CCU Football Notebook: Hollenhorst, Israel likely sidelined this week

As the wins have piled up for the Coastal Carolina football team early this season, so have the injuries and the Chanticleers will most likely be without two of their top playmakers Saturday night against Alabama A&M.

Senior defensive end Calvin Hollenhorst and senior wide receiver John Israel will almost certainly be sidelined as the No. 1/2-ranked Chants look to build on their 4-0 start.

Hollenhorst, a preseason All-Big South selection, missed the game last weekend with a shoulder injury sustained in week three and has yet to return to practice.

“Calvin’s still questionable. Questionable to doubtful,” defensive coordinator Clayton Carlin said. “We’ll be OK.”

Senior Aaron McFarland will likely continue to start in his place.

On the offensive side, meanwhile, Israel – another preseason all-conference pick – has been wearing a protecting walking boot while dealing with turf toe and is expected to be out this week as well.

But the coaches are hopeful he can return next week for the Chants’ Big South opener against Presbyterian.

“John probably won’t play. He’ll be in a boot for most of the week and we probably will end up holding him [out],” offensive coordinator Dave Patenaude said.

Fortunately, wide receiver has become Coastal Carolina’s deepest position as sophomore Chris Jones has capitalized on his opportunities so far with 10 catches for 153 yards and a score.

He’ll join proven veterans Bruce Mapp and Tyrell Blanks in the starting lineup while Israel is out and beyond that has likely earned an expanded role in the offense with his strong play.

“Chris has played great,” Patenaude said. “That’s part of that whole balance is being able to play up-tempo, get guys in and out and get fresh legs in. Chris has the versatility to move inside or out. ... It’s fun trying to find ways to get all of those guys involved.”

Daniels standing out

The Chants call their kickoff coverage unit the “Hit Squad” and no player has more embodied that identity than junior Kenneth Daniels.

Week after week Daniels has left his mark on the unit – and, for that matter, on an opposing player – with his big hits on special teams.

After leading the Chants with 13 tackles on kick coverage last season, Daniels has three bruising hits so far this fall and has been one of the stars of a special teams group that has been the steadiest unit for Coastal Carolina.

“I like to bring a lot of violence. I promote a lot of violence on the Hit Squad,” Daniels said. “I like to come down and just lay a hit on somebody, just let them know I’m there.”

Asked if he’s been given a nickname yet, Daniels said assistant coach Curome Cox dubbed him “One Speed” last season and that has stuck.

Overall, he said he’s embraced special teams as his outlet to contribute.

“Since it’s really one of the only things I really get in on, I just take pride in really just making [it] mine, just make it what I do. It’s what I’m good at,” Daniels said.

McBride emerging

Patenaude can’t remember another time in his career he’s put so much trust in a true freshman offensive lineman, but rookie Jamarion McBride has proven to be a special case.

The 6-foot-1, 290-pound freshman from Simpsonville is more or less splitting snaps at center with junior Dom DiGalbo and looking like a future anchor on the offensive line for years to come.

“When we had the first conversations about starting a freshman center, I kind of got hives a little bit,” Patenaude said. “This is the first time in 24 seasons I’ve ever played a freshman offensive lineman, but he’s more than held his own.”

Patenaude said DiGalbo is getting about 60 percent of the snaps while McBride works in on 40 percent.

“He’s a guy that if he was two or three inches taller he’d be playing at Clemson,” Patenaude said. “Early on in the recruiting process, [offensive line coach Patrick Covington] talked to the South Carolina guys and they were very close to pulling on him. They just couldn’t swallow [taking] a 6-foot guy in the SEC. But he’s very athletic. He’s got long arms for a 6-foot guy, he’s very tough, very strong, smart kid.”

No defensive changes

While the Chants’ defense hasn’t quite matched the preseason expectations expressed by coach Joe Moglia and players, the coaches aren’t looking to make any changes at this point.

“Well you never know, it’s week to week, day to day. [But] I’m pleased with the effort of the guys. I don’t see any major changes on the horizon right now,” Carlin said.

Carlin reiterated his mantra that he just wants to see the defense “focus on doing the ordinary things extraordinary and be brilliant in the basics.”

Moglia, meanwhile, offered his take on why the Chants – ranked 83rd in the FCS in total defense at 435.8 yards allowed per game – have struggled on that side of the football.

“Remember, on the defensive side of the ball you’ve got six new starters, so I think that’s part of it,” he said. “Our backups, some of them are new as well. We did change the defense coming into this year. That’s part of the reason I was so optimistic. So something we had been doing for two or three years that frankly I don’t think held up as well as it should have, we’ve changed. And it takes a little while to kind of build on that. So it’s newer players and probably 35 percent of our defense is different.”

No decision on Sampson

Senior safety Richie Sampson has yet to play for the Chants this season while continuing to recover from the shoulder surgery than ended his 2014 campaign, but there has been no decision made on whether he will take a redshirt year or attempt to return at some point.

“I think he’s still week to week,” Carlin said. “I just don’t think he’s feeling himself yet, strength-wise. I just don’t think he’s there yet.”

Asked is he was still holding out hope that Sampson would return this fall, Carlin said, “A glimmer of hope.”

White Out

Coastal Carolina will wear white uniforms with teal on the numbers, lettering and shoulders this week and is encouraging fans to wear white as well.

The first 5,000 fans will receive white rally towels as part of the “White Out.”

As of Wednesday, there were about 1,000 seats remaining for the game and more than 2,400 student tickets had been claimed, according to assistant athletic director for ticket sales and revenue Michael Jacobs.

The Chants are coming off back-to-back capacity crowds.

Fans can purchase tickets by calling 843-347-8499 or online at www.goccusports.com/tickets.

This story was originally published September 30, 2015 at 10:30 PM with the headline "CCU Football Notebook: Hollenhorst, Israel likely sidelined this week."