CCU Football Notebook: Moglia decides suspensions not warranted for Ga. Southern game

Coastal Carolina head football coach Joe Moglia did not expect to issue any disciplinary action in terms of playing-time suspensions this week for his players following a skirmish during last week’s 44-16 loss to Arkansas State, and after reviewing game film he has determined there will not be any.

CCU cornerback Anthony Chesley and Arkansas State receiver Omar Bayless tackled each other and rolled around on the ground away from the play late in the third quarter, and they were then surrounded by several players from both teams with a mild amount of pushing and shoving. Chesley and Bayless each received unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.

Several CCU players ran off the sideline but returned before reaching the melee.

Moglia recalls only one other time when his team was involved in a similar altercation since his arrival at CCU in 2012, in the fourth game of his first season.

“For this one to happen it’s not like it’s part of our culture where we go crazy and lose discipline, but we did [Saturday] night,” Moglia said. “Clearly we didn’t play the way we think we should be playing, and at the end of the day obviously we didn’t get the job done.

“. . . I was disappointed but I think we all learned from that.”

Bowl game birth

The creation of a Myrtle Beach bowl game was announced Tuesday, and the game is scheduled to be played at CCU’s Brooks Stadium from 2020 to at least 2025.

Can the existence of an annual bowl game at the campus benefit the football program? Moglia believes it’s possible from an exposure and recruiting standpoint.

“I think having the Myrtle Beach Bowl here at Coastal Carolina is great for Horry County and Myrtle Beach and Coastal Carolina,” Moglia said. “For someone to come to a bowl game in our stadium and kind of experience what the community and the school are a little bit like, I think that’s a plus.”

Moglia doesn’t believe it would take away from his team’s bowl experience if it were selected to play at home rather than travel to another bowl destination for the week-long series of bowl activities, events and preparation.

“The experience you get during that bowl week is a lot of fun, and there’s no reason why that can’t happen at home or it can happen someplace else,” Moglia said. “I think both of those are very attractive and wonderful opportunities. To be able to play in a bowl game on our own home field, there’s something really terrific about that.

“ . . . That would be something we would really enjoy doing. By the same token, if the opportunity were different and we had a chance to play a bowl game somewhere else, that’s a little different type of experience and we would enjoy that. So I think both cases are a win-win.”

Mending wounds

Like most college football teams this time of year, the Chanticleers are banged up and determining if several players will be available to play Saturday.

According to Moglia, junior wide receiver Ky’Jon Tyler is expected to play after missing last week’s game, linebackers James Heft and Laqavious Paul have each missed several games and aren’t expected to play, and offensive lineman Jack Franklin is questionable. Freshman quarterback Bryce Carpenter could also return after missing a couple games with an injury.

CCU’s quality of depth is generally less than its opponents this season because it hasn’t yet completed its full transition from FCS to the FBS level and has 70 scholarships rather than the 85 that established FBS programs have to offer.

Since the Chants’ open week after the fifth game, Moglia said the team has cut its practice time down from about two hours to between an hour and 1:45.

“We’re banged up, and the problem is we don’t have the depth because of those 15 scholarships,” Moglia said. “So as time goes on, the wear and tear of the season, we just don’t have the depth.

“We’ve tried to keep them healthy as best we possibly could over the span of the past few weeks. I think we’re doing a decent job of that.”

Payton under center

Moglia said Wednesday that freshman Fred Payton of Suwanee, Ga., will get his fourth consecutive start on Saturday against Georgia Southern.

Graduate student Kilton Anderson, who started the first four games – after which he was in the top three in the country in Total Quarterback Rating (QBR) – has continually recovered from a high ankle sprain incurred on Sept. 22 and is also expected to play significant minutes.

“He’s better now,” Moglia said. “He’s not as sharp as he was early in the season but he’s ready to go now.”

Asked about the difference between having Payton or Anderson at QB, redshirt freshman receiver Jeremiah Miller, who had or matched career highs with three receptions for 59 yards and a TD last week, said: “With Fred at quarterback he brings a lot of energy, a lot of leadership and things we need at our quarterback position. Same thing with Kilton. He’s a leader, he’s a natural leader, and we feel comfortable with both quarterbacks back there.”

Seen by few

Coastal fell to 1-3 at Brooks Stadium this season with its loss last week, and since a win over UAB on Sept. 8 in Week 2, the Chants have dropped home games to Louisiana-Monroe, Appalachian State and Arkansas State by a combined score of 112-43.

Saturday’s announced attendance of 8,141 at 15,000-seat Brooks Stadium had more to do with ticket sales than attendees, as the student section was nearly empty and the remainder of the stadium was sparsely populated.

Miller said the team isn’t reliant upon a packed house to find inspiration.

“I like playing in front of a big crowd, it kind of gets me hyped and prepared for the game,” Miller said. “Not seeing them, we’re still going out there to play for each other at the end of the day, and get a win for our community and for the school.”

Honoring veterans

Saturday’s game against Georgia Southern is both Senior Day and Military Appreciation Day, and CCU’s Department of Athletics and the Office of Veterans Services have partnered with Patriotic Productions to set up a 4,000-square-foot memorial outside of Brooks Stadium.

The “Remembering Our Fallen” memorial is a photographic war memorial that honors fallen soldiers from the War on Terrorism (Sept. 11, 2001-present). It is designed to travel and includes both military and personal photos.

Active-duty military and veterans get free admission into the final home football game of the season with a military I.D. and family members receive discounted tickets. For tickets go to GoCCUsports.com or call the CCU ticket office at 843-347-8499.

This story was originally published November 14, 2018 at 9:52 PM.