Inspired by The Karate Kid, here’s how one Coastal Carolina player taunted Georgia State
Coastal Carolina’s defense took little time to rattle Georgia State in their Atlanta matchup on Saturday.
Unfortunately for CCU head coach Tim Beck, the officials noticed the Chants’ 1980s-nostalgia-inspired taunts of the Panthers early in the game.
Georgia State quarterback Christian Veilleux was already having a bad day when he threw an interception on the Panthers’ first offensive play when a Coastal defender tipped the ball after generating pressure in the pocket.
It got worse for the Panthers when Veilleux faced pressure again on Georgia State’s fourth play of the game and threw another pick, this one to CCU cornerback Matthew McDoom.
CCU linebacker Clev Lubin put Veilleux onto the Center Parc Stadium turf during the second interception, and Lubin celebrated with a martial-arts flair.
Lubin used a crane stance and bowed to Veilleux, who was still on the ground. Lubin’s pose was reminiscent of the pose actor Ralph Macchio’s character, Daniel LaRusso, used to win the karate tournament by kicking his opponent in the face at the climax of the 1984 movie “The Karate Kid.”
Lubin performed the taunt in front of an official, and his tribute to The Karate Kid garnered Coastal Carolina a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.
CCU’s offense couldn’t capitalize on the interception, though. Coastal wide receiver Kyre Duplessis threw a pick four plays later while trying to target quarterback Ethan Vasko on a trick play as three Panther defenders covered Vasko.
For his part, Veilleux threw two more picks in the fourth quarter. CCU safety Tobias Fletcher caught both and returned one for a touchdown, as CCU won the game 48-27.
Lubin’s efforts contributed to Coastal recovering six turnovers during game. He was not made available for comment after the game.
In his one season at Coastal Carolina, Lubin has a propensity for pressuring the quarterback and for celebrating his sacks.
In nine games this season, Lubin has recorded 7.5 sacks, including three in CCU’s rivalry win against Appalachian State. Lubin’s target on Saturday was Veilleux, and Lubin finished with two sacks and a pass deflection.
McDoom said after the game that turnovers give defensive players one of the few times they get to celebrate on the field.
“That’s what we’re thinking about it all the time,” McDoom said. “The celebration is always in the moment.”
Beck smiled when asked about Lubin’s celebration after the game, adding that officials didn’t call a penalty when Georgia Southern players taunted Coastal by celebrating in the sandpit at Brooks Stadium Nov. 23, 2024. The Georgia Southern taunt paid homage to a previous celebration by CCU cornerback Juan Powell.
“I think sometimes there’s a little bit of inconsistency in our league (the Sun Belt Conference), what’s considered a penalty and not,” Beck said. “I don’t know what a penalty is anymore in terms of celebration and not celebration.”
This story was originally published November 30, 2024 at 5:54 PM.
