Huntington, WV: West Virginians have long been known for being friendly and quite hospitable. After Saturday, Marshall head coach Tony Gibson might prefer his team be a little ruder to its guests moving forward. The Thundering Herd committed six turnovers in dropping a 27-21 decision to Coastal Carolina on a rain-soaked evening in the “Mountain State.”
CCU running back Dominic Lee-Knicely ran for a career-high 169 yards to lead the Chanticleers (2-4/1-1) to their first Sun Belt Conference victory of the season. Meantime, Marshall dropped its second straight game in the league while working through three different quarterbacks in an effort to find a solution to its turnover woes.
Game Recap Courtesy of CCU Media Relations: Coastal Carolina forced six takeaways and rushed for 235 yards to earn its first Sun Belt Conference victory of the season with a 27–21 win over Marshall on a rainy Saturday night at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.
The Chanticleers (2–4, 1–1 Sun Belt) scored the game’s first 27 points and held off a late Marshall rally to secure head coach Ryan Beard’s first conference victory at Coastal. The Thundering Herd fell to 3–3 overall and 0–2 in conference play.
Lee-Knicely led the Chanticleers with 169 rushing yards and a touchdown on 25 carries, highlighted by a 70-yard scoring run on Coastal’s first offensive play of the second half. He also paced the receiving corps with three catches for 42 yards.
Coastal set the tone defensively, forcing turnovers on Marshall’s first three possessions. Ja’Marion Wayne intercepted the game’s first play from scrimmage for his second interception of the season.
Following an interception on Coastal’s ensuing possession, Ibrahim Diawara recovered a Marshall fumble to give the Chanticleers another opportunity deep in Thundering Herd territory. Nico Cavanillas Alti capped the possession with a 26-yard field goal to put Coastal ahead 3–0 with 8:58 remaining in the first quarter.
Marshall responded with a drive inside Coastal’s 10-yard line, but Travis Roman ended the scoring threat with an interception in the end zone. The pick was Roman’s second of the season and preserved the Chanticleers’ early advantage.
Chase Jackson added Coastal’s third interception early in the second quarter, setting up a four-play, 40-yard touchdown drive. Deuce Bailey connected with Karmello English for a seven-yard score to extend the lead to 10–0 with 12:31 remaining before halftime.
Cavanillas Alti added a 40-yard field goal with 3:33 left in the second quarter, sending the Chanticleers into the locker room with a 13–0 lead.
Coastal carried that momentum into the second half as Lee-Knicely broke free for a 70-yard touchdown run just 18 seconds into the third quarter.
The Chanticleers recovered another turnover on the ensuing kickoff when Azarel Juste secured a muffed return. Coastal converted the short field into another touchdown, finishing a seven-play, 28-yard drive with a two-yard scoring run by Jaden Allen-Hendrix to push the advantage to 27–0 with 11:47 remaining in the third quarter.
Marshall got on the scoreboard with a 50-yard touchdown run by Judah Price late in the third quarter, but Coastal’s defense delivered another takeaway in the fourth. Myles Woods forced a fumble on a Zion Turner scramble, and Jalen Lee recovered to halt a Marshall drive inside the Chanticleers’ 10-yard line.
The Thundering Herd scored twice in the final three minutes, cutting Coastal’s lead to six with 2:14 remaining. The Chanticleers secured the ensuing onside kick, and Allen-Hendrix’s 19-yard run moved the chains before Coastal took two kneel-downs to seal the victory.
The Chanticleers recorded three interceptions and three fumble recoveries while limiting Marshall to two touchdowns in five red-zone trips. Coastal also registered three sacks and eight tackles for loss.
Coastal Carolina returns to Brooks Stadium on Friday, Oct. 16, to host App State at 8 p.m. on ESPN2.
Final Game Stats
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