2021 FOOTBALL OPPONENT THUMBNAILS
Duke, Sept. 4 Atlantic Coast Conference 2-9; ACC: 1-9 Blue Devils Durham, N.C. Notes: Charlotte’s first home game vs. a Power 5 and/or ACC opponent ... 2021 Season Opener ... Charlotte is 3-0 in home openers and 5-3 in season openers ... Duke will be the second ACC opponent to open a 49ers season (at Louisville, 2016) ... this is the second meeting between the two teams ... the Blue Devils beat Charlotte, 53-19, in 2020 ... Charlotte is 0-3 all-time vs. the ACC.
Gardner-Webb, Sept. 11 Big South Conference 0-0 (Competing in Spring 2021) Runnin’ Bulldogs Boiling Springs, N.C. Notes: The Runnin’ Bulldogs are competing this spring ... Charlotte is 2-1 all-time vs. Gardner-Webb, including a 2-0 mark at home ... head coach Will Healy is 1-0 vs. Gardner-Webb ... the two teams tried to add a meeting to the 2020 season, but that game, scheduled for Nov. 14, was cancelled due to pandemic concerns ... Charlotte’s 53-51 victory over nationally-ranked Gardner-Webb in the 49ers 2013 inaugural season was the 49ers largest comeback and first win over an FCS ranked opponent. at Georgia State, Sept. 18 Sun Belt Conference 6-4; SBC: 4-4 Panthers Atlanta, Ga. Notes: The series is tied 1-1 with the road team winning both games ... Charlotte defeated Georgia State, 23-20, in the 49ers first-ever game at the FBS level at the Georgia Dome, Sept. 4, 2015 ... the Panthers topped Charlotte, 28-0 Sept. 23, 2017 in Charlotte ... the two teams were scheduled to play in Charlotte last year, but the game was cancelled due to the pandemic ... the two teams will continue series play in 2022 and 2023 ... won the 2020 LendingTree Bowl (W, 39-21 vs. WKU).
Middle Tennessee, Sept. 25 Conference USA 3-6; C-USA: 2-4 (5th, East) Blue Raiders Murfreesboro, Tenn. Notes: C-USA opener ... Charlotte is 1-5 in league openers ... Charlotte is 1-5 all-time vs. Middle Tennessee ... Charlotte’s one win came in 2019 in a 34-20 home victory ... the win was part of the 49ers’ five-game win streak to close the regular-season and become bowl eligible for the first time ... the 49ers are 1-3 at home against the Blue Raiders ... the two teams did not compete in 2020 due to the pandemic. at Illinois, Oct. 2 Big 10 Conference 2-6; B10: 2-6 Fighting Illini Champaign, Ill. Notes: This will be the 49ers first game against a Big 10 opponent ... this will be the first time that Charlotte meets two Power 5 oppo- nents in the same season. at FIU, Oct. 9 Conference USA 0-5; C-USA: 0-3 (6th, East) Panthers Miami, Fla. Notes: Charlotte is 0-5 vs. the Panthers ... the two teams did not meet last year ... FIU defeated Charlotte 48-23 in Miami in 2019 ... the 49ers are 0-2 at home against FIU.
Florida Atlantic, Oct. 23 Conference USA 5-4; C-USA 4-2 (2nd, East) Owls Boca Raton, Fla. Notes: Charlotte is 2-4 all-time vs. the Owls ... FAU scored a 21-17 win at home in 2020 ... the road team has won five of the six contests ... Charlotte is 0-3 at home vs. FAU ... the Owls have won the last two contests ... lost to Memphis, 25-10, in 2020 Montgomery Bowl. at WKU, Oct. 30 Conference USA 5-7; C-USA: 4-3 (3rd, East) Hilltoppers Bowling Green, Ky. Notes: Charlotte is 1-3 all-time vs. WKU ... the Hilltoppers defeated Charlotte, 37-19 in the 2020 season finale in Charlotte, last year ... Charlotte is 0-2 in Bowling Green ... lost, 39-21, to Georgia State in the 2020 LendingTree Bowl.
Rice, Nov. 6 Conference USA 2-3; C-USA: 2-3 (5th, West) Owls Houston, Texas Notes: Rice is one of two C-USA West Division foes on the 49ers schedule and the lone West Division team to play at Charlotte ... Char- lotte is 0-2 vs. Rice and 0-1 in Charlotte ... the two teams have not met since 2016 ... in the last meeting, in Charlotte, Rice topped the 49ers, 22-21. at Louisiana Tech, Nov. 13 Conference USA 5-5; C-USA: 4-2 (3rd, West) Bulldogs Ruston, La. Notes: This will be the first meeting between the two teams ... Louisiana Tech is the last team in Conference USA that the 49ers have not faced ... this will be the 49ers first trip to Louisiana Tech .... this will be the second consecutive game against a C-USA West Division foe ... lost to Georgia Southern, 38-3, in the 2020 R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.
Marshall, Nov. 20 Conference USA 7-3; C-USA: 4-1 (1st, East) Thundering Herd Huntington, W.Va. Notes: Final home game of the year ... Charlotte is 2-3 all-time vs. the Thundering Herd ... the 49ers defeated Marshall, 24-13, in Char- lotte, in 2019 ... the two teams did not meet in 2020 due to the pandemic ... the 2019 win was the 49ers sixth of the season, clinching bowl eligibility for the first time in school history ... HC Will Healy is 1-0 vs. the Herd ... the 49ers are 1-2 at home against the Herd ... lost to Buffalo, 17-10, in the 2020 Camellia Bowl. at Old Dominion, Nov. 27 Conference USA 0-0; C-USA: 0-0 (DNP, 2020) Monarchs Norfolk, Va. Notes: Season finale ... Charlotte is 2-3 all-time vs. the Monarchs ... Charlotte won the last two meetings ... in the last meeting, the 49ers won, 38-22, in the 2019 regular-season finale at ODU to claim their school-record fifth straight win and school-record seventh win of the season ... HC Will Healy is 1-0 vs. ODU ... the 49ers are 1-2 at ODU.