Memphis Tigers at Charlotte 49ers

Memphis is bringing a nearly unrecognizable team to Charlotte, and the 49ers are still trying to prove last year's 1-11 disaster is behind them.

Bush’s Picks

MEMCLT

MEMCLT

OverUnder

Best BetMemphis

Memphis brings real program continuity in the win column — 8-5 last year, 13 straight bowl trips — plus a coach in Charles Huff with a documented history of quick turnarounds. Charlotte is still digging out of a 1-11 season with a starting QB who tore his ACL a week into last year. Back the Tigers to win this one outright.

Memphis

• +8-5 in 2025, 13 straight years bowl eligible
• +New coach Huff has turned around programs fast
• +Added proven backs like Dallan Hayden, Manny Covey
• −99.5% of passing production gone, all-new roster
• −Only 1 returning primary starter (G Parker Mitchell)
• −Brand-new coaching staff, unproven QB battle

Charlotte

• +Year 2 under Tim Albin, more continuity in the building
• +Added 20+ transfers, including O-line and DT help
• +Playing at home after a motivating 1-11 season
• −Finished 1-11 (0-8 conference) in 2025
• −Offense averaged just 14.3 points a game
• −QB1 Harrell coming off torn ACL, both menisci, MCL sprain

This one's a study in contrasts dressed up as a conference road trip. Memphis is 13 straight years bowl eligible and just went 8-5, but head coach Ryan Silverfield bolted for Arkansas after the season, and new hire Charles Huff walked into a roster that turned over almost completely — Memphis lost 99.5% of its passing production and 100% of its rushing production from a year ago. Huff won a Sun Belt title at Marshall and flipped Southern Miss from 1-11 to 7-5 in a single season, so he's got a track record of fast turnarounds. Now he's doing it with a roster full of new faces on the road at Charlotte.

Charlotte's rebuild is a year further along, at least on the calendar. Tim Albin's first season was brutal — a 1-11 finish, 0-8 in conference, an offense that managed just 14.3 points a game while the defense was bleeding 36.3 a game. QB1 Harrell looked like the answer for one week, torching Monmouth for 382 yards and 3 touchdowns, before tearing his ACL, both menisci and spraining his MCL the next game. The 49ers brought in over 20 transfers this offseason, including O-line and defensive tackle help, to try to keep games from getting out of hand again.

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MEM Memphis

CLT Charlotte

Neither program returns much on paper — Memphis has one returning primary starter (G Parker Mitchell), and Charlotte has just 6 total returning starters across both sides — so this is as much about which new-look roster gels faster as it is about talent on paper.

Memphis Tigers

Sep 19?vs UT Martin—

Sep 12?@ Boise State—

Sep 5?vs Arkansas State—

Aug 29?@ UNLV—

Charlotte 49ers

Sep 25?vs Louisiana—

Sep 19?@ App State—

Sep 12?@ Ole Miss—

Sep 5?vs The Citadel—

Memphis's backfield is the headline addition. Dallan Hayden, who started in the College Football Playoff for Ohio State, arrives with 1,185 career rushing yards and heads a running back room that also includes Manny Covey and Jaylin Carter. That's a real skill-position upgrade dropped into a Charlotte defense that couldn't get stops all of last season.

Memphis Tigers

(0)

Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report

Charlotte 49ers

(0)

Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report

By the time Charlotte and Memphis meet on Friday, October 2, both teams will have a handful of games to figure out who they actually are. Memphis has the pedigree and the coaching hire; Charlotte has the extra year in the building and a very motivated home crowd trying to shake off a 1-11 season. It's an uneven matchup on paper, but with this much roster churn on both sides, don't be shocked if it takes a half or two to see which team actually looks the part.