Everything you need to know for Saturday’s No. 20 Coastal Carolina at Texas State game

Saturday’s game

Who: No. 20 Coastal Carolina (8-0, 6-0 Sun Belt Conference) at Texas State (2-9, 2-5 SBC)

When: 3 p.m. (Eastern)

Where: Bobcats Stadium, San Marcos, Texas

Broadcast: Online on ESPN+

Radio: WRNN 99.5 FM

Online audio: https://goccusports.com/watch/

Live stats: Through www.TexasState.statbroadcast.com and GameTracker

Last meeting

CCU 24-21 on Nov. 30, 2019 in Conway, SC

Coastal Carolina

Strength: Defensive front seven

Weakness: Receiver depth

Texas State

Strength: Wide receiver

Weakness: Linebacker

Key matchup

Coastal Carolina’s secondary vs. Texas State’s receivers: Texas State’s Air Raid offense operated at its highest level of the season in last week’s 47-45 win over Arkansas State. Sophomore Brady McBride, a transfer from Memphis, completed 32 of 45 passes for 443 yards, which is second in school history, and five touchdowns, which tied for most in program history, to be named Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Week. McBride has thrown seven interceptions in 256 pass attempts, but if given time he has a wealth of talent on the outside. The Bobcats have five players with 20 catches or more this season led by Marcell Barbee’s 38 receptions for 540 yards and 10 touchdowns. Jeremiah Haydel has 35 catches for 399 yards and four scores, while Jah’Marae Sheread has 29 catches for 334 yards and two TDs. Haydel also averages 14.1 yards per punt return and 25.6 yards per kickoff return, with touchdowns in both categories.

“Their skill players, quarterback, running back, receivers, they’re very dangerous,” CCU coach Jamey Chadwell said. “[Three of the last four] weeks they’ve put up 30-plus points. They can throw one out there in space and if you miss a tackle they’re gone . . . and [Haydel] is phenomenal, arguably the best player in this league, and he can beat you in a bunch of different ways. So they’ve got some skill players that can really go.”

Players to watch

Coastal Carolina

Junior tight end Isaiah Likely (6-4, 245): Last week he had three receptions for 118 yards and a score, giving him 13 receptions for 350 yards and four TDs for an average of nearly 27 yards per catch this season.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Grayson McCall (6-3, 200): The first-year starter has completed 106 of 156 passes (67.9 percent) for 1,593 yards and 18 touchdowns with just one interception, and has rushed for 340 yards and five scores on 70 carries.

Senior defensive lineman C.J. Brewer (6-2, 280): The reigning Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week recorded a career-high 14 tackles and three tackles for loss including 1.5 sacks last week.

Texas State

Sophomore quarterback Brady McBride (6-0, 205): The Memphis transfer has completed 153 of 256 passes (59.8 percent) for 1,723 yards and 16 touchdowns in eight games out of the Bobcats’ shotgun-based offense.

Junior defensive lineman Nico Ezidore (6-2, 290): He has been the most disruptive force in the Bobcats’ front seven with 12.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks among 63 tackles, which are third on the team, two QB hurries and a forced fumble.

Junior cornerback Jarron Morris (5-9, 158): One of the top cornerbacks in the Sun Belt has four interceptions, 10 pass breakups, three tackles for loss, a QB hurry, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, a blocked kick and 64 tackles, which is second on the team.

He said it

“The rankings aren’t necessarily a distraction because when we go in that locker room we understand those rankings really don’t mean anything to us, it’s all about our effort, it’s all about our attitude, it’s all about our passion to get out there and play. . . . Our focus really isn’t about all that external outside sources, all those rankings, it’s mainly about how can we go out each Saturday and play our best so we can keep winning for the team, and having a great attitude all around.”– CCU junior offensive lineman Antwine Loper

“Any time you win a big game, especially one that puts you in control of a division against someone that was the four-time defending champions, it’s easy to puff out your chest, everybody telling you how great you are, you’re No. 20 in the CFP, it’s easy to puff out that chest and forget how you got to this point. So we want to be confident in who we are and confident in how we got to this point and why we’re here, but we don’t want to have cockiness, we don’t want to arrogance. We want to be humble for the blessings we do have and not take that for granted.” – Chadwell

“Just to see the look on their faces in the locker room after a hard-fought win and just how excited they were it was pretty awesome to be a part of. . . . I’m excited about how these kids keep showing up every single day and they keep battling and they keep getting better and I’m just really pleased for them to actually put one all together and get a victory.” – Texas State coach Jake Spavital on last week’s win over Arkansas State

Scouting report

With a win, Coastal will clinch both the Sun Belt Conference’s East Division title and home field for the league’s championship game on Dec. 19 against Louisiana. So the stakes should keep the Chants, who are ranked 20th in this week’s initial College Football Playoff rankings, from having a letdown between big games against Appalachian State last week and Liberty next week.

“I think they realize that it’s cool to be in [the rankings] but we need to keep winning to keep our name in the public eye,” Chadwell said. “I know right now their focus is solely on Texas State and what we’ve got to do. We’ve got a chance to win an East Division championship this Saturday. I mean that’s a big deal for us.“

A win over the Chants would put a positive spin on what has been a disappointing season for Texas State. “This would be a tremendous win,” Spavital said. “This is the highest-ranked team to ever come into Bobcat Stadium in I believe the history of the program. That would give us tremendous momentum going into the offseason. . . . I think our kids are excited for this challenge and I think it’s going to be a fun football game.”

Texas State can be dangerous offensively and is not as bad a team as its record may indicate. The Bobcats have been competitive in eight of their 11 games, which they have either won or lost by 10 points or less. Their three losses by at least 20 points are to Troy, Appalachian State and No. 14 BYU. Last week’s win snapped a seven-game losing steak.

The Bobcats have struggled on defense, however, allowing 37.2 points and 488 yards per game this season to rank 112th and 119th in the nation in the categories, respectively. Opponents have had success moving the ball in all fashions, as the Bobcats rank outside the top 100 in both rushing and passing yards allowed.

Coastal, meanwhile, is ranked 25th in the country with 37.4 points scored and 12th with 17.1 points allowed per game. CCU entered last week’s 34-23 win over Appalachian State having not surrendered a TD in 10 quarters, and now has not surrendered a TD in a second half in its last four games.

Texas State has increased its points scored per game to 29 from 18.4 last season, but Spavital has sought consistency at the QB position. He got more than that last week with McBride’s performance. McBride won the starting QB job but he and junior Tyler Vitt both had to miss games due to coronavirus protocols before Vitt regained the starting job for two weeks, then suffered a season-ending wrist injury midway through a 40-38 loss to Georgia Southern two weeks ago.

“I think that game and a half gave Brady a little bit more confidence, allowed him to calm down a little bit, let things slow down,” Spavital said. “He had great weeks of practice and he finished out the Georgia Southern game really well, playing at a more poised level than he had previously and . . . this was the first game where I saw the kid go through his progressions, not force any throws, manage the game correctly, and have a an extremely good game.”

Texas State has been one of the success stories of the college football season as it relates to the coronavirus. This is the Bobcats’ 12th and final game of the season, as they have managed to play 12 games in 13 weeks without a postponement or cancellation.

“I think our kids have done a tremendous job of just doing what we’ve asked them to do,” Spavital said. “They understand if they follow the protocols and do what’s right they’re going to play. . . . I’ve been joking around that we should get an ESPY for covid team of the year.”

Notes

▪Coastal is trying to go 9-0 for the first time since 2014 and the third time in program history, joining 2013 and 2014.

▪Coastal has won nine straight going back to last year’s season-ending win over Texas State.

▪CCU is looking to extend its Sun Belt record for the best start in conference history, which it set by improving to 8-0 with its win last week over Appalachian State, the team that set the mark last year at 7-0.

▪CCU senior running back C.J. Marable has caught a pass in 28 straight games, while junior receiver Jaivon Heiligh has at least one reception in 23 straight.

▪The ESPN+ online broadcast markes the first time in CCU’s nine games this season the Chants won’t be on national television on either FoxSports1, ESPN, ESPNU or ESPN2.

▪Coastal can win its seventh Sun Belt game this season, which will surpass the team’s total over the past three years combined, when it went 6-18 in the conference.

▪Texas State is dealing with the loss of defensive back Khambrail Winters, who was shot and killed this week.

Line

CCU -17

Prediction

Coastal Carolina 48, Texas State 27: Though Texas State is better than its record might indicate, it’s unlikely the Chants will allow the Bobcats to hand them their first loss.

This story was originally published November 27, 2020 at 5:30 AM with the headline "Everything you need to know for Saturday’s No. 20 Coastal Carolina at Texas State game."