Charlotte is 0-3 against Manatee since September of 2022 but things could change on Friday. After each having a week off, the two teams will shake off the cobwebs and hit the field against one another at 7:30 p.m. Charlotte's defense has only allowed 14.4 points per game this season, so Manatee's offense will have their work cut out for them.
Two weeks ago, everything came up roses for Charlotte against North Fort Myers as the team secured a 37-7 victory. With the Fightin' Tarpons ahead 23-0 at the half, the game was all but over already.
Kamran Curliss
| 10/30/25 @ North Fort Myers | 80 |
| 09/19/25 vs Fort Myers | 75 |
| 10/03/25 @ Island Coast | 61 |
| 09/12/25 vs North Miami Beach | 61 |
| 09/20/24 @ Fort Myers | 42 |
Charlotte's receiving core played a big role in the win, headlined by Kamran Curliss and Daveon Daniels. Curliss picked up 80 receiving yards and two touchdowns while Daniels picked up 46 receiving yards and one TD. Those 80 receiving yards gave Curliss a new career-high.
Charlotte's run defense was locked in: North Fort Myers could only muster 1.4 yards per carry. The team can thank Nathan Slater for the heroic effort on defense: he. Sadly, that's becoming something of a trend for Charlotte; they were averaging 6.1yards per carry per game earlier this season, but in their last three contests they've fallen to only 4.4 per game.
Charlotte's defense didn't let the opposing QB, get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for four sacks. In fact, those sacks all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Slater. He is becoming a predictor of Charlotte's success: when he posts at least two sacks the team is undefeated (and 3-4 when he doesn't). The Fightin' Tarpons got some further help from Trenton Curliss: he forced one fumble, made 11 total tackles (4.0 for loss), and defended three passes.
Meanwhile, Manatee lost 63-42 to Riverview Sarasota last Friday. The Hurricanes haven't had much luck with the Rams recently, as the team has come up short the last seven times they've met.
Charlotte will have to contain Keith Smith as he made an impact in Manatee's last game. He picked up 61 receiving yards and a pair of scores, and also rushed for 73 yards and one touchdown on only seven carries. Smith's longest reception was for an impressive 54 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per catch total. Manatee also got a significant boost from Caedon White, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 101 yards.
Special teams was a major factor in the game for Manatee, racking up 12 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Smith, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
Charlotte is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-4 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 36.8 points over those games. As for Manatee, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-6.
Charlotte was taken down by Manatee 38-0 when the teams last played back in November of 2023. Can the Fightin' Tarpons avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
