CHARLESTON, S.C. – Jamey Chadwell's Bucs have had a number of huge wins in his two-plus seasons at Charleston Southern. On Saturday night, they came up with their biggest. CSU scored 24 unanswered points to take a 15-point lead and held on to knock off No. 1 Coastal Carolina, 33-25, at Buccaneer Field.

Raymere Thomas knocked away a fourth down pass in the end zone with 27 seconds left to preserve the Bucs' second dramatic home victory in three years over the rival Chanticleers.

The win puts CSU in the driver's seat in the Big South heading into November. The Bucs improved to 7-1 overall and 4-0 in the Big South. Coastal suffered its first loss of the season to fall to 7-1 and 2-1 in league play. The Bucs control their destiny for a Big South title and the first FCS Playoff berth in program history.

"We got it done, and we're in control of our own destiny now," Chadwell said after earning a Gatorade bath.  "I think it's big just because it puts us in first place with two games to go in our conference which was the goal. With them being number one and the national recognition they have, I think that will help Charleston Southern nationally. I think more people will take notice so nationally, that's a big win and I'm really proud of our guys."

The fourth down stop came on the 19^th play of a drive that saw Coastal convert three third downs and a fourth down to keep its hopes of remaining number one in the country alive. Instead, the Bucs earned another landmark win under Chadwell and his staff. CSU is 25-4 against non-FBS competition since 2013.  

"To our defense's credit, we bent there in the second half but we didn't break," Chadwell said. "I'm pleased to come out with the victory. We had to come out and play well offensively to build a lead because with the weapons they have, you never can put them completely out of it."

CSU built a lead by scoring touchdowns on all four of its first half possessions. The Bucs rattled off touchdown drives of 73, 66, 80 and 85 yards en route to tallying 313 yards of offense by halftime. Coastal drove down the field for touchdowns on its first two drives of the stanza to take a 15-6 lead, but was held off the scoreboard for the remainder of the half.

Austin Brown played his best game in a CSU uniform, throwing for 199 yards and two touchdowns in the first half alone. He finished 13-for-21 for 252 yards, his highest output in two years at CSU. Brown completed passes to eight different receivers, and hit Darius Hammond and Nathan Perera for second quarter touchdowns.

"He played really well," Chadwell said of his senior signal caller. "I thought he played tremendously. He threw the ball really well. Our guys made plays and the only disappointment was just not being able to finish in the red zone there in the second half. Our defensive backs made some plays there toward the end. The guys there in the end zone had their hands on the ball but we got it out."

Alex Ross got Coastal out to a 15-6 first quarter led with a 35-yard touchdown run on a zone read play. CSU answered back with a six-play drive spurred by a brilliant 47-yard pitch and catch from Brown to Kenny Dinkins. Dinkins came back to the football and made a leaping catch while reaching over a Coastal defensive back. That set up a Ben Robinson two-yard touchdown run.

Coastal drove to the CSU 20-yard line on the ensuing possession, only to come up empty when Ryan Granger pulled a 37-yard field goal attempt wide left. The Bucs marched down the field again, with a 24-yard third down completion to Mike Holloway providing the highlight. Brown found Hammond over the middle for a 15-yard score to give CSU its first edge of the night.

Solomon Brown came up with a crucial sack on Coastal's next series to turn away a drive inside the CSU 40-yard line. The Bucs were pinned deep but rolled down the field again, coasting 85 yards on nine plays to move in front by 12. Holloway sprinted for 16 yards, and Brown hooked up with Perera for 33 yards on a corner route to move the ball into Coastal territory. Perera was the target again to finish the march, as Brown rolled to his right and lofted it to the sixth-year senior in the back corner of the end zone.

Both sides exchanged field goals in the third quarter. Tyler Tekac connected from 40 yards out, with the football deflecting off the crossbar and over for a career long. Tekac tacked on a 25-yard field goal in the fourth to give the Bucs a 33-18 lead. That capped a drive that Hammond prolonged with a three-yard fourth down run.

Coastal cut the lead to 33-25 on a De'Angelo Henderson nine-yard touchdown run. The Chanticleers had two more chances to mount a tying drive but the Bucs defense responded with a three-and-out and a goal line stand to seal the triumph.

CSU travels to Kennesaw State next Saturday for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff. A victory would clinch a share of the second Big South title in program history