Coastal Carolina Football Week in Review

For the second year in a row rival Liberty dealt the Coastal Carolina football team a damaging blow in the final week of the regular season.

The Flames scored a go-ahead touchdown with 1:27 remaining, picking up a fourth-and-8 conversion and finishing with a 40-yard scoring strike on the way to a 24-21 win.

The loss cost the Chanticleers a likely top-eight seed in the FCS playoffs, which would have meant a first-round bye.

Instead, the Chants (9-2) learned Sunday that they will open the playoffs this coming Saturday at 2 p.m. at home against The Citadel (8-3).

Coastal Carolina’s hopes for an FCS national championship are still alive, but the road there just got tougher.

Game balls

Liberty quarterback Josh Woodrum: The senior came through when it mattered most, completing a 21-yard pass on that pivotal fourth-down conversion and then hooking up for the decisive 40-yard touchdown pass. He finished 19-of-30 passing for 262 yards and two touchdowns.

Coastal Carolina quarterback Alex Ross: It wasn’t Ross’ fault that the Chants lost. He completed 17-of-32 passes for 325 yards, a touchdown and an interception, and it looked like he had led a game-winning drive (before Liberty’s actual game-winning drive) when he connected with Chris Jones on an 83-yard completion.

Coastal Carolina wide receiver Chris Jones: The sophomore continued his breakout season with six catches for 168 yards and a touchdown. It was the third-highest receiving total in program history.

What it means

Coastal Carolina was positioned for a top-eight or maybe even a top-four seed in the playoffs if it had won Thursday night.

Instead, the Chants received a tough draw while opening against a Citadel team that just stunned South Carolina 23-22 on Saturday. And if they win that, they would play a Charleston Southern team that already beat them this season.

For what it’s worth, Coastal Carolina also dropped six spots to a tie for 10th in the STATS FCS media poll with the loss.

Looking ahead

The Citadel employs a triple-option attack and runs it very, very well.

The No. 18-ranked Bulldogs rank second in the FCS in averaging 344.3 rushing yards per game and average 32.1 points per game. They have six players with at least 400 rushing yards this season and rushed for 350 yards in that win at South Carolina on Saturday.

The Chants played The Citadel in the 2014 season opener, winning 31-16, but that was Mike Houston’s first game as head coach there and the Bulldogs have no doubt come a long way since then.

By the numbers

3 | This is the third straight season Coastal Carolina opens the FCS playoffs with a home game.

4 | This marks the Chants’ fourth straight FCS playoff appearance overall.

6 | This is the program’s sixth playoff appearance in program history.

7 | Coastal Carolina’s last three games with Liberty have been determined by a combined margin of seven points.

8 | De’Angelo Henderson ranks eighth nationally in the FCS with 1,245 rushing yards.

15 | Alex Ross had his 15th game with at least 300 yards of offense on Thursday, tying the Big South record set by former Liberty quarterback Mike Brown.

25 | Henderson kept his FCS record streak going and has now scored a touchdown in 25 straight games.

83 | Chris Jones’ 83-yard reception from Ross in the fourth quarter at Liberty was the second-longest pass play in program history.

254 | Jones set the Chants’ record for most punt return yards in a season, now up to 254, passing Niccolo Mastromatteo’s mark of 247 from 2010.

They said it

Wide receiver Chris Jones on the loss at Liberty:

“It’s a tough feeling. It hurts. It’s a lot of pain right now. I tried to play well for the team tonight; it just didn’t go the way that we wanted it to go. We just look forward to the playoffs, hopefully we get a good seed and hopefully we win out.”

Defensive end Roderick Holder on moving forward:

“We’re definitely still going to keep our heads up. ... Our season’s definitely not over and we’ve just got to believe in one another we’ll be fine.”

Head coach Joe Moglia on Chants’ playoff draw:

“I think because we didn’t take care of business on Thursday, I was hoping we may still have a shot at the eighth seed, but I can appreciate why we didn’t.”

Moglia on facing The Citadel:

“They’re going to be euphoric. No. 1, they’re in the playoffs. No. 2, they’ve had a great season. No. 3, they upset a storied program in South Carolina. I have no doubt they’re going to be ready to go.”

This story was originally published November 22, 2015 at 8:00 PM with the headline "Coastal Carolina Football Week in Review."