Honolulu, HI: Coastal Carolina football wrapped up the regular season with a 56-14 loss to James Madison on November 25th. Earlier this week, linebacker Shane Bruce said his defensive teammates took that loss personally. Unfortunately for San Jose State, they were the next team on CCU’s schedule.
The Chanticleers held the Spartans scoreless for three quarters as Ethan Vasko and the Coastal offense built a 17-0 lead early in the fourth quarter. That was enough to propel CCU to a 24-14 victory over SJSU in the Hawai’i Bowl in front of 7,089 fans at the Clarence T.C. Ching Complex on the campus of the University of Hawai’i. Vasko, who was named the game’s “Most Valuable Player,” was 20-of-33 passing for 199 yards and 3 TDs. Greenwood’s Sam Pinckney, playing in his final game for CCU, caught eight balls for 123 yards and one ridiculous touchdown reception that sealed the game for the Chanticleers.
CCU’s defense played inspired from the opening whistle, becoming the first team to shut out San Jose State in the opening half since Southern California on Sept. 4, 2021, breaking a streak of 34 consecutive games of scoring in the first half for the Spartans. CCU was also a plus-two in the turnover margin, which was a critical statistic as San Jose State entered play third nationally at a plus-thirteen in that category.
Additional Game Information Courtesy of CCU Media Relations:
Coastal Carolina scored the lone points of the first half on its second possession of the half, driving 80 yards in 11 plays as Vasko connected with Matt Alaimo for a two-yard touchdown toss with 3:16 left in the first quarter.
SJSU threatened to tie the game midway through the second quarter, but Wyatt Gedeon chased down a Spartan receiver on fourth down to stop the Spartans short and give Coastal a 7-0 lead at halftime. The Chanticleers dominated the field position in the first half as Evan Crenshaw’s punts pinned the Spartans inside their own five-yard line on back-to-back drives in the second quarter.
The Chants’ defense rose to the occasion once again late in the third quarter as Teddy Tiokeng forced a fumble inside the red zone that Bruce recovered. Coastal’s offense capitalized with an 11-play, 87-yard drive that ended when Vasko hit Kendall Karr for a two-yard score at the 3:19 mark.
CCU’s defense forced its second turnover on the ensuing possession when Abraham Temoney III knocked the ball loose and into the hands of Courtney Eubanks. Kade Hensley extended Coastal’s lead to 17-0 eight plays later on a career-long 49-yard field goal with 14:16 to go in the fourth quarter.
The Spartans finally got on the board with a 35-yard touchdown pass with 12:27 left in the game. After forcing CCU’s first three-and-out of the night, San Jose State trimmed the deficit to 17-14 with a 12-yard touchdown run with 8:30 remaining.
Facing its biggest possession of the night, the Chants went to Pinckney. The Sun Belt’s all-time leader in receiving yards caught four passes on the drive, becoming just the third receiver in school history to record 1,000 receiving yards in a single season. His final catch, a spectacular one-handed grab for an eight-yard touchdown, gave him 72 catches on the season, breaking the single-season record he set in 2022.
Coastal concludes the season at 8-5, while San Jose State wraps up the year at 7-6.
CCU HC Tim Beck — Hawai’i Bowl Postgame Comments
CCU QB Ethan Vasko — Hawai’i Bowl Postgame Comments
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