Q&A with Charlotte reporter Hunter Bailey
- Story byNortheast Mississippi Daily Journal, Tupelo
- Q&A with Charlotte reporter Hunter Bailey
The Daily Journal caught up with Charlotte reporter Hunter Bailey of the Highway 49 Podcast to see what he considers the keys to the Ole Miss-Charlotte matchup.
Year 1 under Tim Albin was a rough one. The 49ers lost their opener to The Citadel last weekend. What is the vibe around this program at the moment? Is there reason for optimism given his previous success as a coach?
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It's pretty much pure panic around the fan base, who have watched 10 straight losses and a 1-12 start to the Albin era. Coming from Ohio, Albin lost just 10 games over three seasons, notching 30 wins, a MAC Coach of the Year, and a MAC Championship in that span. But in his first season as head man with the Bobcats, Ohio won three games.
Many Charlotte fans were hopeful for a year-two turnaround, similar to what occurred at Ohio. While I still believe this is a more talented roster than a season ago, that season-opening loss as a 20-point favorite to a middling FCS team isn't offering any optimism for a much tougher schedule the rest of the way.
Charlotte scored 41 in the opener. Who are the keys to the offense, and what does the offense want to establish?
Forty-one points for an offense that scored 14.3 points per game a season ago under OC Todd Fitch was a stark improvement, despite having just 21 points through 59 minutes and 36 seconds of play (before the game-tying touchdown that forced OT).
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The offense did seem to improve from a season ago, with Appalachian State transfer RB Khamani Alexander rushing for 138 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.
Charlotte wants to run the ball to open up the play-action, as well as attack the short and intermediate portions of the field with the screen game. They were extremely successful in both play-action and screen game last Saturday, and with The Citadel routinely getting home on Cover 0 blitzes, I expect Ole Miss to bring the heat.
After settling in from the first-quarter jitters, tossing two picks in the first 15 minutes, quarterback Cole Gonzales played well. He accounted for five total touchdowns, essentially putting the team on his back late in the game and in overtime. I can't imagine Albin will let him stay in for the full game, as Charlotte dealt with a season-ending injury at their QB spot a season ago. We'll see if he can operate under pressure and how much Fitch opens the playbook.
Who are the key players to look for on defense? What were the takeaways defensively from the opener against The Citadel?
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It was a tale of two halves. In the first half, Charlotte's defense played well, holding the Citadel to just seven points and under 100 yards. The second half was a total flip, surrendering touchdowns on the Bulldogs' first three drives, and five of their seven second-half/OT possessions.
The linebacker duo of Kadin Schmitz and Gavin Willis, along with safety Collin Gill, are the bright spots. The Citadel rushed for over 250 yards on Saturday, and I expect Ole Miss is going to surpass that total.
Does this team feel like a contender in the American? What are the realistic goals for this team? Is bowl eligibility on the table?
Not at all. Realistically, this team will likely not be favored in a game the rest of the way. The matchup against Appalachian State in Week 3 will be the barometer for the rest of the season. Be competitive or win that game – I could see a couple of wins in American Conference play. Get run out of the building and lose in a lopsided fashion – we'll be talking about another one-win (or winless) season and a new head coach for the 49ers in 2027.
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If Charlotte is going to make things interesting or even upset Ole Miss on Saturday, ____ has to happen.
Bane has to take over the stadium like in The Dark Knight Rises. Maybe they expect one of us in the wreckage?
There's no legitimate path here, as this is the biggest underdog Charlotte has been in my nine years covering the program. In 2019, Charlotte's best season, they were 41.5-point underdogs to No. 1 Clemson ( Trevor Lawrence and Co.). Charlotte would lose that game 52-10, and that was the peak of the 49ers' young program, which went 7-6 and made the Bahamas Bowl.
