Charlotte 49ers football prepares for rival East Carolina

MATT LACZKO | THE CHARLOTTE POST

The Charlotte 49ers will try to extend their lead in the all-time football series against East Carolina Saturday at Jerry Richardson Stadium. Charlotte leads the Pirates 2-1.

Charlotte aims to keep its series lead over rival East Carolina.

The 49ers (1-8, 1-4 American) welcome the Pirates (5-4, 3-2) to Jerry Richardson Stadium on Saturday. Since joining the American Conference, the 49ers have a 2-1 record over the rival Pirates, but 0-1 in the Tim Albin era. 

Albin recognized the challenge that ECU presents.

“Probably the greatest compliment you can give a head coach and his staff is how hard his team plays, and I'll tell you, it is impressive,” he said. “They play hard. They have got to be one of the hardest football teams as far as their effort that I’ve ever seen. … Their front seven is probably their strength. A lot of movement, twist, powerful, quick, twitchy. The two linebackers make the guys up front right. When someone moves and doesn’t get the gap canceled, those guys are seasoned veterans as far as making the guys up front right. 

“Offensively, they have a couple different quarterbacks that they call the same kind of the same plays with either one of them in the game.”

East Carolina quarterbacks Emory Williams and Mitch Griffis both have over 800 yards passing with Williams ahead by 90. Griffis has more rushing yards with 133 to Williams’ 66. 

“We just have to be ready for everything,” Charlotte defensive lineman Curtis Simpson said. “With the QBs you don’t know which one is going to start, which one is going to rotate in, so just be ready for every possible outcome that they can give us and just go out there and execute everything that we are supposed to do.”

Albin said he expects to see similarities from East Carolina’s defense to what they saw last week against Alabama Birmingham. 

“It’s going to have to be a low scoring game,” he said. “It gives us our best chance against them, and then we’re going to have to offensively be more productive on first and second down. Can’t have 17 third downs and too many third-and-longs. You’re not going to survive. You’re just not going to against the front that we saw last week.”

Charlotte quarterback Conner Harrell, who didn’t play against East Carolina last season due to injury, said he is looking forward to the challenge. 

“They’re a great team,” Harrell said. “They’ve put together a good season. They have a really good defense, and I am just excited to play them. They have one of the best defenses in our league… so I am really looking forward to the challenge.”

Harrell added Charlotte needs to keep the game simple and control what they can rather than worry about what ECU does.

“I think it’s going to be internally if we’re doing what we’re supposed to do – taking care of the ball, not getting behind the sticks, dominating first down, doing little things,” he said. “ECU is a really good defense. I think if we take care of things we need to do internally, that we have a chance to put up points.”

Harrell told The Post that he has another year of eligibility. Albin confirmed Harrell is awaiting a waiver from the NCAA. 

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