Mapping out receiving records at Coastal Carolina

Bruce Mapp began the 2016 football season chasing records at Coastal Carolina.

With 141 catches for 2,015 yards through his junior season, Mapp was well within reach of Matt Hazel’s career program record of 183 receptions and Jerome Simpson’s career record of 2,720 yards.

Then CCU’s prospective starting quarterbacks started dropping one by one. Chance Thrasher was lost for the year in the preseason to a shoulder injury, Josh Stilley was lost after starting two-plus games to a knee injury, and freshman Avery McCall hasn’t played since injuring his hand in the third game of the season.

With the changes at quarterback have come changes in the offensive game plan.

Tyler Keane has started the past three games at quarterback and has completed at least 64 percent of his passes in each, but the most passes he’s thrown in a game is 21, and he has yet to throw for more than 150 yards in a game.

In last week’s 17-7 win over Gardner-Webb, for instance, the Chants ran the ball 51 times while throwing just 18 passes, of which Mapp caught a season-high six passes for 52 yards and a score.

So Mapp has done a lot more blocking than route running over the past month, and he’s had to accept an altered role that may keep him from setting the school records.

“You’ve got to take advantage of all your opportunities,” Mapp said. “We know our throws may be limited some games, some games we may have to throw more depending on the situation, but I know Keane is going to come my way. I believe he targeted me six times last game and I had six catches, so you just have to take advantage of your opportunity.

“My dad told me, ‘Make the plays you’re supposed to make and make the plays nobody else will make,’ and that’s what I’m going to continue to do,” he added, referring to his father, Bruce Mapp Sr., who helped his son develop as a wide receiver by running him through drills as a middle-schooler.

Mapp is still the Chanticleers most productive receiver. He leads the team in the three key categories of receptions (18), receiving yards (320) and receiving touchdowns (4).

Mapp has also caught at least one pass in a team-best 16 straight games and has a TD reception in seven of his last 10 games.

The Chants have been relying heavily on a strong offensive line and All-American senior running back De’Angelo Henderson, who may not play Saturday against Central Connecticut State at Brooks Stadium because of a shoulder injury.

“I would like to throw the ball 25 to 30 times a game, even with Tyler I think that’s good balance,” CCU offensive coordinator Dave Patenaude said. “But you have to be able to execute and you have to be able to move the ball. Week to week you just have to keep making adjustments.”

Despite the relative lack of passing in CCU’s offense, Mapp still has an opportunity to set the career receptions and yardage marks at the school. His 159 receptions trail only Simpson (161) and Hazel (183), and his 2,335 yards trail only Hazel (2,553) and Simpson (2,720).

He needs 24 receptions and 385 yards over the final six games to earn both records, which is an average of four receptions and 64.3 yards per game. “If it happens for me then it’s a blessing,” Mapp said.

In addition to playing in a run-oriented offense this year, Mapp spent his first three years competing for receptions from All-American quarterback Alex Ross with some of CCU’s top pass catchers.

He has had to share the ball with six of CCU’s top 10 pass catchers during his career, including Hazel (No. 1), Tyrell Blanks (No. 4), DeMario Bennett (No. 6), De’Angelo Henderson (No. 7), Niccolo Mastromatteo (No. 8) and John Israel (No. 10).

Mapp’s best year was his sophomore season in 2014. In 14 games he had a school single-season record 71 receptions for 959 yards and six touchdowns, and tied a school record with 10 receptions that season against Citadel.

He followed that up with 50 receptions in 12 games last year for 769 yards and seven TDs.

“I wanted to have a better season than I had last year,” Mapp said. “I really wanted to beat my sophomore year that I had, it was probably my best year. But things happen and you just have to adapt and adjust to your situation and do what’s best for the team.”

After a slow start to the season, it appeared Mapp might be on his way to another big statistical year based on the first 20 minutes at Jacksonville State. Against one of the top teams and defenses in FCS, Stilley completed 7 of 10 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown, and Mapp had four receptions for 140 yards that week, including a 72-yard TD pass from Stilley on a seam route down the middle.

“It was fun. It made me real excited. I can only imagine what could have happened,” Mapp said.

But Stilley injured his knee five minutes into the second quarter and was lost for the rest of the year. “I kind of already knew what Josh could do,” Mapp said. “A lot of our preparation came in the summer time. It was just about him getting out there and getting comfortable and getting his feet wet, just doing the things he did in high school.”

Based on the start at Jacksonville State, the offense was likely on the verge of becoming more wide open. “I felt like Josh had just gotten to the point where he was feeling really comfortable in what he was doing, and Bruce had a lot to do with that,” said Patenaude, who was relishing making use of the wealth of talent he has at wide receiver, leading with Mapp but including Chris Jones, Devin Brown, Ky’Jon Tyler and Gary Bradshaw.

“You just have to be smart in what you’re doing,” Patenaude said. “It’s not really frustration, it’s just trying to play the best hand you can and keep matching and mixing as much run and pass as you possibly can.”

Mapp, of Philadelphia, is 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds. Patenaude is most impressed with his hands and pass-catching ability, route running and competitiveness. “He has great body control, so he knows how to lean on the guy, kind of body him, flip him, hold him, he’s kind of a savvy veteran out there,” Patenaude said.

An 11-yard TD reception in the fourth quarter last week was an example of Mapp’s body control. He reached high and ahead of him while running along the back of the end zone with a defender on his hip. “That catch he made at the end of the game was spectacular,” said Patenaude, who added that Mapp’s blocking has improved this year.

Because of Mapp’s experience, football IQ and versatility, Patenaude doesn’t hesitate moving Mapp around in offensive formations.

“His understanding of what we do is really, really good,” said the offensive coordinator. “So he can be in the slot one play, he could be outside one play. He understands coverages. He understands our offense. So that makes up for anything somebody might find against him athletically.”

Mapp has been a benefit to the coaches and his fellow receivers in the offseason. “Just his maturity with that group and his leadership ability with the team,” Patenaude said. “In the summers he gets those guys out to work out and do seven-on-sevens, so that’s been invaluable, just the experience piece of it.”

Both of the players Mapp is chasing in CCU’s record book reached the NFL. Simpson played seven years for Cincinnati, Minnesota and San Francisco, including six games with the 49ers last season. Hazel was drafted by Miami in 2014 and spent time on the Buffalo Bills practice squad this season before being released on Oct. 4.

Mapp aspires to reach the NFL, as well, after he earns a Master’s degree in business in December. “That’s the No. 1 goal. That and to get my Master’s degree as well,” Mapp said. “That’s also Plan A too. School is never Plan B. But that’s a goal right now to go to the NFL. That’s a dream I’ve been chasing since I was 12 so I’m not going to stop here.”

Hazel and Mapp still regularly communicate, and Hazel often texts Mapp before games. After the season he plans to attend a camp where he’ll train for the athletic testing NFL teams put players through before the draft. He visited a couple camps during spring break and said he liked one in California.

This story was originally published October 20, 2016 at 8:33 PM with the headline "Mapping out receiving records at Coastal Carolina."