Saturday morning in Charlotte will bring something a little different to the college football calendar: an 11 a.m. ET kickoff between Memphis and Charlotte, moved up from 3:30 p.m. ET because of inclement weather concerns.
It’s a standalone window for the first hour, which means a little extra attention on an ESPN+ matchup that doubles as the American Conference opener for both teams. Charlotte enters at 0-4, while Memphis comes in at 1-3.
On paper, the Tigers are in control. Memphis is a 20.5-point favorite on the road.
But this series has already shown a knack for tightening up late. Memphis leads it 2-0, yet both previous meetings went down to the final moments.
In 2023, Memphis had to erase a 10-point deficit in the final six minutes and survive overtime against a 3-9 Charlotte team. Last season, an 11-2 Memphis squad trailed 5-7 Charlotte by four with under a minute left before Roc Taylor scored the winner with 31 seconds remaining.
Memphis first-year head coach Charles Huff was asked this week about those two close calls and answered with a line that fit the mood perfectly.
“I don’t think a man would show his new wife his ex-wife’s picture,” Huff said.
With a very different group of players now in the mix, the most important questions are much more practical. For Charlotte, it starts at quarterback.
The 49ers’ offense was blanked against Louisiana, and the numbers were brutal: 12 full possessions, six punts, three fumbles, one interception and one turnover on downs. They crossed midfield only once all game, and every other drive gained 27 yards or fewer.
Charlotte has already turned to a quarterback change, moving from Pitt transfer Cole Gonzales, who started the first four games, to Conner Harrell. Gonzales has thrown zero touchdowns and four interceptions in three games against FBS opponents this season and has averaged 136 passing yards in those games.
Against Louisiana, he went 9-of-16 for 68 yards and an interception, while Harrell finished 8-of-13 for 43 yards.
Harrell’s return is its own story. He tore his ACL and MCL in a loss to Rice just over 12 months ago and has been working through a long rehab process since then. Last Saturday was his most meaningful action since the injury, and both he and Gonzales should be in the mix again as Charlotte tries to find anything that works through the air.
Memphis, meanwhile, has to answer a different question: can its offense do the same damage away from home that it has at home?
The split has been stark. In Memphis, the Tigers are averaging 43.5 points and 547.5 yards per game.
On the road, they’re down to 23.5 points per game, and the third-down numbers have lagged badly at 4-of-19. They’re also 0-of-2 on fourth down.
To be fair, the competition has been tougher away from home, with UNLV and Boise State on the schedule instead of Arkansas State and FCS UT Martin. Even so, Memphis hasn’t put together a complete road performance yet.
It scored only seven first-half points at UNLV in Week 0 and was shut out in the second half against Boise State.
The Tigers still have the kind of firepower that can tilt a game quickly. Jaylin Carter is averaging 109.3 rushing yards per game, which ranks 11th nationally, and his 7.95 yards per carry is second among rushers with at least 50 carries.
Quarterback Marcus Stokes is third in the American with 263 passing yards per game and has completed 71.4 percent of his throws, with a season high of 384 yards against Boise State. Memphis can move the ball both on the ground and through the air.
The issue on the road has been sustaining drives and making the key plays when the field shortens.
Charlotte’s best chance to make this interesting may come up front.
For an 0-4 team that has also lost to The Citadel, there aren’t many easy positives to find. Pass protection is one of them. The 49ers are tied for 21st nationally in fewest sacks allowed with four, and they’ve done that while throwing the 38th-most passes in the FBS.
That brings the spotlight to Memphis’ defensive front, one of the American’s most disruptive units. The Tigers average 2.5 sacks per game and don’t need to blitz much because their line can create pressure on its own.
Defensive ends J’Mond Tapp and Elijah Kinsler, along with defensive tackle Taylor Burton, are the main problems up front. Boise State handled that group well, and that was a big reason the Broncos won 38-20.
Memphis’ defense leans heavily on negative plays and turnovers, as the Arkansas State game showed. If Charlotte can hold up in protection and keep that front from wrecking drives, it gives the 49ers their best path to another close one against the Tigers.
In Other News...
Memphis Is Betting On A New Tool To Judge Defensive Fits
Memphis is adding a new layer to how it evaluates defense, teaming with Atavus Football to sharpen tackling development and player assessment. The partnership is built around film study and data-driven insight, giving the Tigers a way to look more closely at tackling technique and the consistency players show on tape.
For a program that has leaned on the transfer portal as part of roster building, the timing matters. Coaches see the collaboration as a tool that can translate into more actionable teaching points and better-informed decisions when they are sorting through potential additions, which should make defensive fit a little clearer long before anyone takes the field in Memphis. [Read more 🡒]
Memphis May Have Finally Found The Spacing It Needed
Memphis may have added a piece that changes the way the floor looks around its offense. Rihards Vavers, a 6-foot-7 wing from Latvia, committed after a strong junior season at Washington State, where he was a high-volume perimeter threat and connected on 73 threes at a 41.2% clip. For a Tigers team that can always use more shooting, his size and long-range touch give the staff a different kind of option on the wing.
Vavers also brings a profile that fits modern spacing in more than one way. His free throw accuracy suggests the jumper travels well beyond the arc, and his experience with Latvias youth national teams adds another layer of polish to a skill set Memphis can use in a variety of lineups. Even before the first practice reps, he looks like the type of addition that can bend defenses and make life easier for the rest of the roster. [Read more 🡒]