WEEK 8: FIU (2-4, 0-2) at Charlotte (1-6, 0-3)

 

DATE	Saturday, October 22
TIME	3:30 p.m. ET
STADIUM	Jerry Richardson Stadium (15,300)
LOCATION	Charlotte, N.C.
TV	ESPN3
RADIO	WQBA 1140 AM
INTERNET	Listen Live | Watch Live
LIVE STATS	FIU – Charlotte Stat Feed
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GAME NOTES	FIU Game Notes | CLT Game Notes

HEAD COACH INFO
FIU                                
Head Coach: Mike MacIntyre (Georgia Tech '89)
Overall Record: 48-69 (10th season)
Record at FIU: 2-4 (1st season)

CLT                        
Head Coach: Will Healy (Richmond '08)
Overall Record: 28-44 (7th season)
Record at CLT: 15-23 (4th season)

QUICK HITS

• The Panthers will be looking to post back-to-back road wins for the first time since the 2018 season - when it defeated UTSA and Charlotte in consecutive weeks away from home.
• FIU won the opening five games of the series before dropping a 45-33 decision in 2021. 

SETTING THE STAGE
PANTHERS RETURN TO THE ROAD TO FACE CHARLOTTE
FIU returns to the road for the first time following back-to-back home games when it travels to battle Charlotte in a Conference USA game on Saturday, Oct. 22 in a 3:30 p.m. ET start from Jerry Richardson Stadium.

The game will be aired to a national audience on ESPN3 with Bobby Rosinski (pxp), Reginald Walker Jr. (analyst) and Hannah Bradley (sideline) on the call. 

The game can also be heard on Miami's WQBA 1140 AM with the voice of the Panthers AJ Ricketts (pxp) and Harry Kroll (analyst) calling the action.

FIU will be looking to post consecutive road win for the first time since the 2018 campaign when it defeated UTSA (45-7/Nov. 10) and Charlotte (42-35/Nov. 17) in back-to-back weeks.

The Panthers and 49ers will be squaring off for the seventh time and the seventh time over the last eight seasons.  The teams were scheduled to meet during the 2020 season in Charlotte but that game was canceled due to the Covid pandemic.

The Panthers enter Saturday's tilt 2-4 overall and 0-2 in league action after dropping a 30-10 decision to UTSA on Oct. 14.  

Charlotte is currently 1-6 overall in 2022 and 0-3 in C-USA action.  The 49ers lone victory was a 42-41 win at Georgia State on Sept. 17.

SCOUTING CHARLOTTE
The 49ers enter Saturday's game vs. FIU having dropped each of the previous three games, following a 42-41 victory at Georgia State on Sept. 17.

Charlotte, who is currently 0-3 at home and 1-6 overall, suffered a 34-20 road setback at UAB on Oct. 15 in its most recent action and preceeded that with a 41-35 home loss to UTEP and a 56-20 defeat at South Carolina.

The 49ers other previous C-USA contest was a 43-13 loss at Florida Atlantic on Aug. 27 in the season opener.

Charlotte is averaging 25.0 points per game and is allowing 44.6 over its initial seven games.  The 49ers are pass heavy on offense - averaging 276.0 yards per contest against 97.3 rushing yards.

Defensively, the 49ers are allowing 257.0 yards per game on the ground and 276.6 through the air.

Charlotte is led by senior signal caller Chris Reynolds, who has completed 63.4 percent of his passes this season (97-153) for a total of 1,301 yards and 14 TDs - against six interceptions.

Sophomore Elijah Spencer leads the receiving corps with 641 yards on 32 catches and four touchdowns.  Grant DuBose has team-highs in both catches (38) and touchdowns (7). 

Junior defensive back Wayne Jones paces the defense with a team-best 49 tackles - including 3.5 TFLs and one interception.

OWENS BREAKS OUT VS. UTSA
Freshman running back Kejon Owens finished with 52 yards (career-high) and scored his first collegiate TD with 46 seconds left in regulation during FIU's Oct. 14 game vs. UTSA.

Owens entered the contest with a total of five yards on seven carries.

PANTHERS CONTINUE TO GRADE HIGH
FIU linebacker Gaethan Bernadel, who posted a career and team-high 15 tackles in FIU's game on Oct. 14 at UTSA, was rated as the fourth-best linebacker in all of FBS for the week ending Oct. 14, according to PFF (Pro Football Focus).

LAST TIME VS. CHARLOTTE
Then-senior running back D'vonte Price became the sixth player in FIU football history to eclipse the 2,000-yard rushing plateau as the Panthers dropped a 45-33 decision vs. Charlotte in a Conference USA East Division clash on Oct. 8, 2021.
 
Sophomore wide receiver Tyrese Chambers also enjoyed a historic performance as he nabbed three passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns.  His 201 receiving yards marked the highest single-game total in FIU annals – matching former Panther standout T.Y. Hilton, who also tallied 201 receiving yards at Louisville in 2011.
 
Each of Chambers' catches stretched at least 59 yards and 110 of his 201 receiving yards came after the catch.
 
The record pages kept flipping as quarterback Max Bortenschlager posted a program single-game best 466 passing yards while completing 19-of-30 passes along with four touchdowns.  He snapped the previous mark of 400 yards that was tallied by Paul McCall in 2008.
 
Price busted loose for a 25-yard jaunt with just under 12 minutes left in the third quarter in reaching the milestone and moved past Anthony Jones (2,011) into fifth place on the career rushing list with his current total of 2,021 yards.
 
The run by Price set up a score for the Panthers in the third quarter that got them to within 24-13 when Bortenschlager hooked up with freshman Kris Mitchell for a 50-yard touchdown with 11:25 left in the third.

CHARLOTTE-FLORIDA CONNECTION
The 49ers feature a total of six players on their roster that hail from the state of Florida.
 

Neal Maguire	Zephyrhills, Fla.	Zephyrhills
Steven Parker	Tampa, Fla.	Tampa Tech
Victor Tucker	Miami Gardens, Fla.	Carol City
Elisha Edwards	Lauderhill, Fla.	Cardinal Gibbons
Will Moon	Jacksonville Beach, Fla.	Providence
Roger Walters	Fort Lauderdale, Fla.	St. Lucie West

 
UP NEXT
The Panthers are back at "The Cage" in Miami for a Friday night showdown vs. Louisiana Tech on Oct. 28.  The game will be televised to a national audience on CBS Sports Network beginning at 8 p.m. ET.