How Coastal Carolina’s record win against Marshall could be a sign of the program’s future

The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers took control early and never let Marshall back into a game that could be indicative of CCU’s future as the Tim Beck era progresses.

CCU (5-3) dominated Marshall (4-4), earning a 34-6 home win at Brooks Stadium in Conway. It was CCU’s first home game in more than a month and the first game this season without quarterback Grayson McCall.

It didn’t matter. CCU coasted to a win in front of a record crowd of 21,324 with backup QB Jarrett Guest piloting the offense for most of the game. He finished with 289 passing and three touchdowns, the most by any CCU QB this year.

“It was good to be back home,” head coach Tim Beck said after the game.

The win could have many implications on the rest of CCU’s season — and the program’s future. With Grayson McCall potentially not returning to CCU, the future might be now.

Beck’s prediction holds

Beck said he was sure his team would be good, even after losing his first game as a college head coach against UCLA. Despite an up-and-down start to the season, Beck’s attitude about his team has mostly remained unchanged.

“Everything you try to do takes time,” Beck said after the game. “(The team’s) been three-four years under the same regime doing things the certain way and winning games, and we kind of changed how we do things. It just takes time, and you’re starting to see that.”

Saturday’s win over Marshall game might spell a final turning of the page for CCU’s season. In the team’s first six games, the Chants were defined by their errors and mistakes more than their strengths. Special teams, running the ball, and inconsistent play were all hurting the Chants.

Since their win against Appalachian State in Boone, N.C., the first in program history, CCU reversed its fortunes. Kicking is now a strength and a reliable source of points, while offensive coordinator Travis Trickett and running backs coach Xavier Dye cycled through at times five different backs to make the ground game more efficient.

Defensive turnaround

The defense, the team’s biggest liability in 2022, has seen a total role reversal. While still prone to occasional big plays through the air, the Chants’ defensive unit, led by coordinator Craig Naivar, routinely holds its opponents to low scores and gets turnovers.

Coastal had eight interceptions entering the game, and they got five more turnovers against Marshall. CCU’s 22.7 points surrendered a game is fourth best in the Sun Belt, a return to its 2020 and 2021 form.

The Chants have twice this season held their opponents to single-digit scoring, and the win Saturday was the first time CCU held a Sun Belt opponent to single digits scoring since a 59-6 victory over the University of Louisiana-Monroe in 2021.

In the first quarter Saturday, Marshall quarterback Cam Fancher’s throw to Chuck Montgomery slipped through the diving receiver’s hands and into those of CCU cornerback Courtney Eubanks for an interception, one of many created by the Chants’ defense. Eubanks said CCU’s cohesion as a unit has grown as the years have gone on.

“Tonight as you can see we put it together,” Eubanks said after the game. “I was just excited all game… this was the best we communicated all season.”

Chant Keonte Lusk caught another errant pass in the third quarter, followed by a Tray Brown pick in the fourth.

CCU’s defensive line got involved too. In the fourth quarter, Marshall was trapped next to its own end zone. Chants defenders swarmed redshirt freshman quarterback Cole Pennington, son of former NFL quarterback Chad Pennington. Michael Mason dragged Pennington down, forced a fumble and recovered it.

Coastal embraces the Air Raid

McCall has been the catalyst of CCU’s offense since he took over as the starter. His agility and arm created chaos for opposing defenses, and the Chants’ adoption of the spread option under former head coach Jamey Chadwell supercharged McCall’s strengths as a passer.

Beck and offensive coordinator Travis Trickett, who was coaching against his brother, Marshall offensive coordinator Clint Trickett, have spent their first season moving away from the spread option and towards the air raid offense. The blending of the two offenses was not smooth. Coastal has at times oscillated between the two.

With McCall out and Guest called upon to replace him, the Chants deployed the purest form of the air raid during the Beck era, rarely using the two back sets so familiar to spread option formations. Part of it was necessity. Coastal entered the game with the strategy of using Guest in pass situations while calling upon redshirt freshman Ethan Vasko for run-pass-option or quarterback-run situations.

But putting Vasko in the game telegraphed Coastal’s intentions, and the Chants moved away from this strategy as the game went on.

Guest stayed calm in the pocket, save for a 33-yard run in the first quarter, finding open receivers and moving the ball without issue. His implantation of Trickett’s air raid set the tone early with his first pass of the night, a 39-yard strike to receiver Jameson Tucker, who emerged as CCU’s go-to deep threat, while the short and mid-range passing was effective all night.

“I’m really proud of him. It couldn’t happen to a better kid… He’ll remember that forever,” Beck added. “He did a great job doing what he was coached to do … and had a lot of success doing that.”

Guest said after the game his experience filling in for McCall before made his preparation easier.

“The guys up front really made it easier for me,” Guest added. “The separation is in the preparation, just coming to work every day preparing like I’m going to be the starter, and when I get my chance I’m ready.”

CCU once again had a good night on the ground, with 140 yards rushing. CCU will have a decision to make at quarterback this spring, as Vasko, freshman Blake Boda and Scott Saylor could all be potential successors to Grayson McCall.

CCU’s offense runs through Jared Brown

Like he did against Jacksonville State, CCU wide receiver Jared Brown took over the game for Coastal. Brown’s speed and run-after-catch ability have always served as a nice complement to fellow receiver Sam Pinckney, who had his 53rd straight game with a catch.

Pinckney’s physicality and downfield threat have stretched the field for CCU all season. McCall has often called upon the 6-foot-4 senior in one-on-one situations in the red zone this year. Brown’s slipperiness and quickness have served offensive coordinator Travis Trickett’s offense well and often been responsible for most of CCU’s explosive plays in a game.

Entering the game, Brown had the second most all-purpose yards of any Chant, and he delivered in both phases of run and pass once again finishing with total purpose yards and two touchdowns.

“We use him well,” Beck said. “(We’ve) got a lot of weapons. (It’s) really hard to key in on one guy.

Whether it’s taking end-around runs or wide receiver screens, Brown’s speed has turned short gains into game-breaking plays. CCU has at times struggled to run the ball at the beginning of the season, but even while the Chants couldn’t consistently impose their will on the ground, Brown provided much-needed rushing yards.

Brown did so again on CCU’s first drive, as he took a jet sweep for 14 yards that nearly negated a CCU personal foul. Through the air, Brown helped Guest in the short and medium passing game.

In the first quarter, CCU had driven to the Marshall 30-yard line when Guest threw Brown a screen pass. It was all Brown needed, as he slipped around defenders before turning on the jets to score a touchdown.

Brown did allow a punt to slip through his hands later in the game, though, which Marshall pounced on and turned into a field goal.

Brown made up for the blunder on the ensuing drive when he caught a pass near the 40, broke a tackle, and took his second touchdown of the night to the house.

Game 9: CCU at Old Dominion University

The Chants will be back on the road again for their next Sun Belt Conference matchup when they face Old Dominion (4-4) in Virginia.

CCU has never beaten Old Dominion, but with two conference losses so far, Coastal will have to make program history to stay competitive in the conference.

With James Madison unbeaten this season, and losses to Georgia State and Southern this year, a berth in the Sun Belt Conference championship might be out of reach, regardless of how CCU finishes out its season.

Game day: Saturday, Nov. 4

Kickoff Time: 3:30 p.m. EST

Location: Kornblau Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium, Norfolk, Va.

Where to watch: TBA

CCU’s all-time record against Old Dominion: 0-2