Gameday Guide: Coastal Carolina at Buffalo preview, kickoff, odds, TV, radio, tickets
The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers play their first road game of the season at the Buffalo Bulls of the Mid-American Conference on Saturday. It’s CCU’s only non-conference road game in 2021 and the Chants are 0-3 all-time against MAC opponents.
The opponent: Buffalo Bulls
This is a marquee matchup of 2020 Group of Five top 25 schools, as Buffalo was ranked 25th in the final AP Poll after finishing 6-1. But the Bulls have had a lot of turnover since last season. Former coach Lance Leipold took much of the 2020 coaching staff and six returning players with him to Kansas.
All-Americans in running back Jaret Patterson and offensive lineman Kayode Awosika departed for NFL contracts, and the six players who transferred to Kansas are receiver Trevor Wilson, offensive linemen Mike Novitsky and Michael Ford, defensive linemen Eddie Wilson and Ronald McGee, and linebacker Rich Miller. Leipold took his offensive and defensive coordinators, so new coach Maurice Linguist, a Buffalo assistant in 2012-13, had to rebuild the staff.
Linguist was hired by Michigan as co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach in January but left the Wolverines to become Buffalo head coach in May. He spent the 2020 season with the Dallas Cowboys as cornerbacks coach.
Buffalo has been bowl-eligible each of the past four seasons, and won MAC East Division titles in 2018 and 2020. The Bulls have won 24 games in the past three seasons, including the 2019 Bahamas Bowl and 2020 Camellia Bowl.
Buffalo whooped up on Wagner, 69-7, in its opener and fell 28-3 to Nebraska last week. The Bulls allowed 296 yards passing and 516 yards of offense against the Cornhuskers. The final score could have been worse had Nebraska not missed three field goal attempts and had three touchdowns negated by penalties. Running back Kevin Marks had 85 yards rushing on 21 carries against Nebraska.
“They’re the best team we’ve seen up to this point from a physical standpoint, and they know how to win. They’ve won a lot of games up there the past couple years,” CCU coach Jamey Chadwell said. “. . . You can see they’re still tough-minded, you can see they’re physical. They play with a lot of confidence and swagger.
“The physicality they play with, can we match that? Can we be a physical football team as well, because I think that’s what the game is going to come down to.”
Coastal Carolina team notes
The CCU offense has been rolling early this season behind quarterback Grayson McCall, who leads the nation in completion percentage and quarterback efficiency. He has completed 33 of 40 passes for 507 yards and three TDs, and nine of his completions have gone for at least 20 yards.
CCU is also 0-3 against MAC opponents, including a 30-23 loss to Eastern Michigan most recently in 2019.
Buffalo quarterback Kyle Vantrease has been sacked just twice in his past 16 games, and he faces a CCU defense that had six sacks against Kansas last week, including a single-game school record 3.5 by freshman defensive end Josaiah Stewart.
“You get a chance in my mind to almost be secluded,” Chadwell said of the Chants first road game. “. . . I actually think sometimes it’s a benefit to go on the road, especially with all the noise that’s around our team constantly being at home. I think it’s actually coming at a good time for us to be on the road, get away a little bit.”
CCU is expected to have all of its starters available. Safety Alex Spillum and linebacker Enock Makonzo suffered injuries against Kansas but are expected to play, according to Chadwell.
Last meeting: Chanticleers vs Bulls
The teams are meeting for the first time.
Coastal Carolina vs. Buffalo point spread
Coastal Carolina is favored by 14 points. The over/under is set at 58 points.
Score prediction
Coastal Carolina 42, Buffalo 20: Coastal’s offense is averaging more than 50 points through its first two games and should again light up the scoreboard against the Bulls.
Coastal Carolina at Buffalo today: Watch, listen
- Who: No. 16/18 Coastal Carolina (2-0) at Buffalo (1-1)
- When: Noon on Saturday
- Where: UB Stadium, Buffalo, NY
- Occasion: CCU’s only non-conference road game
- TV: ESPN2
- TV talent: Jon Schriffen (play by play) and Rene Ingoglia (analyst)
- Radio: WRNN 99.5 FM
- Tickets: Are available by calling 843-347-8499 (TIXX), or the tickets@coastal.edu email
- Weather: Temperatures during the game are forecast to be between 72-75 degrees with winds at 8-10 mph, partly cloudy skies and a 15-percent chance of rain
- Live stats: Through http://ubuffalo.sidearmsports.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
What is a Chanticleer?
Coastal Carolina has one of the more unique nicknames and mascots in all of sports. The Chanticleer is featured in Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales and is a rooster that rules the barnyard with cunning and wit. He battles to the end using his brain to come out victorious.
The rooster is a play off the University of South Carolina’s Gamecock, as CCU was part of the USC system until becoming independent in 1993. It’s pronounced ‘SHON-ti-cleer’ and the school doesn’t take kindly to mispronunciations.
What’s up with CCU’s teal ‘Surf Turf’?
Don’t try to adjust your TV settings, it’s just that color.
After playing on natural grass at Brooks Stadium for the first 12 years of the program’s existence, Coastal Carolina installed an artificial teal-colored ‘Surf Turf’ prior to the 2015 season, reflecting one of the school’s primary colors and its proximity to the beach.
Where is Coastal Carolina located?
CCU is in Conway, South Carolina, a neighboring town to the better known Myrtle Beach. The college is east of the center of Conway and is only about 12 miles from the beach along the Atlantic Ocean.
Conway is a more quaint town with a riverfront along the Waccamaw River compared to Myrtle Beach’s vibrant and bustling tourism businesses featuring nightlife, shopping, restaurants, beachwear stores and miniature golf courses.
This story was originally published September 17, 2021 at 12:09 PM.
