It’s DeShawn Purdie’s time as center for the Charlotte 49ers.

The 18-year-old first-year quarterback is always upbeat and has a particularly positive attitude. He will make his first collegiate appearance on Saturday against Gardner-Webb.

Max Brown, the starting signal-getter who injured his right thumb, will be used week-to-week, head coach Biff Poggi said at Tuesday’s weekly press conference. Purdie filled in well for Brown in the second half of Saturday’s loss, and Brown worked closely with him and fellow backup Trexler Ivey in practice earlier this week.

“This time last year (Purdie) was throwing gumball cards, and now all of a sudden he’s playing Division I football,” Poggi said. “We have to take care of him. He’s very talented, but he’s a freshman. And we trust him.”

With Terron Kellman out, Charlotte’s receivers have another chance

Charlotte will be without one of its best running backs in the game against Gardner-Webb.

Terron Kellman will not play and will be out for Saturday’s game, Poggi announced at Tuesday’s press conference. Kellman was injured in the Niners’ loss in Chapel Hill, where he totaled eight yards on five carries.

Hahsaun Wilson of Florence, South Carolina, led the Charlotte Tailbacks with 29 yards, and Michigan native CJ Stokes made his debut in green and gold. Poggi said he expects more playing time from Stokes – a Columbia, South Carolina, native who won the national championship last season in Ann Arbor.

Charlotte struggled to get its running game going at UNC on Saturday, but Purdie’s skill in the second half prevented a crushing loss and the team is excited to see more of him this weekend.

“We’ve all seen enough football: When the first quarterback comes out, the second one comes in, and usually it’s a nightmare,” Poggi said. “This wasn’t a nightmare. We played really hard. I’m really proud of the team, and this kid has a Great Work.”

“Let’s keep going”: Players motivated after intensive training

Charlotte didn’t return from Chapel Hill until around 11 p.m. and the players were in the building on Sunday morning.

It was a “great conditioning day,” Poggi said. The student-athletes completed various meets and practices, and the workouts only got more intense as the week began.

And the players are taking it well.

“I’ve been on a lot of teams where we’ve done conditioning the day after the game, then some of them have walked out or just not been as excited as we were,” said wide receiver Sean Brown, a Waxhaw native who previously played for Marvin Ridge and UNC Pembroke. “We tackled it head on. No slacking. We really tackled the conditioning and knew it would only help us throughout the season.”

“Let’s just keep going. It’s only week 2. We might as well keep going.”