CHARLESTON, SC - Charleston Southern's Buccaneers used a balanced offensive attack to build a 38-0 lead and cruised to a 38-21 win over visiting University of Charleston in the CSU home opener at Buccaneer Field on Saturday.

CSU (2-1) rolled up 412 total yards, with 226 of those yards coming on the ground, in their highest offensive output since last season's 49-42 win over West Virginia State. Sophomore running back Kenny Harper, a transfer from East Tennessee State, posted a career-high 128 yards on 16 carries, scoring two touchdowns.

Through the air, sophomore quarterback Collin Drafts completed 15-of-22 passes for 186 yards and two scores while CSU's leading receiver, Eddie Gadson, caught six passes for 70 yards and a touchdown.

"We want to be balanced like this offensively in every game if we can," said Drafts, who leads the Big South Conference in passing efficiency. "When we can run the ball like we did today, it opens everything up for us. Our backs ran great today and the line played really well."

Charleston Southern took advantage of a bad punt snap to get their first score. Tavares Shorter recovered the bad punt snap at the Charleston one-yard line and Travis Mays (13 carries, 58 yards) scored on a one-yard run for a 7-0 lead with 10:46 to play in the first quarter.

Harper scored the first of his two touchdowns on a 10-yard run with 4:48 remaining, putting the Bucs up, 14-0.

On the first play of the second quarter, Harper broke free on a 55-yard touchdown scamper, breaking out of a pile up near midfield. The Bucs made it 28-0 at the half when Drafts connected with freshman Maurice Price on a 37-yard scoring pass, capping a 10-play, 83-yard drive with 7:12 left in the second quarter. The reception by Price was the first of his college career.

CSU added a touchdown on their first possession of the third quarter when Drafts connected with Gadson on a 15-yard pass with 11:06 remaining in the period. Nick Ellis advanced the score to 38-0 with a 33-yard field at the 4:45 mark of the third quarter.

"Our players are starting to understand the things we've been preaching to them for a year and a half and now they're starting to apply those things and seeing results," said CSU head coach Jay Mills. "I think the play along the offensive line has been so crucial for us. We've allowed two sacks and have averaged more than 200 yards rushing in the last two weeks. Coach (Chuck) Kelly is doing an outstanding job of developing those young kids and the players are responding to his coaching efforts."

Charleston (1-4) scored three touchdowns in the final 20 minutes of the game, putting together drives of 80, 79 and 71 yards after the large CSU lead. Charleston finished with 390 total yards of offense, with more than half of those yards coming after CSU went up, 38-0.

Craig Washington saw his first significant action of the season at running back, finishing with 51 yards on 15 carries. Senior receiver Harry Seabrook had another productive day, finishing with five receptions for 55 yards.

Defensively, senior linebacker Bowe Butler had five tackles and forced a fumble. Freshman defensive back Mike McCann recorded 4.5 tackles, while freshman defensive back Jonathan Carmon tallied four tackles. Junior corner Anthony Lewis recorded his second interception of the season, picking off a pass in the endzone late in the second quarter to thwart a Charleston scoring drive.

Charleston Southern opens Big South Conference play next Saturday, hosting VMI at 1:30 p.m.