Here’s why CCU’s offense will look different this year and why the defense is a mystery

CCU has something to prove after finishing 2022 on a down note. The Chants started 2022 with six straight wins; the offense was flying, and the defense was bending but not breaking.

But the Chants faced injury issues, which dulled their offensive output, and the defense continued giving up points. In Coastal’s last seven games of 2022, they went 3-4, losing their last three games of 2022.

The offense has some mystery attached to it. New Offensive Coordinator Travis Trickett has installed an offensive scheme that focuses on quick passing, pro-style play and protecting the quarterback, moving away from some aspects of former head coach Jamey Chadwell’s spread option scheme.

Trickett’s new strategy has lots of experience to guide it— including fifth-year quarterback Grayson McCall, receivers Sam Pinckney and Jared Brown and running backs Reese White and CJ Beasley.

But new Defensive Coordinator Craig Naivar will not have the same luxury. After having a disappointing 2022 on defense, Naivar’s unit has changed, as many veterans departed for the NFL or left via the transfer portal.

Naivar has some experienced players who will help lead the team, particularly at the linebacker position, but it remains to be seen how the defense will stack up this season.

If CCU wants a successful season this year, the defense must prove they’ve improved. Their first test will be against UCLA in Pasadena, Calif. Sept. 2 at 10:30 p.m. EST.

“They’re getting a trial-by-fire game one,” Naivar said about his defense. “We’re going to find out real quick where we’re at.”

CCU’s defense will look to bounce back from 2022

The 2023-24 Coastal Carolina football team enters the season with a significant unknown on the defensive side of the ball.

In 2022, CCU was one of the worst defenses in the Sun Belt Conference, surrendering more than 5,400 total yards of offense and almost 32 points per game.

The defense couldn’t stop opposing offenses from moving the ball in 2022 and couldn’t get turnovers, only securing nine interceptions on the year.

Compounding problems for this season, while the offense retained most of its best players from 2022, Coastal’s defense lost two of its best defensive players, Jerrod Clark, to the NFL Draft and Josaiah Stewart to the transfer portal.

Now, with fresh talent via the transfer portal and recruiting, CCU hopes they’ve revamped the defensive side of the ball. Yet, it is still unclear how the unit will perform, as they have not seen the field since they gave up more than 53 points to East Carolina University in the 2022 Birmingham Bowl.

At the beginning of training camp, Naivar seemed unsure of what the defense would definitively look like.

“There’s kind of unknown of what we are going to be,” Naivar said.

CCU previously had one of the best defenses in the Sun Belt Conference during 2020 and 2021, but they could not get off the field in 2022. The Chants surrendered nearly 32 points a game in 2022, the second worst in the Sun Belt. Even against weaker teams in the Sun Belt, CCU’s defense struggled.

Old Dominion had the second-worst pass completion percentage, second-least rushing yards and scored the least touchdowns in the Sun Belt Conference during the 2022 season.

Despite going 3-9 last year, Old Dominion destroyed Coastal Carolina 49-21 when both schools played last year. McCall threw three touchdowns against Old Dominion’s pedestrian defense, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Monarchs from rushing for 323 yards.

Even in victory, most CCU games last year turned into slugging matches. Coastal’s average margin of victory was about eight points, or a touchdown and two-point conversion, in 2022.

When McCall was injured late in the season, the offense became less effective, and the Chants’ defense couldn’t bridge the gap. CCU lost its last three games by a minimum of 19 points, including a 47-7 beat down at the hands of James Madison University.

Naivar’s already worked to address the lack of depth, though.

The linebacker core led by JT Killen and Shane Bruce was already one of the most experienced, and Naivar spent the spring and summer bolstering the rest of CCU’s defense via the transfer portal and recruiting.

“(The new coaching staff) walked in, the linebacker room was a very good room, the defensive line group had good players just didn’t have enough,” Naivar said.” “So we brought in more bodies there.”

The new additions have helped improve the defense, according to Naivar. Despite this, cornerback will be an area of interest as the year progresses.

New CCU Head Coach Tim Beck previously said the secondary was one of his biggest concerns watching Coastal play last year. Of the position groups, it was one of the smallest when Naivar first arrived in Conway.

“We had a few guys, but we were very bare,” Naivar added.

CCU did add depth at the corner position via freshman talent and the transfer portal, but the Chants struggled particularly with stopping opposing teams’ passing offense and getting turnovers last season. In 2022, CCU surrendered almost 3700 yards through the air, the worst in the Sun Belt.

CCU’s secondary only managed nine interceptions on the year, 11th in the conference. For Coastal Carolina, getting turnovers and getting the ball to their high-powered offense will be critical in ensuring a successful season. The improvement of the secondary will be critical to the Chants’ success in 2023-24.

Turnovers and making plays are already a point of emphasis for Naivar, as the team has practiced causing turnovers in training camp. Despite this, CCU’s defense will soon show if they’ve improved, particularly in its first game against UCLA.

CCU’s offense has a new Air Raid base with familiar faces

While CCU will have to rely on some new faces on defense, its offense is loaded with veteran talent. When Beck took to the podium at the Sun Belt Football Media Day, he joked that, unlike other teams in the conference, CCU would not have a quarterback controversy.

“We do have a young man, you’ve probably heard of him, Grayson McCall, he’s done pretty good,” Beck said.

With almost 8,100 passing yards and about 80 touchdowns during his career at Coastal Carolina, McCall has shown he is the right man to lead the Chants offense, and it will not be a shock to see who plays alongside him.

When McCall drops back to pass, scanning downfield for an open target, McCall will have receivers like Sam Pinckney, Jared Brown or Tyson Mobley to throw to. The trio of receivers accounted for 70 percent of CCU’s receiving yards.

When handing the ball off or running an option play, McCall will look to give it to running backs like CJ Beasley and Reese White, the pair rushing for almost 1300 yards in 2022. McCall will have even more options in the backfield, as redshirt junior Brayden Bennett will get reps, and former four-star recruit freshman Ja’Vin Simpkins could also see the field. While defense wins championships, CCU’s offense will be the team’s engine.

But the offense will be different in some ways this season.

“It’s going to be a different kind of brand new Coastal football but also with a lot of the same elements (CCU’s) already had,” Trickett added.

Specifically, Trickett will look to implement more “Air Raid” and pro-style offensive concepts. Invented in the 1980s and pioneered by head coaches like the late Mike Leach, Air Raid is a pass-friendly offense that deploys formations with four receivers at once and focuses on quick passes and decision-making from the quarterback.

CCU is well equipped to run the Air Raid as Coastal’s running backs and receivers have experience being multi-threat options.

Trickett added that while some components of the offense are new to McCall, he’s picked up the Air Raid concepts quickly.

“His pocket presence, his ability to process information from snap to throw is as good as I’ve been around,” Trickett said.

In his career, McCall has shown he is an accurate passer, and the change in philosophy is suitable for a player who took a lot of damage running CCU’s former offensive game plan.

Elements of the unconventional spread option system CCU ran so effectively the last three years will still be part of the game plan. The scheme usually had McCall with two running backs in the backfield. CCU confused defenses as McCall could either pitch it to one of his backs, take off and run or throw it downfield to an open receiver for a big gain.

CCU racked up almost 17,100 total yards of offense operating the spread option in the last three years, and it worked because the unique system puzzled opposing defenses. But McCall ran a lot while using the spread option, taking 297 rushing attempts in his career. In comparison, fellow fifth-year player running back Reese White has rushed 295 times in his career.

This dynamic play style made McCall susceptible to taking hits that more stationary quarterbacks usually avoid. Thus, McCall’s been hurt numerous times at CCU and missed games.

The Air Raid’s emphasis on quick passing could help shield McCall from injuries this season.

For Trickett, keeping McCall on the field is a top priority.

“I need to protect (McCall) ... when teams know you’re an option team, they’re going to make the quarterback keep it a lot of times,” Trickett said. “We’re going to take advantage of his ability to run, but be more conscious of let’s put him in positions where he can be successful, where he’s not going to be in harm’s way all the time.”

There’s also an emphasis on showing that McCall can make throws and reads NFL quarterbacks can.

“We’ve asked (McCall), pass game wise, where we do a lot of pass game concepts that you’re gonna see on Saturdays and Sundays,” Trickett added. “Some of the things that (McCall) needs to answer maybe for those guys on Sunday, that they haven’t seen just yet from him, can he get to his third or fourth decision? Those things will be displayed.”

Getting away from the spread option might also be necessary in other respects, as CCU’s offense became less effective as 2022 wore on. In 2020 and 2021, CCU led the conference in touchdowns scored, but dropped to fourth in 2022.

Coastal scored an average of 35 points per game in the first six games of 2022 but managed just 24 in the last seven. McCall did miss games with injury during the second half of the season.

Hopefully, the new offensive scheme will get CCU’s offense back on track, and they’ll soon find out its effectiveness. They’ll have to prove it against UCLA first.