Why Coastal Carolina’s win against Appalachian State was historic and saved their season

It was a game the Coastal Carolina Chants had to win to keep their season alive, and they did.

The Coastal Carolina Chants (3-3) bested the Appalachian State Mountaineers (3-3) 27-24, on a last-second, 24-yard field goal by Kade Hensley that sealed CCU’s first victory ever in Boone, N.C..

The win snaps a two-game losing streak and gives first-year head coach Tim Beck’s first Sun Belt Conference win.

Quarterback Grayson McCall rebounded from a four-interception loss to Georgia Southern by throwing for two touchdowns and 373 yards passing with no turnovers.

Why this game mattered for CCU

CCU had something to prove, entering the game as the 76th ranked team in the nation according to The Athletic. The Chants lost their first two conference games in contests where their own mistakes or flaws cost them.

McCall had the worst game of his career against Georgia Southern, throwing four interceptions including a pick-six. A third conference loss would’ve sunk CCU’s remaining hopes at a Sun Belt Conference title game, and the Chants looked to flip the narrative against their rivals the Mountaineers in front of the 31,061 sellout in Kidd Brewer Stadium.

Coastal Carolina set the tone early and scored two touchdowns with more than seven minutes left in the first quarter. A Mountaineer secondary helped the Chants, as they either left CCU receivers wide-open or allowed the likes of Jameson Tucker, Jared Brown or Sam Pinckney to gain a step on them.

McCall happily rewarded the Mountaineers for their mistakes. His first three passes racked up 122 yards, one being a 51-yard touchdown to a wide-open Tucker.

This explosiveness has been missing at times from CCU’s offense, which converted from a spread option offense to a more pro-style air raid offense this offseason.

But against the Mountaineers, CCU seemed to favor more of a two-running-back formation, as opposed to the single-back formations we’ve seen more from CCU this season.

This focus on the spread option, as well as the run-pass option, was reminiscent of the Jamey Chadwell era at CCU, creating the stress and confusion the offensive philosophy was designed to cause.

But despite the quick start — CCU led 14-0 at the end of the first quarter — the Chants soon found themselves in a close contest. App State got back into the game, tying it and a late-game disaster almost sealed the game.

Late-game heroics and a fumble recovery saved CCU’s season

With more than five minutes to play in the game, CCU had driven to the Mountaineers’ 14-yard line and faced a manageable third-and-2 play. McCall took the snap and handed it to running back Reese White, but he was stuffed at the line of scrimmage for no gain, a common occurrence for Coastal all season.

The Chants faced a fourth-and-2, and to put the game away, Coastal went for it. But McCall slipped on the proceeding option play, and an App State defender wrapped him up behind the line of scrimmage for a turnover on downs.

The play was eerily similar to another failed fourth down attempt in CCU’s win against Jacksonville State University and also marked the return of CCU’s struggles in the red zone that have also cost them in past games.

The aggressive call combined with an unfortunate case of déjà vu appeared to bite Coastal on the very next play, as App State Quarterback Joey Aguilar founded Mountaineer Tucker Milan deep.

Milan was seemingly uncovered, an occurrence that has cost CCU frequently this season, and the wide receiver raced for the end zone.

But cornerback Keonte Lusk chased Milan down and punched the football out, his teammate Abraham Temoney recovering the ball.

The Chants did not squander the second chance, and the offense marched down the field and slowly ran out the clock.

The victory saved CCU’s season. The Chants could not afford three straight losses and four overall at this point of the season. App State presented Coastal with their biggest offensive challenge in the Sun Belt this season.

The Chants met the challenge and won.

Coastal benefits from a re-vamped run game and kicker competition to secure the win

If the fumble wasn’t bad enough for App State, the Mountaineers allowed two of the Chant’s Achilles heels to beat them.

CCU has struggled to run the ball all season; Coastal was one of the worst running teams in the Sun Belt Conference entering the game. But running the ball secured CCU’s victory against the Mountaineers.

Coastal finished the game with almost 200 rushing yards, an average of 4.4 yards per carry.

While it was Braydon Bennett who led the way on the ground, CCU’s win was sealed by one player returning from injury. Running backs Reese White and CJ Beasley had both missed games recently with undisclosed injuries.

Both took handoffs against App State and found success, but it was Beasley who snuffed out any chance of victory for App State with a 21-yard run to the Mountaineer 1-yard line.

That left Hensley to end it win three seconds left in the game. The redshirt sophomore had not kicked a field goal all season but won the job from original starter Liam Gray, who missed several critical kicks this season the previous week.

Hensley was 8 for 11 on his career with field goals, and Beck’s decision to go with the redshirt sophomore paid off, as Hensley made the clinching 24-yard field goal.

What is a disconcerting signal penalty and why did it matter?

An essential CCU touchdown that happened early in the game occurred due to a peculiar rule.

Mountaineer Safety Nick Ross was called for a “Disconcerting Signal” penalty due to clapping early in the first quarter, turning a third and long into a third and short.

The NCAA rulebook deems a disconcerting signal as “sounds and actions that could create a disruption to the offense’s starting signal or cause the offense to false start… This includes using a clap on the defensive side of the ball that may disconcert the offense.”

Disconcerting Signal Penalties are one of the most unpopular penalties in college football, and fans routinely take to social media to vent their frustration when they’re called.

McCall capitalized immediately, as he found wide receiver Sam Pinckney deep on the next play.

The 31-yard pass put CCU at App State’s one-yard line and running back Braydon Bennett scored Coastal’s first touchdown on the proceeding play.

CCU will next face another Sun Belt foe as they take on the Arkansas State Red Wolves. The Red Wolves are 3-3 on the year, losing 37-3 to fellow Sun Belt rival Troy in its last game.

Game 7: CCU at Arkansas State

Gameday: Saturday, Oct. 21

Kickoff Time: TBA

Location: Centennial Bank Stadium, Jonesboro, Ark.

Where to watch: TBA

CCU’s all-time record against Arkansas State: 2-3