How CCU’s ‘Mighty Mites’ are proving heart and technique can overcome diminutive size
Coastal Carolina head football coach Jamey Chadwell has jokingly referred to them as the “Mighty Mites.”
It’s not a description his offensive line is offended by. It’s more of a badge of honor.
They’re not small men in the general scheme of things. But CCU’s offensive linemen would seemingly be at a disadvantage many weeks because of their relative diminutive size compared to other offensive lines in the country and even in the Sun Belt Conference.
But the unit has proven to be more than effective, leading Coastal to some eye-popping offensive statistics in the Football Bowl Subdivision and a No. 15 national ranking in the AP Top 25 Poll with its combination of work ethic, tenacity and technique.
“I don’t think it’s overblown because it’s kind of crazy, there are not a lot of offensive lines that are as small as we are, so that’s been a pretty cool thing,” senior guard Trey Carter said. “. . . I’m pretty proud of what we’ve done so far but we’re not satisfied at all. We all believe we can get a lot better. We know we’re playing pretty good ball right now but we know we have a long way to go to get where we want to be.”
Coastal averages 40.3 points per game to rank first in the Sun Belt and 11th in the nation, averages 442 yards of offense per game to rank third in the conference and 27th in the country, and has a balanced offense with 198 rushing yards and 244 passing yards per game, which both rank in the top 45 in FBS.
Coastal is also in the top eight in the country in both third-down and fourth-down conversion percentage at 56.6 percent and 85.7 percent, respectively, and is second in time of possession at more than 34 minutes per game among teams who have played at least three games.
“Our offensive line is very good,” junior receiver Jaivon Heiligh said. “They come to play every single day and that’s the hardest working group we have. That’s who mainly leads your team to victories and championships is your offensive line and defensive line. So you have to give them their credit when credit is due. Their play is what’s going to allow us to continue winning and keep rolling.”
Junior left tackle Antwine Loper, a Carolina Forest High product, is the tallest lineman at 6-foot-3 and 275 pounds. Carter is the heaviest at 6-1 and 300, and freshman left guard Willie Lampkin is 6-1, 295, senior center Sam Thompson is 5-9 and 290, and senior right tackle Steven Bedosky is 6-2 and 280.
Collectively they average less than 6-1 and 288 pounds.
By comparison, the past two offensive lines the Chants have faced in Georgia Southern and Georgia State have combined averaged nearly 6-4 and 297 pounds.
“I enjoy running behind them because they have the mindset of heart over height,” sophomore running back Reese White said. “Even though they’re a little small that doesn’t mean they’re any less of a great player than anybody else. . . . They put in the work and they get physical, and that’s what I like about them.”
The line, which is coached by seven-year CCU assistant Bill Durkin, is experienced with one exception. Carter has started 42 straight games, Bedosky and Thompson have been in the program for five years and have started at least two years apiece, and Loper is in his fourth year in the program and second year starting.
“Those guys have a good perspective of what it takes to win, and they’re playing at a high level,” Chadwell said. “But also I think those guys play with a chip, too. . . . Sometimes bigger guys get the best of us, but the majority of the time those guys play well together and they’ve done a good job.
“If they get beat by a physical mistake we live with that, but what they’ve done a great job of is they’re not making mental mistakes, and if you do that up front you give yourself a chance to be successful.”
The one inexperienced player is Lampkin, who benefitted from two older CCU offensive guards opting out of the season prior to the first game. At Lakeland High in Florida last year, he blocked for Clemson commit Demarkus Bowman, who was named the No. 2 running back in the 2020 recruiting class by 247Sports and Rivals, and he also went 47-0 as a wrestler en route to a state heavyweight championship.
“He went and earned it and he has played extremely well for a freshman,” Chadwell said. “He understands leverage and he has great balance and that helps him. He rarely gets beat because he’s always in good position and that comes from his wrestling background. He’s an awesome young man and we would not be 6-0 if it wasn’t for the way he’s playing right now.”
The offensive line is coming off perhaps its best game of the season in Saturday’s 51-0 win over Georgia State, as the Chants gained 250 yards rushing and 280 passing, amassed 30 first downs, held the ball for more than 41 of the game’s 60 minutes and didn’t allow a sack.
“With the opt-outs that we had and the depth their being a huge issue that was going to be one of the question marks offensively, would we have enough quality up there to hold up against the teams we’re playing?” Chadwell said. “They’ve exceeded our expectations. . . . They’ve done a phenomenal job and we go as they go.”
Coastal has allowed just five sacks in six games, which is the seventh fewest in the nation by percentage.
“You all have seen if we keep [quarterback Grayson McCall] off the ground he can throw it around, so that’s always a big thing if you can do that,” Carter said.
The height of the offensive line has been mentioned multiple times on national TV broadcasts. “I bet you I have 1,000 emails from offensive linemen 5-10 and under from across the country, so I appreciate the national media for sending that out,” Chadwell said.
Exercising their right
Coastal’s players had the day off Tuesday, and were encouraged to exercise their right to vote.
As part of its “Be the Change” initiative for racial equality and justice, the Sun Belt Conference required its schools to take Tuesday off from all athletic activities, thereby giving its athletes the opportunity to vote.
Its member schools also participated in a voter registration drive leading up to election day.
“It’s great to know I’m playing for a conference that not only looks at the football side but stuff that’s going on outside of football, and giving us an opportunity to have our voices heard,” senior defensive end Tarron Jackson said.
The family of Chadwell’s wife, the former Solmaz Zarrineh, is from Iran, and he shared the importance of taking part in the democratic process considering the lack of freedom that exists in her family’s Middle East country.
“They don’t have a freedom of expression, they don’t have a freedom to vote,” Chadwell said. “So in our country regardless of who you vote for to have the opportunity and freedom to do that, that’s a big thing and we shared that with our team. . . . It’s worthwhile because you are part of this election, you’re trying to help move your country forward to be better for everybody.”
CCU has been a collegiate leader in the election process before. In the 2016 presidential election, then head coach Joe Moglia bused the entire team to a polling station so all of his players would vote.
Earned accolades
As one might expect following a 51-0 win in the conference, Coastal received some accolades this week.
Jackson was named the Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Week while McCall was named the conference’s Offensive Player of the Week.
Jackson had a sack, a hit on the quarterback that led to an interception, and two forced fumbles for a defense that was only on the field for 40 total plays, held Georgia State to five first downs, 106 total yards and 30 passing yards, and posted six three-and-outs.
Returning from a shoulder injury that caused him to miss a game, McCall completed 18 of 24 passes for 254 yards and four touchdowns and ran six times for 15 yards and a score.
McCall picked up additional accolades this week. He was one of four freshmen named to the Football Writers Association of America’s “Fresh Four” list, joining D.J. Uiagalelei (Clemson), Ulysses Bently IV (SMU), and Ricky White (Michigan State), and was named to the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award’s Great 8 list for the third time this season.
McCall earned the weekly O’Brien honor on Sept. 14 following the season-opening win over Kansas (Sept. 12) and again on Oct. 5 after the Chanticleers’ win over Arkansas State (Oct. 3).
Freshman phenoms
McCall and Lampkin have been named to the FWAA’s 2020 Freshman All-American watch list. The FWAA will unveil a list of seven semifinalists and three finalists later this season for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year honor.
“One, it shows the type of players they’ve been to this point,” Chadwell said. “Two, that’s a great honor for our position coaches who coach them, knowing they can get young guys ready. And three, if you’re a young player out there and you want an opportunity to play on a top 25 team and play early, Coastal is the place. We’re showing we’ll play young people and you’re getting the opportunity and a chance to be recognized.”
This story was originally published November 4, 2020 at 6:11 PM.
