Flashback: Larry O'Bannon lights up Charlotte on Senior Night

Charlotte football has only existed for four pretty unsuccessful years, so in order to get ourselves sufficiently fired up for Thursday night, we're going to have to dig a little deeper.

There was a time when the 49ers (both during the "UNC Charlotte" and "Charlotte" eras) served as one of Louisville's chief rivals on the hardwood. The program has fallen on some seriously hard times since conference realignment ravaged the old Conference USA more than a decade ago, but fans around the Derby City still remember names like Diego Guevara, Curtis Withers and Bobby Lutz.

They also remember Senior Night, 2005, when hometown kid Larry O'Bannon said farewell to Freedom Hall by hanging 33 points on No. 18 Charlotte to lock up the C-USA regular season title for No. 9 Louisville. In many ways, that loss signaled the beginning of the end for the 49ers, who went on to lose in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, and haven't heard their names called on Selection Sunday since.

And now you can relive the whole thing.

I would suggest waiting until you're at home to chant "Larry" at the end.

Beat Charlotte.