Charlotte and Louisiana will meet for the first time in football this Saturday, with the 49ers hosting the Ragin’ Cajuns on Family Weekend at Jerry Richardson Stadium. The game kicks off at 6:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Charlotte is still looking for its first win of the 2026 season. The Niners lost in overtime to The Citadel in Week 1, then suffered road defeats at No. 9 Ole Miss and Appalachian State the past two Saturdays. Louisiana has wins over Lamar and UAB, and a road loss at No. 15 Southern Cal.
Here is everything to know about Louisiana at Charlotte, including kickoff time, TV and radio information, odds and stat leaders.
🔄 Last Updated: September 22, 2026 9:18 pm
🏟️ How to Watch Louisiana at Charlotte Football
Matchup: Louisiana (2-1, 0-0 Sun Belt) at Charlotte (0-3, 0-0 American)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Location: Jerry Richardson Stadium (Charlotte, NC)
TV/Stream: ESPN+
TV Announcers: Tom Werme (play-by-play), Reginald Walker Jr. (analyst)
Charlotte Atmosphere: This is Family Weekend for the 49ers. Families can purchase special tickets to sit in the student section.
Charlotte Audio: Charlotte49ers.com
Charlotte Internet Radio Announcers: Matt Swierad, Al Wallace and Bobby Rosinski
📊 Game Odds
Spread: Louisiana -10.5
Total: 48.5 points
Moneyline: Louisiana -410 | Charlotte +320
Lines via DraftKings Sportsbook: Updated Tuesday, Sept. 22, 4:51 p.m.
🩹 Injury Updates
Notable injury and player availability updates will appear here as we get closer to kickoff.
⏪ Last Time Out
Louisiana 21, UAB 14 (Sept. 19) – The Ragin’ Cajuns made two big fourth-quarter stops to preserve a victory over one of Charlotte’s conference mates. Louisiana outgained UAB 335-218 and got two rushing touchdowns from quarterback Lunch Winfield.
Appalachian State 26, Charlotte 21 – After a three-and-a-half four storm delay, the 49ers suffered their third defeat of the season on Saturday night (and early Sunday morning) in Boone. Khamani Alexander rushed for two short-yardage touchdowns, while Collin Gill returned an interception 36 yards for a score to keep the 49ers in contention late.
🔍 What to Know: Louisiana at Charlotte
Winless 49ers are a double-digit underdog at home: The Vegas lines have come down a few points from the opening (from Charlotte +14 to Charlotte +10.5 as of Tuesday). But it is still significant that oddsmaker see such a gap between the two G6 programs, especially with the Niners holding home-field advantage.
Charlotte ranks near the bottom of FBS in scoring defense: The 49ers are giving up nearly 37 points per game and surrender 418.3 yards per contest.
Both teams have played Top 15 opponents: Charlotte dropped a 41-9 decision at No. 9 Ole Miss on Sept. 12. Ian Kelly scored all of the 49ers points on three field goals. Louisiana played at No. 14 Southern Cal on the same day, falling 49-30. The Ragin’ Cajuns managed 358 yards of offense and notched 20 points after halftime for the more respectable final score.
Charlotte quarterback Cole Gonzales has 7,461 career passing yards: Gonzales was a first-team all-conference player at FCS Western Carolina in 2023 and 2024 before transferring to Pittsburgh and eventually landing in Charlotte. He now has 55 career touchdown passes, though he has not thrown one the past two weeks.
Louisiana defensive back Collin Jacob earned Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week honors after the UAB win. Jacob made six tackles, picked off a pass and forced a fumble in the fourth quarter that helped seal the game.
Louisiana quarterback Ben Winfield is a true dual-threat. He leads the Ragin’ Cajuns in both passing and rushing. Winfield took over the starter’s role midway through the 2025 campaign, finishing last season with 1,555 yards passing and 11 TDs, plus 667 rushing yards and nine TDs on the ground.
📊 Louisiana vs. Charlotte Stats and Trends
📈 Team Stats
| Team Stats Category | Louisiana | Charlotte |
| Scoring Offense | 29.7 points | 23.7 points |
| Total Offense | 389.0 yds/gm | 369.0 yds/gm |
| Passing Offense | 184.3 yds/gm | 237.3 yds/gm |
| Rushing Offense | 204.7 yds/gm | 131.7 yds/gm |
| Scoring Defense | 23.3 points | 36.7 points |
| Total Defense | 302.0 yds/gm | 418.3 yds/gm |
| Passing Defense | 187.3 yds/gm | 256.7 yds/gm |
| Rushing Defense | 114.7 yds/gm | 161.7 yds/gm |
| Penalties | 19-163 | 22-128 |
| Time of Possession | 31:56 | 31:20 |
| Fumbles Lost | 2 | 0 |
| Fumbles Recovered | 1 | 1 |
| Interceptions Thrown | 3 | 5 |
| Interceptions Made | 5 | 2 |
| 3rd Down Conversions | 12-33 (36.4%) | 15-42 (35.7%) |
| 3rd Down Defense | 20-40 (50.0%) | 16-35 (45.7%) |
| 4th Down Conversions | 3-5 (60.0%) | 3-6 (50%) |
| 4th Down Defense | 3-5 (60.0%) | 3-6 (50%) |
| Red Zone Offense | 10-10 (100%) | 9-10 (90%) |
| Red Zone Defense | 5-7 (71.4%) | 12-13 (92.3%) |
⭐ Individual Leaders
| Individual Stats | Louisiana | Charlotte |
| Passing | Lunch Winfield – 511 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT | Cole Gonzales – 661 yards, 3 TD, 5 INT |
| Rushing | Lunch Winfield – 42 carries, 267 yards, 5 TD | Khamani Alexander – 33 carries, 168 yards, 3 TD |
| Receiving | Jayden Reed – 11 catches, 146 yards, 2 TD | Jaylen Hampton – 16 catches, 205 yards, 2 TD |
| Sacks | Four players – 1 sack | Three players – 1 sack |
| Tackles | Conor McPherson – 25 | Collin Gill – 23 |
| Tackles-For-Loss | Jake St. Andre – 3.0 | Three players – 2.5 each |
| Kicking | Tony Sterner – 2 FG, 11 PAT | Ian Kelly – 3 FG, 6 PAT |
| Scoring | Lunch Winfield – 30 points | Khamani Alexander – 20 points |
🔎 What the Numbers Say
Louisiana has a substantial rushing advantage. The Ragin’ Cajuns average 204.7 rushing yards per game, compared with Charlotte’s 131.7. Louisiana also allows just 114.7 rushing yards per game, while Charlotte surrenders 161.7. The ground game is a matchup worth watching on both sides of the ball.
Charlotte’s defense has been vulnerable. The 49ers allow 418.3 yards and 36.7 points per game, compared with Louisiana’s 302.0 yards and 23.3 points allowed. Louisiana’s defense has given up 116.3 fewer yards and 13.4 fewer points per game.
Charlotte has the more productive passing offense by the numbers. The 49ers average 237.3 passing yards per game, compared with Louisiana’s 184.3. But Charlotte quarterback Cole Gonzales has thrown five interceptions against three touchdown passes. Louisiana has intercepted five passes through three games, making ball security an important storyline.
Third-down struggles on both sides: Louisiana and Charlotte both have had trouble getting off the field on defense. Louisiana ranks 126th nationally by allowing a 50 percent conversion rate, while Charlotte ranks 120th at 45.7 percent.
Red zone efficiency: Louisiana has converted every red zone trip into points through three games, while Charlotte’s defense has allowed points on 12 of 13 opponent visits into its red zone.
📚 Series History
- This will be the first meeting between the schools
- Charlotte and Louisiana also have a game scheduled for Sept. 18, 2032
🔗 More North Carolina College Football Coverage
- Charlotte Football Schedule
- American Conference Standings
- 2026 week-by-week schedule
- North Carolina college football scores
