The 2-1 Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns are back on the road this weekend, this time heading to the East Coast to face the 0-3 Charlotte 49ers in Charlotte, North Carolina. Kickoff is set for 6:30pm ET (5:30pm in Louisiana) at Jerry Richardson Stadium. This will be the first meeting between the Cajuns and 49ers, with Louisiana entering as a 10-point road favorite. It will also be the final non-conference game of the regular season for both teams before conference play begins. Louisiana is coming off a narrow 21-14 victory over UAB last weekend, one that was largely won by its defense. The Cajuns limited the Blazers to just 11 first downs and held them to 17% on third down while not allowing a single fourth-down conversion. Safety Collin Jacob earned Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week honors after recording six tackles, an interception and a forced fumble on fourth down late in the game that ultimately sealed the win for Louisiana. It was a hard-earned performance by the entire defense, especially considering UAB entered the game averaging 230 rushing yards per game through its first two games. Louisiana held the Blazers to just 74 yards on the ground. Charlotte, on the other hand, has had an interesting start to the season. Yes, the 49ers are 0-3, but they have been within reach of getting a win or two. They started the season at home against The Citadel, losing 43-41 in triple overtime despite finishing with 538 yards of offense. Charlotte then traveled to Ole Miss and lost 41-9 before facing App State last weekend, where the 49ers made a late push but ultimately fell 26-21. Charlotte’s quarterback, sixth-year senior Cole Gonzales, and his receiving corps have been explosive at times, which has helped keep the 49ers in games. Gonzales has completed roughly 66% of his passes through three games, while Jaylen Hampton and Jaden Barnes have combined for nearly 400 receiving yards. The problem has been consistency. Gonzales has thrown five interceptions compared with three touchdowns, and Charlotte’s passing game has struggled when the offense gets put into obvious passing situations. On the ground, Khamani Alexander has been the lead man for Charlotte. The 49ers are averaging just under 132 rushing yards per game, although that number is helped by Alexander’s 138-yard performance against The Citadel. Over the last two games, he has been held to just 30 yards on 19 carries. That may be one of the biggest matchups to watch Saturday. Louisiana just held UAB to 74 rushing yards, while Charlotte is coming off a game where it managed only 36 yards on the ground against App State. If the Cajuns can force Charlotte to become one-dimensional, it could make things difficult for Gonzales and the 49ers offense. Shelton Sampson Jr. and Trenton Chaney Back in Lineup Louisiana should get getting some help back offensively. Shelton Sampson Jr. and Trenton Chaney both left the season opener against Lamar with ankle injuries and have not played since. Both are listed on this week’s depth chart, although neither is listed as a starter. Coach Michael Desormeaux said Wednesday that both are probable to play, but the plan is to ease them back into the rotation rather than immediately giving them a full workload. That should still be a welcomed addition for a Cajuns passing game that has struggled to consistently get the football downfield to its wide receivers. Landon Strother returned last week against UAB after a fall camp injury and had five catches for 41 yards, including a 29-yard reception. Now adding Sampson and Chaney back into the mix gives Lunch Winfield a few more options heading into conference play. Tight end Caden Jensen is also back on the depth chart after suffering an injury against Lamar and is listed behind Brock Chappell. Keys to the Game 1. Get the Running Game Going Early Lunch Winfield has been the biggest part of Louisiana’s offense through three games, and much of that has come from what he can do with his legs. He is averaging nearly 90 rushing yards per game and has already scored five touchdowns on the ground. Winfield rushed for 91 yards against USC before following that with another 91 yards and two touchdowns against UAB. Louisiana as a team is averaging just over 200 rushing yards per game. That should once again be the starting point Saturday. Charlotte allowed The Citadel to rush for nearly 270 yards in the season opener, and while the 49ers have been better since then, Louisiana should still have an opportunity to establish itself on the ground with Winfield, Steven Blanco, Anthony Reagan Jr. and the rest of the backfield. If UL can consistently pick up four or five yards on early downs, it also takes pressure off a passing game that is still trying to find its footing. 2. Pressure Charlotte Into Difficult Third Downs Louisiana’s defense has essentially played lights out at home so far this season. Through games against Lamar and UAB, the Cajuns have allowed just one offensive touchdown. Now the question becomes whether that can carry over to the road. Charlotte has shown that it can create explosive plays, especially through the air, but its offense has been much less effective when the running game disappears. That is where Louisiana needs to take advantage. Stop the run early, force Charlotte into second-and-long and third-and-long situations, and make Gonzales beat you consistently through the air. He has made some impressive throws this season, but his five interceptions also show that he can be forced into mistakes. Louisiana has already intercepted five passes through three games. If the Cajuns can get pressure on Gonzales without constantly having to bring extra defenders, it would allow the secondary to focus on Hampton, Barnes and the rest of Charlotte’s receivers. Final Prediction: Louisiana 31, Charlotte 16 Charlotte’s 0-3 record is a little deceiving. The 49ers were two points away from beating The Citadel and were still within striking distance late against App State, so I don’t think this is a team Louisiana should overlook. They, just like UAB, have fight in them. That said, I think the biggest difference Saturday will be Louisiana’s ability to run the football and Charlotte’s struggles to consistently stop it. The Cajuns are averaging more than 200 rushing yards per game, while Winfield has become one of the most dangerous parts of that rushing attack. Between him and Louisiana’s rotation of running backs, I think UL should be able to wear Charlotte down as the game progresses. Defensively, the goal should be pretty simple: don’t allow Charlotte to establish the run and make Gonzales beat you through the air for four quarters. Charlotte will probably hit a few big plays. Hampton and Barnes are good enough to create some problems for Louisiana’s secondary, especially if Gonzales gets time in the pocket. But I have a hard time seeing the 49ers consistently sustaining drives if the Cajuns can force them into obvious passing situations. I expect Charlotte to keep things competitive early, especially playing at home, but ultimately Louisiana’s rushing attack and defense should be too much. They have played tremendously well so far this season, outside of that USC game. The return of Sampson, Chaney and Jensen should also give Louisiana a chance to start expanding the passing game a little more before conference play begins. Give me UL 31-16 as the Cajuns improve to 3-1 and wrap up non-conference play with a win before returning home to begin Sun Belt play against Arkansas State.