Quarterback Ethan Vasko regained starting job for Coastal Carolina vs. Troy. Here’s why
When quarterback Ethan Vasko took the field against Troy University in Troy, Ala., the circumstances differed from his previous seven starts as Coastal Carolina’s offensive navigator.
He’d struggled at times in each of CCU’s last two games and was benched against the University of Lousiana Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns. Vasko watched backup Noah Kim lead the offense in his stead.
Ultimately, CCU head coach Tim Beck tapped Vasko to lead the offense against Troy again, and Chant delivered a somewhat improved performance the second year.
Vasko finished the game 18 for 34, passing for 206 yards and a touchdown in Coastal’s loss against Troy — its third in four straight games. While Vasko completed 58 percent of his passes, it was an improvement compared to less than 28 percent versus James Madison University and 30 percent against ULL.
Beck said after the game that he started Vasko because of the redshirt sophomore’s track record of winning games at Coastal.
“He’s a guy that deserved that opportunity, with some of the changes being made, to see how he performed and how he played,” Beck said. “
Beck declined to name Vasko the starter long-term, saying the team would decide on a game-by-game basis. CCU did not make Vasko available to the media after the game.
While Vasko’s status for the rest of the season remains unclear, the offense improved. The passing game again looked to throw down the field, something CCU had lost in its last two losses. Vasko also used his legs to extend plays or score himself, like on an 11-yard run that tied the game in the first quarter.
However, Vasko’s position seemed on the line after being benched versus ULL.
Beck said in his typical midweek press conference on Oct. 30, 2024, that Vasko and Noah Kim split reps as the starting quarterback and didn’t indicate which way he was leaning.
Beck, who previously said he didn’t want to make a hasty decision concerning the quarterback, would also oversee CCU’s offense more directly against Troy. Offensive Coordinator Travis Trickett was fired after the ULL game, and whoever started would be tasked with piloting Beck’s new approach to scoring.
Vasko has had potential throughout his tenure at CCU, but consistency has remained an issue. He’s struggled at times to consistently connect with his wide receivers. These issues haven’t been helped by CCU’s receivers dropping passes, as Jameson Tucker, Malick Meiga, and Tray Taylor all dropped Vasko throws in CCU’s loss to Troy.
Tucker said after the game that the drops were due to a lack of focus from the wide receivers as a group. Beck said he didn’t know why receivers were dropping passes.
“They don’t mean to,” He added. “I don’t get it. If it’s performance anxiety, they don’t do it in practice, it seems to work.”
