On October 10th, Tim Beck became the first Coastal Carolina head football coach to win in Boone, NC, as the Chanticleers defeated Appalachian State 27-24 on a last-second field goal by Kade Hensley. So, it’s not that big of a surprise that Coach Beck has a soft spot in his heart for the place nicknamed “The Rock.”
“We’re super excited about going to the game. What a great opportunity!” Beck exclaimed. “Once in a lifetime to get to go to ‘The Rock’ and play a football game. One of the most beautiful places in the world.”
No knock on Watauga County, but Boone was not the destination Tim Beck was referencing.
On Wednesday, he sat down with the media for a Hawaii Bowl preview to discuss CCU’s matchup with San Jose State on December 23rd in Honolulu. The Spartans, much like the Chanticleers, are 7–5 on the season and present a difficult challenge for Coastal. SJSU has not lost since October 7th at Boise State, reeling off six straight wins to get into the Hawaii Bowl. Running back Kairee Robinson, who topped 100 yards rushing in five of his last six games, is tied for third nationally with 18 touchdowns. As a team, the Spartans rank third in turnover margin, just behind Penn State and Michigan, having forced 21 turnovers.
Beck is also dealing with the transfer portal, especially the news that broke Wednesday that quarterback Grayson McCall is transferring to NC State.
As of Wednesday, Beck said that Ethan Vasko would be the starting quarterback against San Jose State, and he stated that McCall was doubtful to play. He was non-committal as to whether McCall or any of the other transfer portal players would travel with the team to Hawaii.
“Some are, some aren’t,” the first-year CCU coach said regarding the transfer guys. “When I get that roster, you guys will get it. We’re still in the process of working through some of that.”
The Hawaii Bowl is scheduled for December 23rd at 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
CCU HC Tim Beck — Hawaii Bowl Press Conference