The Charlotte 49ers have a simple football goal: earn a postseason bowl berth.

The 49ers, who went 4-8 in 2016, were within reach late last season, only to close with three straight losses. That chase is the incentive everyone focused on at the start of preseason drills.

“We expect to do well,” Charlotte coach Brad Lambert said. “We want to attain bowl eligibility. We felt like we were close last year. I feel like this team has done a really nice job since January working and preparing and giving us a chance to be successful and putting us in a good spot today for Day 1.”

Said quarterback Hasaan Klugh: “We started to figure out we can compete in [Conference USA]. We missed it by two games and it was hard for us, but we knew that it was the little things – a play here and there – and we’ve got to bounce back.”

The 49ers have returning talent on offense, starting with Klugh, who earned team offensive MVP honors after accounting for 1,782 yards total offense and 18 touchdowns. Klugh, who went 3-4 as a starter, gives Charlotte playmaking capability as a runner (89 carries, 426 yards and 8 TDs) as well as passer (120-of-224, 1,356 yards, 10 TDs).

“We’ve been out working hard every single day,” Klugh said. “We’ve been working to get better. The big part we’ve been working on is finishing. If we can finish, we can win a lot more games.”

Charlotte lost career receiving leader Austin Duke to graduation, but return Trent Bostick, who sat out last season with concussion symptoms. Robert Washington and Butler High graduate Benny LeMay will share carries as successors to career rushing leader Kalif Phillips.

“It’s a lot of production to fill, no doubt,” Lambert said, “but we’ve got some good offensive linemen coming back, so hopefully we’re sound in that area.”

Charlotte’s main concern is on defense, where the 49ers allowed 34.6 points and 453.2 yards per game. Complicating matters is the loss of defensive end Brandon Banks, who signed with the Washington Redskins, and all-Conference USA defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi, a third-round pick by the Cleveland Browns.

“The difference is we’ve got to replace our defensive line,” Lambert said. “That’s going to be the biggest issue for us – who’s going to step up on the defensive front to make plays and replace Brandon, replace Larry. We lost a lot of production there, so that’s the biggest thing we’ve got to get accomplished in this camp.”

With Ogunjobi and Banks gone, new leaders will have to step up on defense, which won’t change in terms of scheme.

“We’re simplifying it, making sure we do our thing right,” said senior linebacker Karrington King, whose 205 career tackles is 12 short of Ogunjobi’s school record. “It’s not that much of a change when it comes to our plays, though. We’ll Rolodex some stunts and games, things like that, but other than that, you’ll see the same thing.”

One thing the 49ers want is travel plans after Thanksgiving, as in a bowl invitation. Six wins is usually the minimum standard for eligibility, and it would also set a school record.

“That’s our only goal,” King said. “That’s our first goal, actually. At the end of the day, there’s nothing we can do but win a bowl game. It’s a must.”