CCU football notebook: With 2016 complete, Chants turn attention to the next level

Coastal Carolina will move up to a new level of competition in football next year, and based on what the Chanticleers were able to accomplish this season, head coach Joe Moglia believes the team is ready.

The Chants completed their 14th season of football Saturday with a 26-7 win over Hampton to conclude a transition year between the Football Championship Subdivision and Football Bowl Subdivision that makes them ineligible for postseason play.

CCU will begin its first season in the Sun Belt Conference in 2017 and play a full FBS schedule with just one FCS opponent – Western Illinois. It played only FCS schools in its 12-game schedule this season.

“There’s never been any question in my mind whether or not we can compete at the next level,” said Moglia, who completed his fifth season at CCU. “We can 100 percent compete at the next level, and I expect that frankly we should be able to compete sooner rather than later.”

Moglia intimated he may recruit more junior college players as the Chants move up a level. He has only signed a handful of JUCO players in his tenure, with the most successful being running back Lorenzo Taliaferro, who is now in the NFL.

“The guys that have been banged up this year, we have to see what happens with them in the offseason in terms of them coming back,” Moglia said. “We’ve got to see what we can recruit, too, in terms of maybe some older guys that might be able to help us, but we’re going to be able to compete at the next level.”

Coastal ended the season with a seven-game winning streak to record its fourth 10-win season, and third under Moglia.

“I could not be prouder of these guys to finish the way they finished and have the type of season we just had,” Moglia said.

The Chants went 10-2 with their only losses to Jacksonville State and Charleston Southern – teams ranked in the top 10 in FCS – by one point each.

The success came despite the Chants being without what was considered their top three quarterbacks for most of the season. Sophomore starter Josh Stilley was lost early in the third game of the season at Jacksonville State – he was 7 of 10 for 132 yards and a touchdown in 20 minutes when he was injured – redshirt freshman Chance Thrasher had a preseason shoulder injury and true freshman Avery McCall suffered a wrist injury early in the season.

Tyler Chadwick, a baseball player and the team’s seventh-string quarterback who was an intern in the football program when the season began, started Saturday. The team’s success reflected its strengths in other areas, particularly offensive line.

“I just finished my 24th season as a football coach and never in all 24 years have I ever been part of any team that’s had the adversity we’ve had with regard to injuries,” Moglia said. “For us to finish 10-2, one of the best teams in the history in the school, is something I’m incredibly proud of. I’m proud of the coaches. A lot of coaches would use that as an excuse.”

Though they haven’t advanced past the FCS quarterfinals, the Chants attained the No. 1 FCS ranking for a total of 10 weeks over the 2014 and ’15 seasons, made the playoffs in each of the past four years, and surely would have made the postseason this year had they been eligible. The Chants are 44-6 over their past 50 regular season games vs. FCS opponents.

CCU is 0-7 all-time against FBS opponents, with losses to Clemson, South Carolina, Georgia, Penn State, West Virginia, Kent State and Toledo, though it hasn’t faced an FBS team since 2013.

The Chants made a dramatic improvement on defense this year under first-year defensive coordinator Mickey Matthews, particularly with takeaways.

After recording just 14 turnovers in 2015 with six interceptions and eight fumble recoveries, CCU created 29 turnovers this season with 21 interceptions and eight fumble recoveries.

The Chants held opponents to program lows of 1,484 yards rushing and 123.7 rushing yards per game in 2016, and set another school record with 31 sacks.

“The new defensive coordinator we have, coach Matthews, his mindset is balls to the wall, just go,” senior safety C.J. Thompson said. “We have practice and don’t tire, just running every day. That philosophy really has changed us as a defense this year. We’re swarming to the ball every play. If we get tired somebody comes in. Those boys are going to be pretty young next year as far as secondary and linebackers, and I think they’re going to be okay because coach Matthews is going to get them right.”

The Chants are losing some key contributors among its 20 seniors, including record-setting running back De’Angelo Henderson, who finished with 4,635 career rushing yards, wide receiver Bruce Mapp, who finished his career with receptions in 23 straight games, receiver and kick returner Devin Brown, offensive linemen Chase Tidwell, Voghens Larrieux, Sam Ekwonike and Dom DiGalbo, and kicker Ryan Granger.

On defense, they lose four-year starting safety Richie Sampson along with defensive backs C.J. Thompson and Kamron Summers, defensive lineman Jabarai Bothwell and linebacker Alex Scearce.

The Chants scored eight defensive touchdowns – which were second in Division I behind Alabama – and 10 non-offensive touchdowns with a couple special teams touchdowns on kick returns.

It can be argued the Chants won the special teams battle in every game this year, though that distinction was threatened when Hampton executed a fake 52-yard field goal attempt and holder Christian Faber-Kinney ran for a 34-yard touchdown.

“On their fake field goal, we would normally be in a safe position as far as that goes, but it’s fourth-and-11 and I don’t expect them to do that,” Moglia said. “That was my call, so that score is on me.”

Ky’Jon Tyler then returned the ensuing kickoff 77 yards for a touchdown for CCU.

The fake field goal was the first special teams touchdown allowed by the Chants in some time. The last kickoff returned for a TD against CCU was in 2014, and the last punt returned for a TD was in 2007. CCU allowed just 51 yards in punt returns this season.

“I think defense has had one hell of a season, especially the way they improved over the span of the season, and I think we’ve had great special teams all year,” said Moglia, who credited his seniors Saturday with elevating the program.

“The leadership that they’ve been able to provide to help us get where frankly we have gotten to, is something we’re always going to be incredibly grateful for,” he said. “As they leave, the legacy the younger guys inherit is something they’ve got to be able to live up to as we move up in the conference.”

Record setters

Henderson, Scearce and Granger set CCU records on Saturday in their final collegiate game.

Henderson’s 30-yard touchdown run in the first quarter gave him a TD in 35 consecutive games to extend his NCAA Division I record in his final game.

Henderson, who missed three games this season with a shoulder injury, finishes three games shy of the NCAA record for all divisions set by Danny Woodhead of Division II Chadron State.

Henderson also set a single-season school record for yards rushing per game with 128.4, and holds CCU career records for rushing yards, rushing yards per game, rushing attempts, rushing TDs, yards per rush, points scored, touchdowns scored, all-purpose yards and all-purpose yards per game.

Scearce recorded two sacks Saturday to set a single-season school record with eight. He finished a sensational season with a team-high 84 tackles as well as 13.5 tackles for loss, five interceptions, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and seven pass breakups, and scored three defensive touchdowns.

Granger set a school record with 17 field goals this year and tied Josh Hoke’s school record with four field goals Saturday. His field goal percentage rate of 81 percent (17 of 21) also set a new single-season standard at CCU.

Wrist reminders

As he has for every game this season, Henderson wrote on tape wrapped around his wrists “Frye” and “33” in memory of an older Omega Psi Phi Fraternity brother and former CCU running back, Anthony Frye, who died in a motorcycle accident on March 2.

Frye had just left Henderson and others and was on his way home to his girlfriend and newborn child when he collided with an SUV. Henderson was sent home from a workout in the days after the crash because he was so distraught.

“That really hurt me a lot. I dedicate this whole season to him,” Henderson said. “Man, that’s my guy. I love him so much. He’s a wonderful person, a wonderful guy. He was so unselfish, was just a guy you wanted to be around. He had a good vibe and good spirit and taught me a lot.”

The wristbands provided motivation on game days. “It makes me think about how much he believed in me,” Henderson said. “Whenever I look at his name or look at his picture it makes me feel so appreciative of everything I’ve got. It makes me think about all the stuff we talked about football wise and future, all motivational stuff.”

This story was originally published November 26, 2016 at 8:11 PM with the headline "CCU football notebook: With 2016 complete, Chants turn attention to the next level."