Goldrush: September 12 vs. Presbyterian

TAKE A LOOK FORWARD AT THE 49ERS HOME OPENER AGAINST PRESBYTERIAN PAGE 5 READ ALL ABOUT THE CHARLOTTE FOOTBALL VICOTRY DEDICATED TO COACH PHIL RATLIFF PG. 6

CHARLOTTE VS. PRESBYTERIAN 路 SEPT. 12, 2015

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UNC CHARLOTTE FOOTBALL 2015 FRIDAY, SEPT. 4

Georgia State at Atlanta, Ga.

3:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 12

STAFF PICKS

Presbyterian at Charlotte, N.C.

Noon SATURDAY, SEPT. 19

Middle Tennessee at Murfreesboro, Tenn.

7 p.m.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 26

Florida Atlantic at Charlotte, N.C.

GAME-DAY TAILGATING EDEN CREAMER GUEST WRITER

With the launch of a new football program, the need for an official policy regarding tailgating at the university becomes necessary.

As the university revved up for football, a tailgating policy was created to make sure students and fans have the most fun possible while being safe. These rules and regulations are meant to maximize safety and comfort for all that attend.

Tailgating rules and regulations are completely broken down in University Policy 706, Alcoholic Beverages.

Any violation of this policy may cause students and campus guests revoked tailgating rights, criminal prosecution, disciplinary action through the Office of Student Conduct if the violator is a UNC Charlotte student and/or trespassing charges should the individual be a campus guest.

7 p.m.

CAMPUS ENTRANCES AND LOT INFORMATION

FRIDAY, OCT. 2

Temple

at Charlotte, N.C.

7 p.m.

SATURDAY, OCT. 17

Old Dominion at Norfolk, Va.

3:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, OCT. 24

Southern Miss

FINAL SCORE: CHAR 42, PRESBY 10

“The Niners are riding high coming off of their first FBS victory. The defense looked much improved and the offense is due for a big game after a poor effort last week.”

at Charlotte, N.C.

Noon SATURDAY, OCT. 31

Marshall

at Charlotte, N.C.

TBA SATURDAY, NOV. 7

FIU

LOT CONTRABAND

Noon

Kegs, glass containers, drinking games, devices used to accelerate the consumption of alcohol, grills in parking decks and on brick pavers, open pit fires, staked tents, household furniture and animals are prohibited.

at Miami, Fla.

SATURDAY, NOV. 14

UTSA

at Charlotte, N.C.

TBA SATURDAY, NOV. 21

Kentucky

at Lexington, Ky.

TBA SATURDAY, NOV. 28

Rice

at Houston, Texas

TBA

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All entrances except the main entrance and the John Kirk Road entrance will be closed five hours prior to kickoff. Game-day entrances open four hours prior to kickoff.

Parking and tailgating will be available in lots 5, 5A, 6, 7, 7A, 14, 18, 19, 23, 25, 27 and CRI 2 and 3. Decks available for parking are Union Deck, Cone Deck 1 and 2, West Deck and CRI Deck. Oncampus residents not attending the game can park in East Deck 2 and 3 or North Deck.

Students who live on campus who normally park in lots designated for tailgating for football game-day parking will be required to move their vehicles to an alternative parking location the night before a home game. If there are any cars in the parking lots as of midnight on game day, the vehicle will be automatically towed.

Tailgating areas will open four hours prior to the game.

Tailgating at halftime and during the game time is prohibited, and tailgaters will be encouraged to vacate lots. Lots must also be evacuated no later than two hours after the end of the game.

FINAL SCORE: CHAR 31, PRESBY 13

“Charlotte handled Presbyterian easily on the road in 2013. Niner Nation should be out in full force Saturday, fueling the 49ers to a big victory.”

Tweet us your predictions to @NT_Sports using #CHARPRESPicks

STADIUM CONTRABAND Tobacco products, other drugs, alcohol of all kinds and weaponry are prohibited.

Football patrons will be permitted to bring empty, clear, plastic bottles into the stadium to fill with water at designated fill stations, but other beverages will be prohibited.

The complete University Policy 706 is available online. Tailgaters are encouraged to read this policy prior to game-day.

GOLDRUSH · A NINER TIMES SPECIAL SECTION

Coach Matt Wallerstedt and the Niners defense have a point to prove Wallerstedt joins the Charlotte coaching staff to fix the defense after a tumultuous 2014 season

MATT CHAPMAN SPORTS EDITOR

There’s an old adage across the realm of the sporting world that says defense wins championships.

While the Charlotte 49ers football program certainly has years of growing to endure before playing at a championship level, the Niners’ defense delivered the school’s first Football Bowl Subdivision victory, which no doubt felt just as sweet during the locker room celebration afterward.

Charlotte’s defense has been much maligned throughout the first two seasons of football in the Queen City and deservedly so. The 49ers were torched week after week in 2014, including a three-game stretch during the month of October in which Charlotte allowed 170 points.

During those three games, Coastal Carolina churned out nearly 700 yards of total offense and the Citadel racked up over 550 rushing yards against the Niners with their triple-option attack en route to scoring 63 points.

Charlotte head coach Brad Lambert needed a new approach as the team transitioned to FBS football so he started at the top by parting ways with defensive coordinator Bruce Tall.

Tall’s replacement, Matt Wallerstedt, was Lambert’s roommate at Kansas State and entered the program with 20 years of coaching experience at the highest level of collegiate football.

Following a tumultuous resignation at Texas Tech that included accusations of substance abuse and giving away the team’s defensive signals to opponents, the new

defensive coordinator has been given another opportunity. Now, much like the 49ers defense he coaches, Wallerstedt finds himself with something to prove during the 2015 season.

“I think all the players felt the burden of giving up a lot of points and a lot of yards last season. I think obviously there was a lot of blame thrown on them,” said Wallerstedt when asked about his new group of players.

“We’ve got to put the past behind us and move forward. I think we feel like we’re not getting much respect and the only thing we can do is go prove what we’re capable of.”

An entire offseason of scrutiny and tireless media speculation clearly fueled the fire that the 49ers exhibited on the defensive side of the ball during Friday’s season opener. Charlotte jumped all over the Georgia State Panthers, forcing three turnovers and returning a fumble 43 yards for a touchdown on the fourth play from scrimmage.

The Niners were stingy throughout the contest, holding the Panthers to a dismal 20 percent conversion rate on third down attempts.

“The defense was huge for us. They just were active all day,” said Lambert after the game.

“We deferred for the first time in a long time because I wanted to see the defense get out and play.

We played a lot of different guys so that’s encouraging. I thought those guys made a lot of good plays for us.”

Aside from the changes

Karrington King, 50, and Dustin Crouser converge for the sack on the Wesley quarterback. Photo by Ben Robson

made to the coaching staff, the biggest difference on the field has to be the return of Caleb ClaytonMolby and Nick Cook at the two inside linebacker positions.

Charlotte was forced to start two true freshmen throughout most of the 2014 campaign after ClaytonMolby and Cook both suffered season-ending injuries early in the year.

“Both are energetic guys and it’s going to be hard to out-work them.

They’re guys that come with their lunch pail so to speak and their hard hats everyday. They roll their sleeves up and they compete,” said Wallerstedt when asked about his two defensive leaders.

“I think all that energy and the way they go about their business and their leadership will bleed into the rest of our unit.”

Both linebackers made their presence felt early and often during their first game back following the devastating injuries. Cook led the

CHARLOTTE VS. PRESBYTERIAN · SEPT. 12, 2015

team with six tackles, forced the fumble on the opening possession that led to Charlotte’s first FBS touchdown and recovered a second fumble later in the first half.

Clayton-Molby only recorded three tackles on the afternoon, but found himself terrorizing the Panthers in the backfield with two tackles for loss.

“The injury last year took a turn for the best and worst I guess because I got another year out of it,” said Clayton-Molby.

“Throughout the summer I’ve been rehabbing and lifting everyday so coming into camp I felt really strong.

We’ve had a really productive camp and we’ve come together really well as a team so it’s worked out for the best.”

Coach Wallerstedt has completely changed the identity of the 49ers defense since first walking into the locker room during spring practice.

With an offense that likes to move at a high tempo, it’s imperative that

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the defense plays aggressively and takes chances.

Far too often in 2014, Charlotte would find themselves on the wrong end of a lopsided time of possession statistic and it clearly showed when the defense took the field.

“I just want us to be aggressive.

I played that way, I played with an attitude and I played with a chip on my shoulder. I was an undersized linebacker and a lot of people never gave me credit for anything so I want my guys to play with that same chip on their shoulder,” said Wallerstedt.

“I want to have enough in our package to be multiple with our fronts and be multiple with our coverages and call it aggressively so our guys play aggressive. We have to execute, play together as a unit, be clean, have our eyes in the right place and just make plays.”

Wallerstedt and his new-look defense delivered a fantastic showing in their first game action Friday, but things will only get tougher as the season progresses.

The Niners will have to show consistency through the dog days

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of conference play and Wallerstedt believes there is tremendous potential for a defensive unit that is finally developing the familiarity needed to play at a high level every Saturday.

“I thought four years ago when they started football here that this would be a place that’s going to literally be a gold mine,” said Wallerstedt.

“I had a lot of friends that started the South Florida program and I think this can be every bit of what South Florida has done. It’s an exciting time to be here obviously going into Conference USA and whatever we do is going to be making the history books and we want to make sure there’s going to be a lot of W’s there.”

An elite defense could prove the key to Charlotte’s success moving forward as Conference USA boasts three of the top 15 scoring offenses in the nation. Wallerstedt will lead his Niners into battle again on Saturday, Sept. 12 against the Presbyterian Blue Hose, looking to build on last week’s lights out performance.

GOLDRUSH · A NINER TIMES SPECIAL SECTION

FOOTBALL PREVIEW 49ers gear up for home opener against Presbyterian SCOTT GORDON SPORTS WRITER

The Charlotte 49er football team kicked off its first season of FBS play with a big 23-20 win over Georgia State in the Georgia Dome this past Friday. Now Charlotte looks to bring that momentum back to the Queen City as they set their sights on the Presbyterian Blue Hose. The 49ers defeated Presbyterian 45-21 two years ago in their inaugural season and will look to repeat that performance.

The 49er defense came out of the gate firing on all cylinders against Georgia State. Nick Cook forced a fumble on the fourth play of the game that was picked up and returned for a touchdown

by Terrance Winchester. The 43-yard fumble return will go down as the first touchdown in 49er history as part of the FBS. The defense forced three turnovers in all on the day. Charlotte was able to tally four sacks and hold the Panthers to under one hundred yards on the ground. Georgia State put up 392 yards against the 49ers including a late 53 yard touchdown pass that made the game a little more interesting. Fortunately the onside kick went out of bounds and the 49ers were able to seal the victory.

The Charlotte offense had 408 yards of total offense against Georgia State despite turning the ball over five times.

Matt Johnson was 19-32 for 244 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. The biggest play was a 63-yard bomb from Johnson to Austin Duke just before halftime which gave Charlotte a 20-3 lead heading to the locker room. Charlotte was unable to do much in the second half as a Blake Brewer field goal accounted for the only points in the final thirty minutes. The 49ers turned it over twice and punted four times which kept Georgia State alive.

Charlotte will have a lot to work on in the week leading up to their matchup against the Blue Hose, but it helps to start the season 1-0.

Presbyterian was 6-5 last season even though they were outgained and outscored by their opponents. The Blue Hose played some tough competition last year facing Ole Miss, N.C. State and Northern Illinois. Presbyterian returns fifteen starters from last year’s campaign,

nine of which are on defense, giving them a good bit of experience. The Blue Hose were second in red zone defense last year among all FCS programs which could prove troublesome for the 49ers who struggled in that area against Georgia State.

Presbyterian faced Miami University (Ohio) and fell to the Red Hawks 26-7 in their season opener. While Charlotte struggled to score down the stretch, Presbyterian gave up two fourth quarter touchdowns which left them no chance of coming back.

Some keys to victory for the 49ers will be maintaining possession, better red zone efficiency and doing a better job of finishing. The 49ers cannot turn the ball over five times and expect the same result they got against Georgia State. They also were only 11-21 on third down conversions, a stat which has to be improved upon.

Charlotte entered the red zone four times, but walked away with field goals on two of those chances and turned the ball over on the other two. They will have to get the ball in the end zone to make it to 2-0 on the year. Charlotte had three turnovers in the first half but was able to build a 20-3 lead. In the second half, Georgia State was able to inch their way back into the game outscoring the 49ers 17-3.

With the excitement of the first game behind them, Charlotte can now focus on the season ahead. The 49er coaching staff will review the game film and solve some of the issues experienced in the first game. Look for Johnson to be more comfortable in the backfield, and the rest of the 49er offense to be more efficient. The 49ers are a much better team in front of the home crowd, and Jerry Richardson Stadium will be packed for the first home game of FBS football in Charlotte.

CHARLOTTE VS. PRESBYTERIAN · SEPT. 12, 2015

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CHARLOTTE 49ERS WIN ONE FOR COACH RATLIFF The Charlotte 49ers football team picked up their first FBS victory over the Georgia State Panthers

MATT CHAPMAN SPORTS EDITOR

The Charlotte 49ers traveled down to the Georgia Dome Friday afternoon with heavy hearts and their first Football Bowl Subdivision victory on their mind.

Not even a month removed from the passing of offensive line coach Phil Ratliff, the Niners (1-0) defeated the Georgia State Panthers (0-1) 23-20 and put college football in the Queen City on the map simultaneously.

It’s not often that a milestone victory like the one that took place Friday takes a backseat, but head coach Brad Lambert made it clear that this was so much bigger than a football game when he handed the game ball to Ratliff’s daughter Haley as the team celebrated after the clock hit zero.

“There was a lot of emotion going into this game after what happened with Coach Ratliff,” said Lambert post game.

“We just wanted to do that for her (Haley). It’s been a hard time for a lot of people, but especially that family so we just wanted to do something special for her.”

The 49ers first taste of FBS football started eerily similar to the 2013 inaugural game against Campbell.

The Panthers opened with possession, but a big hit from linebacker Nick Cook jarred the ball loose and Terrence Winchester recovered the fumble and raced 43 yards to the end zone for an early 7-0 lead.

“It’s one of the best feelings I’ve

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Workpeh Kofa goes up and brings down a Matt Johnson pass.

Photo by Ben Robson

ever experienced,” said Winchester when asked about his touchdown that will forever go down in Charlotte 49ers history.

“I just want to give a shout out to the defensive line as well as Cook, the linebacker that stripped it.

Without them this wouldn’t have been possible so shout out to them boys.”

Charlotte’s defense continued to set the tone in the first half, forcing three turnovers and standing tall following a handful of miscues by the offense. Winchester added an interception in the end zone to go along with his scoop-and-score touchdown and the 49ers defense allowed just 150 yards before the halftime whistle.

“Charlotte’s defense locked up man to man and they pressured the

quarterback,” said Georgia State head coach Trent Miles after the game.

“Charlotte did a great job and I give them credit, but as a coaching staff we need to do a better job with the offense. We need to do a better job putting our players in a position to succeed.”

The Niners pieced together a few strong drives in the opening quarter behind a nice mix of run and pass, but struggled to finish the job. A Matt Johnson interception in the end zone and a bad snap on the goal-line kept Georgia State within shouting distance.

Two Blake Brewer field goals from 45 and 35 yards respectively earned Charlotte a 13-0 lead at the end of their first quarter of FBS football.

Finally, late in the first half

GOLDRUSH · A NINER TIMES SPECIAL SECTION

Johnson tossed a bomb into the hands of Austin Duke who raced the rest of the way for a 63-yard touchdown reception. Duke’s eighth career touchdown grab of at least 60 yards gave the 49ers a 20-3 lead at the intermission.

Charlotte had plenty of opportunities to put the game out of reach, but three turnovers forced the Niners to settle for a 17-point advantage.

The third quarter played out in a similar fashion as the first half with turnovers and a lack of execution in the red zone preventing Charlotte from slamming the door on the Panthers. Johnson threw an interception right to Georgia State safety Bobby Baker on the first drive of the second half and then fumbled for the second time on the afternoon late in the third quarter. The two teams traded field goals and the Niners maintained their 17-point edge at 23-6 entering the final quarter.

Charlotte began to sputter on offense, stringing together a few three-and-out drives early in the fourth quarter.

The Panthers finally took advantage and sustained their first lengthy possession of the game, which was capped by a 24-yard touchdown toss from Nick Arbuckle to Taz Bateman, coming within 10 points with just over six minutes remaining in the game.

The 49ers appeared to have done enough to ice the game when they punted the ball back to Georgia

State with a 10-point lead and 1:37 remaining on the game clock.

However, a blatant missed call from the officials confirmed a 53yard touchdown bomb by Arbuckle that cut the Charlotte lead to one possession, 23-20 with 30 seconds left to play.

Niner Nation collectively held their breath as the ensuing onside kick bounced out of bounds to seal the first FBS victory in Charlotte program history.

A much maligned 49ers defense from a year ago clearly entered 2015 with an us against the world mentality.

Charlotte forced three turnovers, held the Panthers to a dismal 20 percent conversion rate on third down and sealed the victory on a day on which the Niners’ high-flying offense was unusually quiet.

“The defense has been working their tails off all summer and practicing hard,” said Duke after the game.

“Coach Wallerstedt came in here and turned around the whole defensive program. Hats off to them

boys, I’m proud of them. It makes our job a lot easier. Whenever you don’t make a play it’s good to know that the defense has your back.”

Charlotte’s offense, especially Johnson, didn’t fare quite as well in the first game of the season. The 49ers turned the ball over five times as a unit and Johnson accounted for four of them with two interceptions and two fumbles. The Niners failed to convert any of their four red zone opportunities into touchdowns, a statistic that has to be concerning for Lambert as the season progresses.

“You’ve got to take care of the ball, you can’t turn it over five times,” said Lambert.

“A lot of times it’s hard to win the game when you lose the turnover battle. We’ve got to value the ball and make sure that we’re not putting it on the turf.”

The 49ers will return to the Queen City for their home opener at Jerry Richardson Stadium next Saturday against the Presbyterian Blue Hose.

Charlotte claimed a 45-21 victory over the Blue Hose during their inaugural season in 2013.

Wide receiver Austin Duke hauls in a 63-yard touchdown pass from Matt Johnson.

CHARLOTTE VS. PRESBYTERIAN · SEPT. 12, 2015

Photo by Ben Robson

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CHARLOTTE VS. PRESBYTERIAN 路 SEPT. 12, 2015

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