CCU football notebook: Coastal Carolina ranked 16th in preseason FCS poll

Coastal Carolina begins the 2016 season ranked No. 16 in the STATS FCS Preseason Top 25, marking the 46th consecutive ranking period it has been in the top 25 dating back to the final poll of 2012, the first year of coach Joe Moglia’s era.

The Chanticleers were also 16th after the 2015 season in the poll of the nation’s FCS media and sports information directors.

Five-time defending national champion North Dakota State is the preseason favorite, receiving 152 of a possible 158 first-place votes. Sam Houston State is ranked second, receiving two first-place votes, and CCU’s Week 3 opponent and last year’s national runner-up Jacksonville State is ranked third, receiving four first-place votes.

The Chants face two top-10 teams. Two weeks after facing Jacksonville State on Sept. 17 the Chants will host No. 7 Charleston Southern at Brooks Stadium on Oct. 1. Other CCU opponents receiving votes in the 2016 preseason top 25 include Liberty (Nov. 17), Lamar (Sept. 3) and Bryant (Nov. 12).

Degrees in hand

The goal for most student-athletes is to earn a degree.

Half of the seniors on the CCU football team have already achieved that goal, including five last week.

With the conclusion of the summer term on Aug. 5, six Coastal Carolina football players – including five current Chanticleers – received their degrees.

Those earning degrees this past week include 2015 senior Daniel Anousheh (interdisciplinary studies) as well as 2016 seniors Samson Baldwin (exercise science; will seek second degree in art), Ed Brown (psychology; will seek second degree in communication), Sam Ekwonike (public health; will seek second degree in biology), Chase Tidwell (communication; will seek second degree in sociology) and William Walker (recreation and sport management; will seek second degree in communication).

Eleven of the 22 football seniors this fall have earned their degrees. Five are set to graduate in December and the other six are on schedule to graduate in the spring.

Others seniors who have previously graduated include Devin Brown (interdisciplinary studies; pursuing second degree in communication), De’Angelo Henderson (recreation and sport management; pursuing second degree in communication), Clark Krimmer (recreation and sport management; pursuing second degree in communication), Voghens Larrieux (business management; pursuing M.B.A.), Bruce Mapp (communication; pursuing M.B.A) and Riche Sampson (economics; pursuing second degree in marketing).

Of the 101 seniors in Moglia’s five years, 82 have degrees and that number should expand to 93 in the spring, according to CCU. NFL veterans Matt Hazel and Denzel Rice could increase the number to 95 as both left CCU in good academic standing.

Game times set

CCU will play eight of its 12 games this season at home and announced this week that four will be in the afternoon and four at 6 p.m. or later.

The home opener at Brooks Stadium on Sept. 10 against Florida A&M will be at 7 p.m., followed by both Furman on Sept. 24 and Charleston Southern on Oct. 1 at 6 p.m. The Furman game will be Family Weekend on CCU’s campus.

Coastal will play five of its last six at home, with just one at night. Homecoming on Oct. 22 against Central Connecticut State will be at 2 p.m., as will games against Monmouth on Nov. 5, Bryant on Nov. 12 and Hampton in the season finale on Nov. 26. Sasser Athletics Hall of Fame Day will be Nov. 5.

The Chants will play their first Thursday night home game in the program’s 14-year history against Liberty at 7 p.m. Nov. 17.

Afternoons off

The Chants scheduled 26 practices prior to their opening game, which is noteworthy because there will be just one per day.

The coaching staff eschewed the customary two-a-day practices this season.

“We are a veteran staff and a pretty veteran group of players,” Moglia said. “We feel comfortable doing this and, as you know, we are not averse to doing things differently if we believe it will give us a competitive advantage.”

Suites sold out

Premium end zone suites at Brooks Stadium are sold out for the 2016 season, and Coastal has created an online waiting list for the 2017 season, the school’s first at the Football Bowl Subdivision level.

Fans can provide their contact information at www.goccusports.com/ot/waitinglist.html so they can be contacted when Brooks Stadium is expanded.

This story was originally published August 12, 2016 at 2:05 PM with the headline "CCU football notebook: Coastal Carolina ranked 16th in preseason FCS poll."