CHARLOTTE, N.C. --The 2017 season for Brad Lambert and the Charlotte 49er football is a distant memory.  It has to be. The team begins anew, hoping to erase the nightmarish 1-11 record posted by the green and gold last season.

  • The Niners are hoping that an off-season of change will bear fruit once the season begins
  • Charlotte will open the season September first
  • The team will go through 25 practices prior to the start of the season, four fewer than what they have had in the past

"We've moved forward in January," Lambert said Friday.  "You emphasize things that went wrong last year. Those were the emphasis through spring ball, they'll be an emphasis on third downs, things like that, that you want to improve on.  That's really what your doing, is putting emphasis on things we need to get better at."

The 49ers opened fall camp on Friday and the Niners are hoping that an off-season of change will bear fruit once the season begins.

"It's a really critical time," said Lambert.  "We got to get out here and get started.  We have to get the fundamentals down and get the basics down."

The practice time will be at a premium, thanks to a new rule that has reduced the number of practices the team will have. The team will go through 25 practices prior to the start of the season, four fewer than what they have had in the past.

"It's a little bit different for us, so it will be critical that we get off to a fast start and get on the right pace," Lambert said.  "You can't waste any time, no question.  You gotta get after it, you have to be focused every day, one day at a time and that's been our emphasis since January."

Charlotte will open the season September first, when they host the Fordham Rams with a 6:00pm kickoff.