Charlotte will be coming off of a bye week to visit Hattiesburg to face the Golden Eagles and a win against Marshall.

Charlotte’s 3-5 record can be misleading to those not following the 49ers.

The 49ers have beaten Elon (2-6 in Colonial Athletic Association), a 1-7 Florida Atlantic team in the midst of a seven-game losing streak and a Marshall team that is rebuilding.

Offensive potency

Charlotte, putting up 24.8 points per game, are splitting time between quarterbacks junior Kevin Olsen and sophomore Hasaan Klugh. The inconsistency in the quarterback play has led to the transition between the two, which has ranked as the 95th-ranked passing attack in the NCAA.

The running game, led by Khalif Philips who led C-USA in rushing when USM played the 49ers last season, is averaging 4.8 yards on a carry this season with three touchdowns to his name.

Defensive breakdown

The defense, ranked 84th in the NCAA, allows a whopping 294.8 yards per game.

That same defense will have to play senior USM QB Nick Mullens, who is averaging 291.9 yards through the air and has surpassed 300 yards in three of his last four games.

Player to Watch

The defensive line should have a battle on the day, as they have accumulated 23 sacks and 61 tackles for loss on the year. The 49ers have only allowed 18 sacks all year in their eight games played.

The “Nasty Bunch” will be looking to show up this Saturday against Charlotte.

Prediction: Southern Miss 40, Charlotte 17