Conway, SC: On a raw, rainy day along the “Grand Strand,” Coastal Carolina’s defense provided the cruelest environment of all, stymieing the Texas State offense and helping the Chanticleers to a 31-23 victory over the Bobcats in front of a rain-drenched crowd at Brooks Stadium. Texas State scored two touchdowns in the final 3:37 to make the margin a lot closer than the game actually was for three and a half quarters.
The Bobcats came into Saturday’s game leading the Sun Belt Conference in scoring and total offense, but CCU held the visitors to less than 300 yards and just 10 points through nearly fifty-seven minutes of game action.
Meanwhile, the Chanticleers got another solid outing from quarterback Ethan Vasko, who started his second straight game behind center for CCU. Vasko was 17-of-27 for 145 yards passing with two touchdowns. Six of those completions and one score went to wide receiver Sam Pinckney, who established a new NCAA record in the process. Saturday’s game marked the fifty-fifth straight contest that the Greenwood product has caught a pass.
Game Story Courtesy of CCU Media Relations:
Coastal Carolina scored 24 consecutive points to open up a 31-10 lead on Saturday night and withstood a late Texas State rally to beat the Bobcats 31-23 for its fifth consecutive victory in front of 15,823 fans at Brooks Stadium.
CCU opened the second half with its longest drive of the season, marching 94 yards in 7:32 as Reese White capped the possession with a two-yard run with 7:16 remaining in the third quarter. Kade Hensley pushed the Chants’ lead to 31-10 with a 25-yard field goal with 9:16 to play in the fourth quarter.
Texas State rallied with a touchdown with 3:37 to play, then recovered an onside kick and scored its second touchdown of the quarter with 44 seconds to go. Pinckney recovered the Bobcats’ second onside kick attempt to give the Chanticleers possession. The Bobcats’ turned Coastal over on downs to get one final drive, but Matthew McDoom’s tackle in-bounds on the game’s final snap clinched the victory for the Chanticleers.
Coastal steps out of conference play next Saturday as the Chants travel to West Point to face Army at 12:00 p.m. on the CBS Sports Network. The Chanticleers will head into the final two weeks of the season with control of the Sun Belt Conference East Division race. A win over James Madison on November 25th would clinch at least a share of the division and send CCU to its second straight title game appearance.
