Gameday Guide: Charlotte 49ers vs Georgia State kickoff, odds, TV, stream info

The Charlotte 49ers are off to their best start since 2015. Charlotte has only started 3-0 once in its nine-year history, in 2014, the final season as an independent in FCS. Georgia State is looking for its first win of the season following consecutive losses to Army and North Carolina by a combined score of 102-27.

WHEN DO THE CHARLOTTE 49ERS PLAY?

Who: Charlotte (2-0) at Georgia State (0-2)

When: 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 18

Where: Center Parc Stadium, Atlanta (Capacity 25,000)

Stream: The game will only air on ESPN+

You’ll have to subscribe to ESPN+ to watch the game. Cost is $5.99 a month just for ESPN+ with several other bundling options depending on what level of subscription you choose.

On-air announce crew: Matt Stewart, play-by-play; Sam Crenshaw, analyst.

Radio: Learfield/IMG Network 730 The Game (Matt Swierad, play-by-play; Al Wallace, analyst; Bobby Rosinski, sideline).

Line: Georgia State -4; O/U: 63.5

Uniform report: Green pants, white jerseys and green helmets.

WEATHER FORECAST FOR ATLANTA

Overcast with scattered thunderstorms and variable winds. The temperature will reach 79 degrees during the day and cool to 75 degrees at kickoff.

CHARLOTTE 49ERS FOOTBALL INJURY REPORT

• Defensive back Davondre “Tank” Robinson is out for the season with a torn bicep.

• Cornerback Geovante Howard left the Duke game in the third quarter of Week 1 with an ankle injury. He dressed against Gardner-Webb but didn’t play and is questionable for Week 3.

• Linebacker Derek Boykins missed both games with a stress fracture in his shin but was cleared to return to practice.

• Defensive back Matt Martinez is day to day (neck) but is looking “a lot better,” according to head coach Will Healy.

49ERS VS. GEORGIA STATE PANTHERS: WHAT TO WATCH FOR

The 49ers’ first road game of the season comes in Atlanta against a Georgia State team that is better than its record indicates. The Panthers’ non-conference schedule is a gauntlet. Losses against Army and North Carolina in the first two weeks of the season is followed by a buzzing Charlotte program and capped off at Auburn.

The two programs were supposed to meet in 2020, but the game was canceled late in the week due to misread COVID test results.

Georgia State returns nearly every starter from last season where the Panthers went 6-4 (4-4 Sun Belt). Head coach Shawn Elliott’s defense starts eight seniors and three juniors. The Panthers are very physical in the trenches but have struggled to protect quarterback Cornelius “Quad’ Brown IV. Brown has struggled this season completing 52% of his passes for 197 yards and an interception in each contest. On passes traveling 10-plus yards in the air, Brown has completed 21% of his attempts for just 61 yards.

The 49ers’ secondary is much improved from last season, allowing just 139 yards through the air per game. Charlotte has already tied its 2020 sack total with five but has yet to show it can slow down an opposing running game. The addition of recently eligible defensive lineman Jalar Holley should help bolster the 49ers’ front four.

Charlotte quarterback Chris Reynolds struggled against Gardner-Webb and will face a defense that created 15 quarterback hurries and two sacks of Sam Howell against North Carolina in the Week 2 loss. Reynolds did, however, record the longest rushing touchdown of his career (37 yards) in the win, seemingly returning to 2019 form on the ground.

This game will be decided by the 49ers’ ability to be disciplined against Georgia State’s option offense and the turnover battle. The 49ers are 3-7 on the road under Healy, committing a turnover in every loss. Charlotte has turned 9 of its 10 red-zone trips into points while scoring 34.5 points and 476 yards per game in 2021. Expect aggressive play-calls and a tight contest against Georgia Southern, “the best team we’ve played,” according to Healy.

The 49ers’ first FBS win came in Atlanta, against Georgia State in 2015.

CHARLOTTE 49ERS PLAYERS TO WATCH

1. Wide receiver Victor Tucker leads the team with 12 catches for 166 yards. Tucker leads the 49ers with 11 100-yard receiving games in his career but is yet to find the end zone this season. In Charlotte’s win over Duke, Tucker recorded 101 yards on the final two lead-changing drives of the game.

2. Linebacker Tyler Murray led the 49ers’ defense against Gardner-Webb with seven tackles, a half-sack and a tackle for loss. Murray led the defense last season with 48 tackles and two interceptions. Murray, a Troy transfer, is 2-0 against Georgia State from his time in the Sun Belt, recording five tackles and a forced fumble in the two contests.

3. Defensive back Jon Alexander transferred from Kansas State and has made an immediate impact in the 49ers’ secondary. With the loss of safety Tank Robinson, Alexander will see action at both safety positions and will be heavily relied on in pass coverage. Alexander has played the most snaps on the defense this season with 138.

THREE GEORGIA STATE FOOTBALL PLAYERS TO WATCH

1. Running back Deston Coates has struggled to start the season and is averaging 2.4 yards per carry for 58 yards and a touchdown. This week he faces a defense that has allowed 516 yards and four scores on the ground through two games. Coates is the second-highest rusher in Panthers’ history with 1,510 career yards.

2. Wide receiver Cornelius McCoy has just three catches for 15 yards this season but is capable of a 100-yard game at any moment. The senior has posted four 100-yard performances since 2019. McCoy was targeted seven times in the loss against North Carolina and will play a role in Georgia State’s passing attack finding a rhythm.

3. Linebacker Jordan Venezaile leads the Panthers with 18 total tackles through two games, matching his 2020 total. The Panthers’ defense forced a turnover in every game during the 2020 season but has recorded just one fumble recovery through two games. Venezaile’s best game came against Coastal Carolina last season with six tackles and a fumble recovery.

CHARLOTTE 49ERS FOOTBALL DEPTH CHART

Any position, whether it’s a starter or a backup, is listed with an —OR— designation.

Offense

QB — Chris Reynolds (James Foster)

RB — Shadrick Byrd (Calvin Camp)

WR — Victor Tucker (Keith Pearson Jr)

WR — Cameron Dollar (Tre Goode)

WR — Grant DuBose (Elijah Spencer)

TE — Ryan Carriere (Taylor Thompson)

LT — Jaxon Hughes (Chibueze Nwanna)

LG — D’Mitri Emmanuel (Panda Askew)

OC — Hunter Kelly (Jonny King)

RG — Ashton Gist (Dejan Rasuo)

RT — T.J. Moore (Arabee Muslim)

Defense

EDGE — Markees Watts (Tyson Clawson —OR— Taylor Chandler)

DT — Bryan Wallace (Siah Sa’o—OR— Joshua Bailey)

DT — Isaac Hampton (Dez Morgan)

EDGE — Kofi Wardlow (Michael Kelly)

NICK — Tyler Murray (Solomon Rogers)

MLB — Luke Martin (B.J. Turner)

WLB — Prince Bemah (Justin Whisenhunt)

CB — Geovante Howard (Lance McMillan —OR— Valerian Agbaw)

SS — Matt Martinez (Marcus Robitaille)

FS — Jon Alexander (Solomon Rogers —OR— Steven Parker)

CB — Trey Creamer (Shedrick Ursery)

Specialists

PK — Jonathan Cruz (Max Blistein)

KO — Jonathan Cruz

P — Bailey Rice (Ethan Torres)

LS — Cameron Lyons (Colby Garfield)

H — Chris Reynolds

KOR — Calvin Camp (ChaVon McEachern —OR— Shadrick Byrd)

PR — Geovante Howard (Victor Tucker —OR— Cameron Dollar)