Coastal Carolina football easily dispatches Duquesne. Who does CCU play next?
The game was over after the first quarter, and Coastal Carolina fans were already heading to the exits by halftime.
Coastal Carolina University (2-1) comfortably bested the Duquesne Dukes (1-2) 66-7, as CCU never relinquished the lead.
CCU Head Coach Tim Beck was brief after the game.
“A very complete game tonight,” he said. “I think we were able to put together a pretty good game tonight.”
CCU’s “pretty good game” was a historic victory. CCU’s 66 points are tied for the third-most points scored in a single game in program history. It’s the most points scored since 2021 when the Chants put up 59 points against the University of Louisiana at Monroe.
CCU last scored 66 points against the Virginia Military Institute in 2013.
Coastal quarterback Grayson McCall was efficient and to the point in the first half, going 12-16 for 169 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions, as he did not play in the second half.
The Chants rested many of their starters after the second half resumed, but not before running the score up 45-0 at halftime. Coastal’s offense benefited from their defense ball-hawking giving them good field position to work with.
CCU secured four turnovers by halftime, including an interception by safety Tobias Fletcher, who returned it for a school-record 100-yard touchdown. Linebacker JT Killen also returned an interception for a 30-yard touchdown, which put CCU up 14-0 less than five minutes into the game.
CCU’s defense prioritized turnovers entering the season, and so far it has delivered. The Chants’ eight takeaways this season have been a complete turnaround from 2022, when CCU struggled to get takeaways and only managed nine interceptions on the season.
But the game was not a perfect performance for CCU’s defense. The Chants have shown they’re vulnerable against the run all season, and they again surrendered more than five yards per carry against Duquesne.
Beck said after the game, CCU resting players in the second half was partly to blame for surrendering 183 yards on the ground, but Coastal was still giving up a lot of yards on the ground prior to this. Before sitting their starters in the second half, CCU allowed Duqesne to rush for 82 yards on 14 carries or 5.9 yards per carry in thee first. Stopping the run could cost CCU in the future.
CCU’s next match-up is against Georgia State University, and the Panthers are undefeated on the year, in part due to their ground game. Georgia State’s 583 yards rushing is second in the Sun Belt Conference, and Coastal’s running defense could cost them as the season progresses.
Coastal has also struggled to run the ball in the past two games, averaging 2.4 yards per attempt, but the Dukes provided a good opportunity for CCU to get the ground game working.
Duquesne has allowed an average of 5.2 yards per carry on the year, and Coastal’s nine different rushers took advantage time and again as they cut through Duqesne’s defense for 249 yards rushing.
Coastal running back Braydon Bennett said the change in fortune gave CCU’s running backs confidence.
“Everybody’s just getting used to playing with each other,” Bennett said. “To give the o-line some confidence ... it got everybody up.”
But whether CCU can sustain this newfound dominance on the ground is a question for the future. CCU’s next match-up against Georgia State has one of the best defenses against the run in the Sun Belt Conference, which will help determine just how good CCU is at running the ball.
The win might also provide momentum for CCU moving forward, but the outcome and results were not a surprise. Duquesne is an FCS team and lost 56-17 to West Virginia earlier in the season, and Coastal Carolina University paid Duquesne University $300,000 to travel to Conway.
Coastal Carolina will be at home for the third straight game, as it faces its first Sun Belt Conference opponent of the season next. CCU will match up with the Georgia State University Panthers on Thursday, Sept. 21.
Georgia State is undefeated (3-0) on the season.
Fletcher wasn’t worried about their upcoming in-conference opponent.
“I wouldn’t say Georgia State is a tough opponent,” Fletcher said after the game. “We don’t care who comes in (to Conway), it could be Alabama or anybody, we’re going to treat them the same. Probably get a three-piece in that game.”
Up next
Game 4: CCU vs. Georgia State University
Gameday: Thursday, Sept. 21
Kickoff time: 7:30 p.m. EST
Location: Brooks Stadium, Conway, S.C.
How to watch: Stream on ESPN+
CCU’s all-time record against Georgia State: 3-3
