Charlotte 49ers prepare for final home game of season

MATT LACZKO | THE CHARLOTTE POST

The Charlotte 49ers will try to notch their second win of the season Saturday when they take on UTSA for Senior Day at Jerry Richardson Stadium.

The Charlotte 49ers have turned the page to Senior Day against UTSA.

Charlotte (1-8, 0-6 American), coming off its third straight loss by 20 points or more, is simply trying to put together a full four quarters of football. The 49ers started slowly last week against rival East Carolina in a loss. While they started fast against North Texas with an early 17-7 lead, they fell flat in the fourth quarter and never recovered. 

Coach Tim Albin is searching for the way to get his team to start — and finish — fast and strong.

“If I knew the answer to that, I’d have flown somewhere today and played golf then flown back,” he joked. “I mean, I’d be a bajillionaire. I challenged the team Sunday. You have to dive into the mental piece of it. It isn’t for their lack of effort on the field and in practice. You know how we practice. They have been spirited, especially with what they’ve gone through [with injuries]. The staff has been relentless in holding them to the standard we have and not backing off of any of that.”

The 49ers welcome UTSA (4-5, 2-3 American) to Jerry Richardson Stadium. The Roadrunners have been the definition of a roller coaster season, starting 0-2 with losses to Texas A&M and Texas State. Then they beat Incarnate Word and Colorado State. Since then, they have won and lost on alternating weeks. The Roadrunners are coming off a 55-23 loss to South Florida. 

In the games UTSA lost, most were blowouts when opponents got off to good starts. This will be the emphasis for Charlotte to make plays and not let the Roadrunners control the game.

“I think that if we're at home, in front of our crowd, our guys will have the energy,” Albin said. “If we can just have a couple of good things happen, I can't speak to if it's going to put pressure on them – that’s not my job. I’m worried about the Niners. And I just know that if we can get a couple things positive and for us early in the game, hopefully [we can] build some momentum.”

One 49ers senior has stayed with Charlotte in an era where it is easy to take the money and run to other opportunities. 

Receiver Sean Brown, a Marvin Ridge High graduate, feels playing for Charlotte is special. A seventh-year senior, Brown believes his emotions won’t get the better of him on Saturday, but it will be a special day.

“It’s a cool experience because we get to represent Charlotte,” he said. “We love Charlotte. We wouldn’t stay here if we didn’t. We love this place and love playing at [Jerry Richardson Stadium]. I wrote that on my mirror this morning, ‘Last game at JRS.’ I want to win our last game and that’s really the priority. That’s all I’ve got on my mind, just winning the game, nothing else.”

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