end but battled injuries all season, recording just two sacks follow- ing his 9.5 in 2019. Watts will likely be the only returning starter from last sea- front four, with transfers Joshua Bailey (Iowa State) and Kofi Wardlow (Notre Dame) entering the rotation.

Wardlow had a strong showing in the spring game but must take a step forward with technique and gap control to emerge as the starting defensive end opposite Watts. The offensive line returns three starters from last season, but depth is still a concern fol- lowing the loss of right tackle Jon Jacobs with a torn ACL. This unit is what makes the offense go, and new offensive line coach Pete Rossomando has his work cut out for him. Reynolds was sacked 15 times through six games in 2020, and while he will say at least 12 of them were his fault for not working through his reads, he was under pressure for of his passes and blitzed on 10 of the sacks. Left tackle Emmanuel returns for his senior season, with Penn State transfer Hunter Kelly and Ashton Gist rounding out the returning starters.

The loss of the highest-rated recruit in program history, Crawford, after just one season is a major loss, but Florida transfer TJ Moore and Arkansas transfer Chibueze Nwanna are welcomed additions to a room that started four lineup combi- nations in 2020. GAME ADuke, Sept. 3 For the first time in program history, the 49ers will face two Power 5 schools in the same season. Charlotte hosts Duke, its first-ever home game against an ACC opponent, in a Friday night matchup on CBS Sports Network. When the Blue Devils come to town it will have been 736 days since the last sell-out crowd at Jerry Richardson Stadi- um (Gardner-Webb, 2019).

The potential for the biggest win in program history is within reach, but the 49ers must put a better product on the field fol- lowing the 53-19 loss in last matchup with the Blue Devils in Durham. team in the country has the same aspiration, and to go Healy said. an internal expec- tation with us, but got to be something we prove on the field. We want to win Power 5 football games. Well, we had the opportunity to do that last year and Duke blew us out.

excited about hosting Duke at home, a Power 5 foot- ball game, great. If you perform well, just them doing you a favor by com- ing A SUCCESSFUL SEASON IS In his first season at Char- lotte, Healy, 36, took the 49ers to their first bowl game and recorded the first winning sea- son in program history. Follow- ing a 2-4 cancellation-riddled season in 2020, getting back in the win column and recapturing the energy that fueled the late- season surge in 2019 is critical. The 49ers need a winning record this season padded by victories at home. They played just two home games last season a 38-28 victory over Texas-El Paso and a 37-19 loss against Western Kentucky on senior day.

Three of the first four games are played at Rich- ardson Stadium, and avoiding a poor start to the season will drive fan attendance. The opportunity to get the fans involved starts with consec- utive games against in-state foes as Gardner-Webb comes to town Sept. 11. Charlotte is yet to secure a victory over a Power 5 program, but the season opener against Duke and a trip to Illi- nois in October provide two more opportunities to turn the corner. JEFF SINER Quarterback Chris Reynolds, left, and wide receiver Victor Tucker will be key players for the 49ers this season.

After disrupted season, 49ers seek another bowl bid BY HUNTER BAILEY Correspondent Coach Will Healy (3rd season) Location Charlotte, N.C. Conference CUSA 2020 record 2-4 Date Opponent Sept. 3 vs. Duke Sept. 11 vs.

Gardner-Webb Sept. 18 at Georgia State Sept. 24 vs. Middle Tenn. Oct.

2 at Illinois Oct. 8 at Oct. 21 vs. Florida Oct. 30 at Western Nov.

6 vs. Nov. 13 at Louisiana Nov. 20 vs. Nov.

27 at Old CUSA game SCHEDULE OFFENSE Position Name QB Chris Reynolds RB Shadrick Byrd WR Victor Tucker WR Cameron Dollar WR Grant DuBose TE Taylor Ryan Carriere LT Chibueze Nwanna LG Emmanuel Hunter Kelly RG Ashton Gist RT TJ Moore DEFENSE Position Name DE Markees Watts DT Joshua Bailey DT Bryan Wallace DE Kofi Wardlow SLB Tyler Murray MLB Luke Derek Boykins NLB Solomon Rodgers CB Geovante Howard FS Davondre Robinson SS Jon Alexander CB Shedrick Ursery SPECIAL TEAMS Position Name Jonathon Cruz Bailey Rice PROJECTED STARTERS Charlotte 49ers at a glance.