Austin McAfee/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images. Pictured Quavian White and Bryquice Brown
Charlotte vs. Georgia State Odds
| Charlotte Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
|
+4
-110
|
64.5
-110o / -110u
|
+155 |
| Georgia State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
|
-4
-110
|
64.5
-110o / -110u
|
-180 |
Charlotte looks to stay perfect as it travels to face Georgia State, who’s in search of its first win of the year.
The 49ers finished 2-4 in 2020 with quarterback Chris Reynolds playing injured all season. They are currently 2-0 this season after upsetting Duke in a back-and-forth game before defeating Gardner-Webb.
Whether the hot start is a product of their schedule or concrete improvement, we’ll know more after this game.
Georgia State has enjoyed back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in program history. That streak is in jeopardy after starting 0-2 this season as the Panthers have already hit must-win territory.
This is an intriguing matchup between two teams that have been trending in opposite directions to start the campaign.
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Charlotte 49ers
The 49ers are off to an undefeated start in year three of the Will Healy era.
The 2020 season was disjointed for the 49ers, as they had nine games that were called off or rescheduled. They faced a five-week pause before the season finale against Western Kentucky.
After going 2-4 in the craziness of the 2020 season, the program is still projected to be a top-three contender in Conference USA in 2021.
49ers Offense
The Charlotte offense is reliant on Reynolds, who has started since 2018.
Last season, he suffered a torn labrum on the first play of the season but continued to play through the injury. As expected, his numbers declined, but he’s fully healthy this season and has returned to his 2019 form.
The offense ranked outside the top 100 in Rushing Success, Line Yards and Sack Rate in the 2020 season. So far, the 49ers improved those numbers in 2021 and have found good success both through the air and on the ground.
The question that remains unanswered is if this team has returned to 2019 form or if the success is a product of facing a soft schedule.
49ers Defense
The Charlotte defense was one of the worst units in the country in 2020 and was projected to be the worst in Conference USA this season.
Last year, they ranked outside the top-100 in Rushing Success, Passing Success, Sack Rate and Havoc. They allowed 32.5 points per game and 6.6 yards per play.
Through two games their numbers have improved, but they’ll be facing a dynamic Georgia State offense that is hungry to get back on track.
Georgia State Panthers
It’s been a rough start for head coach Shawn Elliott and the Georgia State Panthers, who have been outscored 102-27 in their first two games.
They were physically dominated by Army on the ground in the opener, allowing them to hold the ball for 42 minutes.
Sam Howell of North Carolina torched the defense in Week 2 putting up 300+ passing yards and 100+ rushing yards and accounting for five touchdowns.
After two tough opponents, Georgia State is desperate for a victory against Charlotte.
Panthers Offense
Georgia State set a school record in points per game last season and returned every starter this year. They haven’t seen the same success translate over through two games, as they’re averaging just 13.5 points per matchup.
The offense only had the ball for 18 minutes in the opener against Army, which made it difficult to get into any offensive rhythm. Against UNC, they were dominated, throwing for just 90 yards and averaging 3.0 yards per pass attempt.
Quarterback Cornelious Brown averaged 7.5 yards per pass attempt in 2020, but through two games that number sits at just 4.3. He hasn’t had much help from a rushing attack that has averaged just 3.1 yards per carry this season.
This offense has the potential to bounce back in a big way against a Charlotte defense that was projected to be the worst in the Conference USA.
Panthers Defense
The Georgia State defense runs a 3-4 defensive scheme that focuses on shutting down the run. They return nine starters from a 2020 unit that led the Sun Belt in sacks and tackles for loss, while allowing only 3.9 yards per carry.
They haven’t looked like the same defense through two games after allowing an average of 51 points per game. They’re sitting outside the top 100 in Rushing Success, Passing Success, and Finishing Drives.
The 2020 Georgia State defense ranked eighth in Havoc, however, they currently sit at 125th in that same statistic for this season.
A large portion of that comes from the strength of the opponents they’ve played, with the Army triple-option and the UNC Air Raid attack being dangerous.
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Charlotte vs. Georgia State Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Charlotte and Georgia State match up statistically:
Charlotte Offense vs. Georgia State Defense
 |
Offense |
Defense |
 Edge |
| Rush Success | 76 | 101 |
|
| Line Yards | 84 | 87 |
 |
| Pass Success | 76 | 126 |
|
| Pass Blocking* | 76 | 123 |
|
| Big Play | 34 | 81 |
|
| Havoc | 113 | 125 |
|
| Finishing Drives | 12 | 125 |
|
| * Pass Blocking (Off.) vs. Pass Rush (Def.) | |||
Georgia State Offense vs. Charlotte Defense
|
|
Offense |
Defense |
Edge |
| Rush Success | 84 | 114 |
|
| Line Yards | 110 | 103 |
|
| Pass Success | 109 | 30 |
|
| Pass Blocking* | 102 | 120 |
|
| Big Play | 126 | 89 |
|
| Havoc | 111 | 26 |
|
| Finishing Drives | 9 | 27 |
|
| * Pass Blocking (Off.) vs. Pass Rush (Def.) | |||
Pace of Play / Other
|
|
|
|
| PFF Tackling | 104 | 54 |
| PFF Coverage | 83 | 127 |
| Middle 8 | 76 | 114 |
| SP+ Special Teams | 84 | 47 |
| Plays per Minute | 121 | 23 |
| Rush Rate | 61.% (34) | 59.3% (42) |
Data via College Football Data (CFBD), FootballOutsiders, SP+, PFF & SportSource Analytics.
Charlotte vs. Georgia State Betting Pick
This is a perfect bounce-back spot for the Panthers’ offense against a 49ers defense that has outperformed expectations through two games. The sample size is small for the 49ers, as they’ve only faced one quality opponent in Duke — who is still one of the bottom feeders in the ACC.
Brown will present problems with his ability to make plays with his legs going against a defense that ranks 114th in Rush Success.
Georgia State couldn’t have looked worse in its two games, but it has played much stiffer competition in Army and UNC.
This is an ideal spot to buy low on the Panthers and sell high on the 49ers.
Pick: Georgia State -4
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