On Saturday, Sept. 8, the Charlotte 49ers faced off against in-state opponent Appalachian State for the first time in program history. After a close first half, App State was able to run away with the game and defeated the 49ers by a score of 45-9.
Quarterback Zac Thomas was a perfect 14-14 passing and finished with 295 yards along with four touchdowns, including one rushing. 49ers safety Ben Deluca was a bright spot for the 49ers defense with 11 total tackles which led to him becoming the third all-time in program history in tackles behind Karrington King and Larry Ogunjobi.