Box Score
Box score
CHARLESTON, S.C.
- The Charleston Southern Buccaneers couldn't climb out of a 21-0
hole in the first half and dropped their regular season finale,
41-20, at Coastal Carolina on Saturday in Conway, S.C.
The Bucs finish
their season at 5-6 overall and 3-3 in Big South play, while
Coastal Carolina finishes 7-4 and 5-1 in league play. CCU earns the
league's automatic bid in the FCS Playoffs and will find out their
first-round opponent tomorrow.
"It's a disappointing end to the season, but I
thought we accomplished a lot this season," said CSU coach Jay
Mills. "We had a very young group and they showed improvement each
week. We have a lot to look forward to with this team and this
program."
Coastal took
advantage of a short field a few times in the first half to grab a
21-0 lead and CSU never climbed back in the game. CCU scored on TD
drives of 37 and 39 yards to open the game as the Chants' defense
kept the Bucs pinned.
"We flinched at the start and the first quarter cost
us," said Mills. "We missed on some opportunities and the turnovers
hurt us. It was like being in a distance race and letting the pack
get out too far ahead early.
"We felt good going into the half after scoring but
they sort of took control in the third quarter. Coastal is a
veteran football team and a very good football team. They were
impressive in all three phases of the game."
The Bucs
finished 10-of-23 as a team through the air for 163 yards, but with
two interceptions. Junior quarterback Malcolm Dixon had a touchdown
pass just before the half to Larry Jones III, his fourth of the
season. Dixon was 8-of-16 for 122 yards.
CSU had no
answer for the Coastal ground game as the Chants churned out 5.5
yards per carry and five TDs on the ground.
CCU quarterback
Aramis Hillary led a balanced attack, going 12-for-22 for 1-2 yards
and ran 14 times for 115 yards and a touchdown.
One Coastal
Carolina built its lead, it kept the Bucs on the field, converting
on 9-of-14 third downs.
The Chanticleers
grabbed a 7-0 lead at the midway point of the first quarter, taking
advantage of a short field after pinning the Bucs deep in their own
territory. Lorenzo Taliaferro scored from five yards out to give
CCU an early lead.
CCU built its
lead to 14-0 as Hillary plowed in on the read option from four
yards out.
The Bucs would
answer right back as Dixon found tight end Nathan Prater on a
crossing route for 15 yards. A completion to Larry Jones III would
move the ball into Chanticleer territory for the first time in the
game. A Marquiz Hodo 13-yard run would set the Bucs up with a
1st-and 10 inside the CCU 30, but the drive stalled on a
missed 37-yard field goal by T.J. Higgins. Start
The Bucs would
get another opportunity two plays later as Matt Hardy stripped
Taliaferro and sophomore defensive tackle Isaac Lowrance pounced on
the loose ball to set CSU up on a short field. The Bucs would take
their short on 4th-and-2 from the CUU 6-yard line, but
Briar Van Brunt was cut down short on the keeper and the Bucs would
turn the ball over on downs.
Following the
Van Brunt run, the Bucs defense would hold and a James punt return
would set the Bucs up in great field position at the CCU 35-yard
line. CSU would go three-and-out and a poor punt would set CCU up
with a short field.
The Chanticleers
would march 58 yards in 11 plays to build a 21-0 lead on a
touchdown plunge from Jeremy Height from two yards out.
Two late
completions by Van Brunt and Hatcher got the Bucs on the board in
the final minute of the first half. Van Brunt found senior
Corvaughn Archie on the sideline for 34 yards to give the Bucs one
final shot with less than 10 seconds to play in the half.
A quick double
move by Jones III and a perfect throw by Hatcher gave the Bucs
their first touchdown of the night, a 7-yard throw and catch to cut
the lead to 21-7, and to seize some momentum heading into the
half.
The Chanticleers
answered back to open the second half as Hillary took CCU down the
field in 10 plays for a 29-7 lead. Marcus Whitner capped the drive
with a 1-yard scoring run and the Chanticleers scored on the
conversion try on a run by Austin Cain to push the lead to 22.
CSU responded
with a 10-play drive of its own.
Running back
Teddy Allen crashed in from five yards out to cut the lead to
29-13. The Chants intercepted Dixon on the conversion try and
returned it for 102 yards for two points.
Allen's 5-yard
TD run was set up by a nice throw-and-catch by Dixon on fourth down
from the CCU 21 to keep the drive alive. Allen also had a 1-uard
run to open the drive.
However, CCU
came back with the game's third-straight 10-play drive to score on
a 2-yard Whitner run to build its largest lead of the day at 38-13.
The Chanticleers ripped off seven runs to close out the drive for
42 yards.
The Bucs capped
the scoring on a throw-and-catch from Dixon to Prater for 37 yards
and a touchdown to cut the lead to 41-20.
-CSU-
he Bucs outgained the Chanticleers 364-354 in
total yards, but had no answer for a fast start by CCU.
