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2025 UNC Football Schedule Breakdown: Charlotte 49ers

Originally posted on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI
By Grant Chachere | Last updated Jul 29, 2025 12:30 PM ET

After a tough week one game against TCU, North Carolina will travel to Jerry Richardson Stadium to take on Charlotte.

North Carolina will make the short trip down I-40 West on Sept. 6 to face Charlotte at Jerry Richardson Stadium. The Tar Heels won the first meeting between the two programs, 38–20, and will look to stay perfect against the 49ers in the rematch.

Both teams look markedly different this time around, with only nine total starters returning from last season.

A Closer Look at Charlotte
Charlotte is coming off its fifth consecutive losing season after finishing 5–7 in 2024. The school fired head coach Biff Poggi with two games left on the schedule and turned heads by hiring Tim Albin away from Ohio.

Albin, a two-time MAC Coach of the Year, led the Bobcats to their first MAC Championship since 1968 and became the first MAC head coach to win 10 games in back-to-back seasons since Bob Pruett did it at Marshall from 1997–99.

However, Albin faces a far greater challenge in Charlotte than he did in Athens. He inherited a stable program at Ohio, which was run for 15 years by likely future College Football Hall of Famer Frank Solich.

The 49ers return just three starters from last year—one on offense and two on defense—making this one of the least experienced rosters in the country.

Statistically, Charlotte struggled on both sides of the ball in 2024:

100th in scoring offense (23.7 points per game)

105th in total offense (341.2 yards per game)

116th in total defense (433.2 yards allowed per game)

122nd in rush defense (210.3 yards per game)

122nd in points allowed (35.1 per game)

There will be an ongoing quarterback competition between former UNC signal-caller Connor Harrell and Duke transfer Grayson Loftis. Both will need to make a big leap to lift an anemic passing game.

A Lone Bright Spot
Linebacker Reid Williford emerged as one of the few standouts in 2024, racking up 77 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks. The 49ers will need him to anchor a defense in transition once again.

Outlook
Expectations are understandably low for Charlotte this season. With just three returning starters and a roster in flux, Tim Albin faces an uphill battle in Year 1. Whether Harrell or Loftis can spark the passing game remains to be seen, and running backs Don Chaney Jr. and Rod Gainey will be leaned on to carry a heavy load. There’s hope that Albin can build something long-term, but 2025 is likely to be a rebuilding year.

This is the perfect game for Carolina as it starts to figure out who they are in the second game of the season especially given how unproven the offense is, especially with its skill positions.

This article first appeared on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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