Penalties, penalties and more penalties. CCU blown out in Myrtle Beach Bowl by UTSA
Despite technically being the away team, the Myrtle Beach Bowl seemed to be a home game for Coastal Carolina. CCU ran out of the Brooks Stadium tunnel like they did most of the year, except without the usual pyrotechnics.
The music mainly remained unchanged from the tunes used during the regular season. The stadium even played Metallica’s “For Whom The Bell Tolls” on third downs — a song CCU used in hopes of psyching out away teams from converting during the regular season.
Yet, the University of Texas at San Antonio’s squad seemingly entered the game comfortable with their new surroundings. The Roadrunners had high energy in warm-ups before the game began, which transferred into the game. The University of Texas at San Antonio Roadrunners (7-6) blew out the Chanticleers (6-7) 44-15 in a game that never proved close.
Head Coach Tim Beck said after the game that he was proud of his team despite the loss.
“I thought the guys played hard out there and it just wasn’t our day,” Beck said. “They stayed; they believed, and they kept trying to fight the best they could.”
The Chants lacked many familiar faces that guided them to bowl game eligibility for the fifth straight year, which showed in the on-field play. The starting quarterback, two of CCU’s best offensive linemen, three of CCU’s best defensive players and a host of other players either entered the transfer portal or NFL draft. CCU’s offensive line was the best unit in the Sun Belt Conference, protecting the quarterback during the regular season. However, first-time CCU starter Tad Hudson was routinely harassed and thrown to the teal turf due to the UTSA pass rush during the Myrtle Beach Bowl.
Coastal couldn’t manage a score in the first half, with a late second-quarter drive stalling out at the gates of the endzone and a broken wildcat-like fourth-down conversion attempt. CCU running back Braydon Bennett entered the game averaging more than six yards per carry, but he lacked space to navigate and finished the game with less than three yards per carry. Meanwhile, the Roadrunners’ offense moved relatively unimpeded up and down the field, amassing more than 400 yards of offense toward the end of the third quarter.
Where CCU proved prolific was in garnering penalties. They received two flags on three of its first offensive plays for delay of game and a false start. The Chants spent much of the first half drawing personal fouls and unsportsmanlike conduct calls for after-play consternation and exchanges with Roadrunner players.
Beck said after the game that the penalties were due to simmering frustration but declined to go into what those were.
“Probably too deep to go into all right, now to be honest,” Beck said.
Coastal even received a “false start ... everyone but the center” penalty from the officials with less than two minutes left in the second quarter. The game was a frustrating conclusion to a season that started with promise, with the team undefeated after the first three games. Even when Coastal managed an interception during the third quarter, the positive effort proved bittersweet.
CCU linebacker Shane Bruce made the play after missing the previous two games with a knee injury. After celebrating the touchdown with teammates, he seemingly re-aggravated the ailment and briefly visited CCU’s injury tent afterward. Bruce’s effort didn’t provide the intended spark, as Coastal threw an interception of their own on a botched fake-punt fourth-down conversion attempt four plays later. Bruce said after the game, the trip to the injury tent was to ensure he hadn’t further damaged his knee. He added he plans to return to Coastal next year.
The play drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against the Roadrunners after several UTSA players ran toward the beach pit behind one of the endzones and celebrated — reminiscent of Coastal’s touchdown celebration earlier in the year.
After the game, UTSA Head Coach Jeff Traylor said he was glad with his team’s performance and energy, although he acknowledged that the team’s passion sometimes crossed the line. He added the penalty on the celebration led him to create a new nickname for the official who threw the flag. Traylor declined to say what it was but added that the referee is “a good official.”
“I didn’t see any negative energy from the Roadrunners, bro. We were just getting after it. If you don’t like that, man, (you) probably shouldn’t come watch the Roadrunners play.” Traylor added. “We’re going to have a good time. We’re going to get penalized for swimming at the beach at the Myrtle Beach Bowl. I mean, come on, it’s a bowl game. I mean, we supposed to be having fun.”
The end of the Myrtle Beach Bowl also serves as the beginning of an offseason filled with questions for the Chanticleers.
CCU will be searching for a new starting quarterback, offensive coordinator and a litany of other positions. After an inconsistent season, Coastal will search for answers before the 2025 college football season starts again. Beck said after the game that the bowl game performance didn’t reflect the 2024 season. He added the loss of so many players to the portal and other factors didn’t provide a good indicator of Coastal’s future.
“It’s not a true testament when you don’t have all your weapons,” Beck said. “To look at this game and say, ‘This is what our team was. This is what our team is going to be.’ That’s so far away from the truth. It’s not. We’ll be fine. We’ll fix it.”
This story was originally published December 23, 2024 at 2:35 PM.
