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College football: Predicting who finishes in last place of every conference

By Maitland Rutledge

CHICAGO, IL - JULY 24: Illinois Football head coach Lovie Smith speaks to the media during the Big Ten Football Media Days event on July 24, 2018 at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - JULY 24: Illinois Football head coach Lovie Smith speaks to the media during the Big Ten Football Media Days event on July 24, 2018 at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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CHARLOTTE, NC – NOVEMBER 11: Head coach Brad Lambert of the Charlotte 49ers looks on during the 49ers’ football game against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at Jerry Richardson Stadium on November 11, 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Mike Comer/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC – NOVEMBER 11: Head coach Brad Lambert of the Charlotte 49ers looks on during the 49ers’ football game against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at Jerry Richardson Stadium on November 11, 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Mike Comer/Getty Images) /

Conference USA: Charlotte

Brad Lambert looks to finally right the ship for Charlotte in 2018 after finishing last in the Conference USA the previous year.

The Charlotte 49ers’ first three seasons in the Conference USA have been difficult, to say the least as the program continues to transitions from FCS to FBS. Under head coach Brad Lambert, the team has only won four conference games since joining the FBS. A 2-10 season was followed by a respectable 4-8 record before the team bottomed out at 1-11 last year.

Finishing as a last-place team encouraged Coach Lambert to make some changes to his staff. In 2018 he will have a new offensive coordinator in Shane Montgomery and a new defensive coordinator in Glenn Spencer as he looks to turn things around. The 49ers were ranked second to last in the conference in total offense and last in total defense in 2017.

The team is losing their leading rusher, Benny Lemay. Redshirt sophomore Aaron McAlister is expected to be the feature back after rushing for 458 yards and two touchdowns on 90 carries. The running game was reliable last season as Charlotte was ranked fifth in the conference averaging 166.3 yards per game.

The passing game is where Charlotte needs work. Fortunately, Hassan Klugh is returning after throwing 10 touchdowns in 2017. He was also the team’s second-leading rusher with 532 yards and nine touchdowns. Leading receiver Workpeh Kofa is also returning, but will have to show more consistency if the 49ers hope to improve their offense.

The team is also retaining their leading tackler in Ben DeLuca, who was quietly fourth in the conference with 102. Starting linebacker Jeff Gemmell will also be back after racking up 106 tackles last year, just two spots behind DeLuca. For a defense that was one of the worst in the country, surrendering an average of 454.6 yards per game, many hope Spencer can improve a defense that never flourished under Matt Wallerstedt.

Two winnable non-conference games against Fordham and UMass may lead to a 2-1 start, but the road gets tougher from there. In Conference USA play, Charlotte will face seven bowl teams from the previous year and will have a late non-conference matchup in Knoxville against Tennessee. Another 1-11 record or maximum two-win season seems very likely.