CCU dispatches Old Dominion. What it means for its high-stakes game vs. James Madison
Coastal Carolina needed to reset the narrative.
The Chants turned in a frustrating performance in front of a packed Brooks Stadium two weeks earlier against the University of Virginia. Despite the home fans providing a raucous atmosphere before the game, Coastal’s mistakes robbed them of that energy.
The doctor prescribed a win for CCU, and the Chants filled that prescription. The only side effect was a litany of yellow flags.
The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (4-1) vanquished the Old Dominion Monarchs (1-4) score in a game beset by penalties. Both sides combined for more than 200 yards of penalties, committed mainly by Coastal. Despite the sloppy play, CCU overcame an early deficit and got the needed win.
CCU fully displayed the explosive offense that Coastal has shown flashes of through the first four games, but the defense and special teams turned in mixed efforts.
Head coach Tim Beck seemed energized during the post-game news conference. Letting out a “woo” as he walked to the podium, Beck said it was a fun game despite the penalties and challenging game.
“How do you get mad, second-guess those types of things? You don’t,” Beck said. “We just got to continue to improve and get better, and our best football is still ahead of us.”
With James Madison University on the horizon, here’s how CCU’s performance against ODU could affect the Chants’ away game against their Virginia rivals.
Why do special teams keep costing Coastal Carolina? Here’s what we learned
Coastal has struggled with special teams execution since Beck took the helm in Conway in 2023. It’s been CCU’s most consistent and persistent problem the last two seasons, with muffed punts, missed kicks and other maladies repeatedly derailing Coastal’s momentum.
CCU’s special teams efforts once again cost them points against ODU. An onside kick late in the first quarter after CCU’s game-tying touchdown helped set up an ODU field goal. Coastal’s defense forced a fourth down late in the second quarter that paused the Monarchs’ offensive momentum.
But CCU defender Braylon Ryan’s attempt to block a punt triggered a personal foul call that negated the ensuing punt return and the defense’s effort. ODU scored two plays later. A poorly handled snap by the Coastal placeholder wiped out a field goal attempt by kicker Kade Hensley later in the third quarter.
The problems CCU’s special teams have consistently shown are well-documented, and these mistakes have cost them games. Beck and the coaching staff emphasized focusing on and fixing the small details before the season, but this large one still needs to be solved.
Beck previously blamed himself for notable team errors, saying he could do more to help his players execute. Once again, Beck said the mistakes were his fault.
Beck said ODU’s defense on field goals and PAT led him to ask the long snapper to focus more on blocking. Beck added that this advice probably caused the botched field goal. Beck also said the personal foul on the punt was his fault. He said he hadn’t told the special teams about actions that could trigger a penalty call.
“I’ll take responsibility,” Beck said. “He didn’t know.”
On defense, the Chants’ efforts generated more promising returns. CCU continued its season-long guest for turnovers and garnered its fourth defensive touchdown on a second-quarter sack-fumble in the second quarter, with a third-quarter interception and fumble complimenting it.
However, Coastal’s defense didn’t return to the form displayed in the Chants’ first three games. In CCU’s 3-0 start to the season, CCU shut down its opponents through the first half before tiring in the second half and giving up points.
Here’s how Coastal Carolina’s pass defense proved vulnerable
ODU’s offense wasn’t willing to surrender the first half, and the Monarchs got on the scoreboard first. ODU quarterback Colton Joseph found occasional success throwing deep in the middle of Coastal’s secondary.
CCU defensive coordinator Craig Naivar’s unit showed that the center of the field represented a weakness for it. ODU finished the game with three passing touchdowns and more than 260 yards of passing, and if not for several near-misses by ODU, the Monarchs would have punished CCU more through the air.
Beck said after the game that a couple of busted coverages led to ODU’s big plays through the air. He added that playing man coverage on blitzes allowed ODU to take advantage. Nickel cornerback Juan Powell added that Joseph took advantage of a few blown coverages with good throws.
“It wasn’t no bad thing about defense or nothing,” Powell said.
While improved from its destruction at the hands of the University of Virginia’s surprise ground game, CCU’s run defense also had some difficulty containing the Monarchs’ runners. Part of the problem resided in the middle of CCU’s defensive line, as starting defensive tackle Sawyer Goram-Welch did not play, and the Chants felt his absence, allowing more than 5 yards per carry to Monarch runners.
While the first Sun Belt Conference game of the 2024 season proved intense, Beck’s interactions with the officiating also seemed vigorous. The discourse appeared to start after a Coastal third-down conversion in the second quarter, overturned by an offensive pass interference by Chant wide receiver Malick Meiga.
CCU didn’t convert the elongated third-down play, and Beck began intently discussing the ruling with the referees. Beck’s sometimes-angry conversation with the referees continued throughout the first half, typically brought on by a Coastal penalty or lack of a call by the officials.
CCU suffered more penalties in the first half, and Beck found the nearest official he could after several of these flags. Beck’s annoyance with the referees included Ryan’s personal foul on a Coastal punt return in the second quarter that set up an ODU touchdown two plays later.
Beck rolled his eyes when asked about the officiating after the game, saying that “a lot” was going through his mind during these discussions.
“There was a lot of things that I saw differently than they did. Let’s just say that,” Beck added. “I don’t want to comment.”
Despite the consternation, CCU’s win revealed a positive trend for the Chants’ offense. The offense had inconsistent results in CCU’s first four games, frequently losing steam as the game progressed. But Coastal turned in its most consistent and explosive performance against the Monarchs. Passing and running, the Chants did as they pleased. Previous problems with the long-range passing game weren’t there.
A total turnaround from CCU’s loss to the University of Virginia, quarterback Ethan Vasko led the charge.
CCU modified its offense against ODU. More passes for more yards
Vasko’s had the arm talent to push the ball down the field. His ability to throw deep consistently has been the chief point of emphasis for the second-year Chant.
At times, Vasko’s problems connecting with his receivers deep showed themselves against ODU, as his attempt to reach an open Tray Taylor nearly resulted in an interception. However, this was the outlier. Reminiscent of CCU’s victory against Jacksonville State, Vasko showed accuracy and explosiveness, taking several successful deep shots down the field.
Vasko’s two favorite targets were Cameron Wright and Jameson Tucker; the two receivers combined accounted for 240 of Vasko’s 367 yards passing. A newcomer to CCU this year, Wright quickly beat his defender, which included catching a first-quarter 46-yard flea-flicker pass to pair with a touchdown.
Tucker’s a more familiar face to CCU fans, as he distinguished himself as a speedy deep threat in 2023. Once again, against ODU, Tucker beat receivers with his speed. Indeed, Coastal’s passing game is somewhat different than in 2023. Previously, the Chants relied more heavily on short passes, breaking for large yards after the catch. In 2024, Coastal seems content to try and rack up yards, throwing deep.
Including the almost 150 yards CCU got running the ball, which complements the passing game, there are several ways to interpret CCU’s offensive performance against ODU. The Chants’ win over the Monarchs could be a turning point where CCU leaves behind the inconsistent play that hurt it in the first four games.
Beck said it was intentional that CCU utilized a more balanced offense than Coastal’s run-centric approach to start the season. Vasko rewarded this approach with a career game.
“There (were) some things in the in the Temple game, maybe, that didn’t go our way right off the bat,” Beck said. “It opens up some stuff in the passing game.”
However, the game could also not reflect the rest of CCU’s season. ODU’s only won one game and is one of the worst pass defenses in the Sun Belt Conference.
From this lens, CCU should’ve been this explosive and consistent on offense against the Monarchs. Coastal will soon get to prove that this performance is the trend and not the outlier.
Coastal next plays at James Madison University at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The game will air on ESPN2.
JMU’s blown out Coastal two years in a row, including a 56-14 mauling by the Dukes in Conway in 2023. CCU’s offense has been ineffective in both outings. The run game went nowhere; the passing game didn’t take off.
Facing JMU on the road will be CCU’s true test of whether they’ve made progress or still have work to do.
This story was originally published October 5, 2024 at 11:05 PM.
