CCU wins, but Grayson McCall exits game due to injury. What it means for Coastal’s season

Coastal Carolina won Saturday, but that victory — a 27-17 win over Arkansas State — came at a high cost.

CCU (4-3) bested the Red Wolves (3-4) in Jonesboro, Arkansas after leading the entire game, despite a tight contest. The Chants appeared to have the game in hand early in the fourth quarter.

With fewer than 12 minutes remaining in the fourth, quarterback Grayson McCall appeared to go limp after taking a hit to the head while running with the football. McCall was sliding when he got hit, and he left the game on a stretcher.

Prior to the injury, McCall was playing efficiently. Aside from a fumble, McCall threw two touchdowns and was 24-of-28.

Emotions ran high after McCall left the game, with teams exchanging tense words and both teams engaged in after-play pushing and shoving for the rest of the fourth quarter.

Coastal linebacker Shane Bruce said after the game it was important to get the win for McCall.

“If that happened to anybody else, (McCall) would be doing the same thing for them,” Bruce said. “We needed guys to step up; they stepped up.”

The Chants seemed out of rhythm during the game despite the win, head coach Tim Beck said after the game.

“Just kind of a weird game,” Beck said. “But it’s a victory, and we’ll take it.”

While Beck felt CCU could’ve scored more during the game, the Chants have built momentum with two straight wins in Sun Belt Conference play. But McCall was not the only Chant that left the game.

CCU lost three of its best players during the game

CCU was already down two of its best players before McCall exited the game.

CCU wide receiver Jared Brown left the game, after pulling down four catches for 57 yards, although he stayed on the sideline without his helmet.

Brown has been one of McCall’s most reliable targets and has often been responsible for some of CCU’s most explosive plays.

Coastal running backs CJ Beasley and Reese White already missed time this year dealing with unspecified ailments, although both saw action against Arkansas State. Then, CCU lost another one of its backs during the game.

Braydon Bennett limped off the field midway through the game. Bennett’s taken the most handoffs for Coastal this season, and his 4.8 yards per carry are the best on the team.

Beck said after the game Brown and Bennett would be evaluated this week.

“We had four or five guys go out dinged up,” Beck said. “It was a very physical contest, and we’ll know more when they get evaluated.”

The injury bug comes at a poor time. CCU’s two straight wins gave the team much-needed momentum after starting conference play with back-to-back losses.

If McCall, Brown and Bennett are out long-term, Coastal could be in trouble as the season progresses.

But CCU has considerable depth at both the running back and wide receiver positions, and players like wide receivers Jameson Tucker and Kyre Duplessis have performed well with expanded roles this year, combing for more than 400 yards passing this season.

CCU can call upon White and Beasley to carry the load if Bennett is injured long-term, and Max Balthazar has also played well recently, averaging six yards a carry this season.

When he has seen the field, Coastal Carolina backup quarterback Jarrett Guest has played well.

Coastal’s offense methodical, effective

CCU’s offense was an even balance of run and pass against against Arkansas State. When CCU ran the ball, it typically ran into the heart of Arkansas State. When CCU elected to pass, it typically threw away from the Red Wolves.

Before the season, running back was seen as one of the deepest positions on Coastal Carolina’s roster. The Chants used this depth to their advantage against the Red Wolves, as CCU and running backs coach Xavier Dye used a revolving door of running backs — five players took handoffs.

CCU’s reliance on the run was effective. The Chants rumbled for 186 yards on 42 carries. The performance marks a complete turnaround for the Chants compared to how they started the season: CCU’s run game could not consistently gain ground in its first four games and was one of the worst in the Sun Belt Conference.

But against Georgia Southern and Appalachian State, CCU’s backs found more success. CCU rushed for more than 160 yards each game, and against Arkansas State, the result was similar.

While Beck was glad CCU won, he thought Coastal could’ve won by more.

“We scored touchdowns, and they kicked field goals,” Beck saids. “Just when we thought we were going to explode out and take this, we didn’t. It was just a really weird game.”

When offensive coordinator Travis Trickett dialed up passes, McCall typically looked to throw short. The Chants favored wide receiver screens and passes to running backs.

The accurate passer found plenty of receivers to throw to — eight Chants caught balls Saturday.

Coastal’s full use of Air Raid concepts has at times not worked well, but against Arkansas State, CCU executed the scheme well, and receivers racked up yards after the catch.

CCU has stalled on offense at times this year, but it moved down the field with ease against Arkansas State all night. CCU finished the game with four plays that gained 15 or more yards, which garnered almost 130 of Coastal’s 436 total yards.

Coastal Carolina will return to Conway for its next game, when the Chants host the Marshall Thundering Herd in their first home game since CCU’s loss to Georgia State University Sept. 21. CCU bested Marshall University in their first contest in 2022, 24-13.

Game 8: CCU vs. Marshall University

Gameday: Saturday, Oct. 28

Kickoff Time: TBA

Location: Brooks Stadium, Conway, S.C.

Where to watch: TBA

CCU’s all-time record against Marshall: 1-0