Charlotte and Tulsa will link up on the gridiron for the first time on Saturday as the 49ers head to Oklahoma to weather the Golden Hurricane. Both teams have failed to lock into a groove this season, with the Niners losing six of their past seven games and the Hurricane losing three of its past four games. Charlotte and Tulsa each sit at 1-3 in American Athletic Conference play.
First-year Charlotte coach Biff Poggi has told media members that while he has started to run out of ideas to facilitate the success of his team, he’s still confident in the coaching staff and players in place to make it work. The Niners will need to figure out a way to get their offense moving after five consecutive weeks of scoring less than 17 points.
The Game
Charlotte at Tulsa
Tulsa, OK
Saturday, 4:00 p.m., ESPN+
Records
Charlotte: 2-6 (1-3 AAC)
Tulsa: 3-5 (1-3 AAC)
Head-to-head
This will mark the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
Players to Watch
Charlotte running back Terron Kellman — The 5-foot-8, 185-pound freshman logged career highs in both carries (20) and rushing yardage (83 yards) in last week’s performance. He appears to be Charlotte’s go-to running back with Durell Robinson out for the season and Shadrick Byrd sidelined with an ankle injury, leaving him a wide-open spot to solidify himself as the starter for the immediate future.
Tulsa quarterback Cardell Williams — The freshman quarterback took a back seat to sophomore Braylon Braxton against SMU but was easily the most reliable option of the two, forcing a scenario where both players will continue to be used based on game planning. Williams has reached over 1,000 yards this year on a 60% completion percentage and could be Tulsa’s top choice behind center given Braxton’s struggles.
Odds
Betonline.ag: Tulsa -4.0, over/under 47.5
