Coastal Carolina pulls away late to top Bryant

For the third time in four games, Coastal Carolina got pushed for almost all four quarters as visiting Bryant took its turn trying to unseat the No. 1/2-ranked Chanticleers.

But yet again, the Chants found a way to prevail.

After a shaky defensive performance in the first half, Coastal Carolina shutout the visiting Bulldogs the rest of the way and running backs De’Angelo Henderson and Osharmar Abercrombie scored second-half touchdowns to seal a 31-17 win before another capacity crowd of 10,311 at Brooks Stadium.

It may not have been perfect, but the Chants’ record still is as they move to 4-0 for the third straight season.

“At halftime we fixed a few things and we really dug down deep because we’re No. 1 in the nation and we wanted to prove that,” junior linebacker Alex Scearce said. “We didn’t want people to think we’re overrated or anything like that. We know we’re not. I truly think we’re an elite defense, we just sometimes have little mental errors that can really hurt us. So I think holding them out, shutting them out in the second half really made a point to our fans.”

Head coach Joe Moglia will be the first to acknowledge the defense still has plenty to prove before it can be considered elite, but that description is plenty befitting of the Chants’ backfield.

Henderson scored the go-ahead touchdown late in the third quarter, diving over the goal line from the 1 on fourth down, and continued his strong junior season with 136 rushing yards and two touchdowns in 21 carries. Abercrombie, his sophomore backup, once again capitalized on his limited opportunities and put the game away with a 22-yard touchdown run in the final minutes while totaling 49 yards in just seven carries.

That doesn’t mean the second half was without tension, though.

Bryant (2-1), visiting from Rhode Island, kept the pressure on for about three and a half quarters and established its intentions right from the start.

The Bulldogs got a 39-yard Ricky Perez field goal and a 50-yard touchdown pass from Dalton Easton to Matt Sewall on their first two possessions to take a 10-0 lead. Sewall was wide open over the middle on his touchdown catch as it looked like it might be another long night for the defense – and the Chants in general.

That wasn’t the reaction on the home sideline, though.

“I think we were pretty calm. We knew that it was going to be a long game and that wasn’t going to stop us,” senior quarterback Alex Ross said of the early deficit. “As a group, we were pretty calm, we were pretty focused. We didn’t let that get to us. We knew that we were going to be able to drive down the field and score points and we were just patient.”

Indeed, Coastal Carolina answered with the next 17 points as Ross connected with junior Bruce Mapp for a 12-yard touchdown pass, Henderson scored the first of his two 1-yard touchdown runs of the day and junior Ryan Granger added a 42-yard field goal for a 17-10 lead late in the first half.

But Bryant showed its own resilience, striking again just before halftime to tie the game at 17-17 on a 5-yard touchdown run by Ricardo McCray to cap a 10-play, 80-yard drive.

At that point, the Bulldogs had a 256-179 advantage in offensive yards over the Chants.

As Moglia would say later, though, “It was kind of a tale of two halves.”

The Chants pulled ahead on their second series of the third quarter, going 12 plays for 89 yards and what would prove to be the decisive score.

After a couple methodical first downs, Ross found senior Tyrell Blanks for a 33-yard gain across midfield, “Hop” Henderson followed two plays later with a 20-yard pickup and on fourth-and-goal from the 1 he soared over the pile and into the end zone to give Coastal Carolina a 24-17 lead.

“The d-line, they submarined and they just dropped down and it was open to jump over it. Why not? Why not jump? Hop, why not Hop? No pun intended,” Henderson said, sounding like a branding expert with the play on his nickname.

Again, Henderson played the starring role for the Chants with his 13th career 100-yard rushing game – and third in four games this season – while tying the Big South record by scoring a touchdown in 18 straight games.

He might have given some fans a scare in the first quarter when he asked out of the game and limped off the field after taking a low tackle, but sure enough he started the next series with a career-long 59-yard run to set up his first touchdown and looked just fine the rest of the way.

“I sprained my ankle for a little bit. [The defender] carried me for like five yards when I was stuck in the ground, so I had to come off the field and just get it taped. I just needed a second just to sit out and let it calm down,” he said. “... Nothing serious. I came back, the line opened up the hole perfectly like Moses parting the Red Sea and I just ran.”

After his second touchdown on the leap over the pile put the Chants in control in the third quarter, the defense did its part to sustain the momentum.

Bryant took its ensuing drive to the Coastal Carolina 26, but the Bulldogs were thwarted on fourth-and-6 as sophomore defensive end Marcus Williamson pressured Easton into an incompletion.

As the Chants started moving the ball the other way, Henderson again made the game interesting – although this time for a much different reason as he was hit from behind and fumbled. Bryant recovered and returned the ball to the Chants’ 45.

Still a one-possession game, the Bulldogs got all the way to the Coastal Carolina16 with the help of a questionable pass interference penalty on third-and-long, but the defense again answered. After forcing the visitors to settle for a 33-yard field goal try, Williamson got his hand on the ball to block the kick with 6:45 left to play.

“Special teams is a key attribute to our team and we practice all week on staying low and getting skinny. I was kind of upset that I didn’t get a block on the first field goal so I said on the sideline, if I get a chance to get out there again I’m going to block it,” Williamson said.

“It was big. I cherish every play so everything that happens I take big to me. It meant a lot.”

Especially to the Bulldogs’ chance of a comeback.

Nine plays later the Chants were in the end zone again on Abercrombie’s 22-yard touchdown run with 2:15 remaining to all but clinch the win.

“They had a good game plan against us. They were well prepared, they gave us everything we could possibly handle,” Moglia said. “I think what they were trying to do against our offense, defense, special teams across the board, I thought they were smart and they certainly challenged us.”

In addition to Henderson’s big day, Ross was sharp while completing 19-of-24 passes for 212 yards and a touchdown, and sophomore Chris Jones continued his emergence with a team-high six catches for 96 yards.

Afterward, though, Moglia reiterated that he thinks the Chants still aren’t the team he believes they can be, and while he was pleased with the second half and he’s certainly happy to be undefeated, he hopes the best is still yet to come.

“I’m delighted we’re No. 1 in the nation, I’m delighted we're 4-0, but we’re not near where we’ve got to be,” he said.

“... The last three quarters we [outscored them] 31-7 so we did a decent job. But our guys know we’re not quite [playing] up to our potential.”

This story was originally published September 26, 2015 at 8:43 PM with the headline "Coastal Carolina pulls away late to top Bryant."