11/19/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
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COASTAL CAROLINA UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL
CHANTICLEERS vs. BUCCANEERS
Coastal Carolina's Brooks Stadium (7,322) -- Conway, South Carolina
Saturday, November 22, 2008 -- 6 p.m.
Season Finale Is Tonight: The Coastal Carolina football squad will play its final game of the 2008 season when it hosts in-state rival Charleston Southern in the Big South Conference finale for both teams. The Chants come into tonight’s game after a 21-13 win at Presbyterian, Nov. 15. The Buccaneers also enter the contest off a win, a dominating 48-6 victory over Edward Waters at home last Saturday. Tonight the program will also honor its 2008 Senior Class before the game, as they make their final college appearance at Brooks Stadium.
The Coaches:Coastal Carolina Head Coach David Bennett (Presbyterian, ‘84) is in his sixth season at Coastal Carolina with a 43-21 record and 106-38 overall in his 13th year as a head coach. Prior to Coastal Carolina in seven seasons at Catawba, he led the Indians to three consecutive appearances in the NCAA Division II playoffs, including a run into the national semifinal round in 2001.
Charleston Southern Head Coach Jay Mills (Western Washington, ’84) is in his sixth season as head coach of the Buccaneers with a 33-33 record and in his ninth as the top man overall, posting a 36-54 mark.
History With CharlestonSouthern: The Chanticleers and Buccaneers have met five times previous to tonight’s contest, with Coastal Carolina taking four of those wins, including the last two. The only Buc victory was in 2005, as Charleston Southern earned a share of the league title with Coastal Carolina after a 34-27 double overtime victory in Charleston. Last year, the Chants dominated from start to finish on the road, finishing with a 41-2 victory. All the meetings between the two schools have been on the final week of the regular season, as this in-state rivalry has conintued to grow.
Norman Named Big South Freshman of the Week: Cornerback Josh Norman was named Big South Freshman of the Week for his play in the win at Presbyterian. Norman played a key role on the Chanticleers’ defense, recording a career-high seven tackles – including a career-best six solos, along with one interception and one pass break-up in Coastal Carolina’s win at Presbyterian. Norman’s interception came at the Chanticleer 4-yard line on PC’s opening drive, and came immediately after the Blue Hose had a touchdown called back due to a penalty.
Moving Up In the League at the End: For just the second time in their six years of play, the Chanticleers will post a below .500 record in the Big South Conference. In their inaugural season in 2003, the Chants got their first league win on the road in the season finale at Charleston Southern to finish 1-3 in the Big South. This season, Coastal Carolina got its first conference victory in its fourth game, getting a 23-18 win at Gardner-Webb. However with the parity in the conference, the Chants have the chance to tie for third with Gardner-Webb and Charleston Southern with a win tonight over the visiting Bucs.
When Its Natural: Coastal Carolina has played 56 of its 67 games in its history on natural grass. The Chanticleers are 41-16 (.719) on natural grass, including 25-9 (.735) at home. Coastal Carolina has gone just 4-6 on the fake stuff in its six years of play. This year, the Chants are playing 11 of their 12 games on natural grass, with the only exception in Week Three as Coastal Carolina got a 26-7 victory on Field Turf at Monmouth.
Winning When Scoring First:Coaches say a good start is essential and the Chanticleers have proven that in their history. Coastal Carolina has been a stellar team when scoring first, holding a 29-4 (.879) mark in five-plus seasons of play.
The Magic Number is 200: The magic answer to the question for Coastal Carolina is 200, as the Chanticleers are now 30-4 (.882) lifetime when rushing for 200 yards or more in a game. The only losses came in 2005’s finale at Charleston Southern and last year’s losses to Georgia Southern, against Presbyterian and at Liberty. The most recent game in this category was last week’s victory at Presbyterian, where the Chants rushed for 246 yards and two touchdowns on 50 carries.
Winning at Halftime: The Chanticleers are impressive when leading at the half with a 33-7 (.825) mark. Coastal Carolina is now 17-3 at home when taking a lead into the intermission, while posting a 16-4 mark when leading at the half on the road. The only losses have occurred in 2003 at Liberty, 2005’s double-overtime thriller at Charleston Southern, last season’s losses at Furman and in overtime to Presbyterian, this year’s home opener to Colgate and this year’s game at VMI.
Friendly Confines Describes Brooks Stadium:In the brief history of the program, the Chanticleers are 25-9 (.735) in the friendly confines of Brooks Stadium. Coastal Carolina is playing six home games again this year and has won 23 of its last 28 games at Brooks Stadium/Benton Field. The Chants have also won eight of their last 10 Big South games at home, dating back to the 2003 season.
Last Time Out For the Chanticleers: The Coastal Carolina University football team scored 21 unanswered points in the second quarter and made them stand for a 21-13 victory at Presbyterian, Nov. 15.
After a scoreless first quarter, Presbyterian got on the scoreboard first, but the Chanticleers answered on their next three possession, including one running and one passing touchdowns by quarterback Zach MacDowall along with a rushing score by fullback Racheed Gause.
After PC cut the margin to eight at 21-13, the teams exchanged several possessions in the fourth quarter, with the Blue Hose having the ball and a late opportunity at their own 30 with 1:02 to play. However on the second play of the drive, Brandon Miley headed back to pass and scrambled, but was stripped by defensive lineman Ronnie Mason and linebacker D.J. Rice recovered the fumble to seal the victory for the Chants.
Coastal Carolina outgained PC, 374-328, including 246 yards on the ground by the Chanticleers. Turnovers were also a big part of the game, as the Chants forced three Blue Hose miscues while giving up none. Of those three, one ended a PC threat deep in Chanticleer territory and the second set up the third Chant touchdown in addition to the final one by Rice. The Chanticleers also posted five sacks in the contest while giving up just three.
Running back Jamie Fordham led the ground game with 91 yards on 19 carries, while Arthur Sitton had 69 yards on just eight carries to help the Chants' cause. MacDowall was 14-for-22 through the air for 128 yards and a score. Seven different Coastal Carolina receivers had receptions, with Marquel Willis and Jon Greene each with three receptions. (Complete recap on Page 20.)
Last Year's Meeting With the Buccaneers: Coastal Carolina’s football team concluded its 2007 season with the most solid performance of the year, dominating host Charleston Southern 41-2 in Big South Conference action, Nov. 17.
The Chanticleers got things started on the right foot on CSU’s Senior Day, setting the tone on the opening play from scrimmage. CSU quarterback Sidney Bryant threw a pass in the flat that was intercepted by senior linebacker Anthony Steele and returned to the CSU 3. From there, senior fullback Mike Tolbert plunged in for his first score of the day, but a bad snap resulted in a failed pass attempt to make it 6-0 Coastal just 21 seconds into the contest. From there, Coastal Carolina would put up 28 first half points and never look back en route to the win.
The Chants outgained the Bucs, 347-196 and held a commanding time of possession advantage of almost 19 minutes (38:58 to 21:02). Coastal Carolina gained 220 yards on the ground while also limiting CSU’s vaunted passing attack to just 11-for-31 for 65 yards and four interceptions and forcing the Bucs into six turnovers overall. The Chants also converted 12 of 19 third down opportunities, while holding the hosts to no conversions in their 10 chances.
Tolbert finished the game with 18 carries for 60 yards and three touchdowns, while quarterback William Richardson was solid in the passing game, going 13-for-16 for 127 yards and one score. Wide receiver Jerome Simpson concluded his CCU career with four catches for 84 yards and one touchdown. (Complete recap on Page 18.)
The Streak Continues: In its brief history of 67 games, the Chanticleers have yet to be shutout on the scoreboard, the longest current streak in the Big South Conference. In fact, Coastal Carolina's lowest single game point total was in 2005 at Appalachian State, with just a lone field goal.
I Love the Nightlife: Out of 67 games in its history, Coastal Carolina has played 34 in the night time hours. The Chanticleers are 23-11 in evening tilts, including 15-7 at Brooks Stadium.
A Good Road Squad: The Chants have proven to be a good road squad in their first five seasons of play. Overall, Coastal Carolina has a 20-13 road mark, but posted its first road losing record last year, going just 1-4 away from Brooks Stadium with its only road win in the season finale at in-state rival Charleston Southern. This year, Coastal Carolina was an impressive 4-2 on the road.
Record After a Loss: Coastal Carolina has lost just 22 times in its history. Coming off the 20 in-season losses (not including two season-ending losses), the Chanticleers have gone 15-5 in the games following those losses and only had one three-game losing streak in its brief history.
Going Long and Far: Coastal Carolina was not afraid to chew up the yardage en route to putting points on the scoreboard in 2007. Of the 43 scoring drives, 29 were 60 yards or more with 23 of them going seven plays or longer.
In 2008, of the 45 scoring drives, 27 of them have been 60 yards or more, while 27 of them were seven plays or longer. The most plays in a drive was 17 against Liberty, Oct. 4, with the longest drive also occurring against the Flames, a 91-yard march in the fourth quarter.
Ground Warfare Successful for the Chants: After not breaking the 200-yard barrier in rushing over the first three games, Coastal Carolina has surpassed that mark in three of last four wins. Against Towson, the Chanticleers posted a season-high 302 yards on just 38 attempts and followed it up with 243 yards on 43 carries in the rain at North Carolina A&T. However, Coastal Carolina failed to reach the 200-yard benchmark in the losses to Liberty and VMI, but got back on track with 215 rushing yards in the win against North Carolina Central, Oct. 18. In the program’s history, the Chants are now 30-4 when posting at least 200 rushing yards.
Game Lengths Shorter In Time Only: In comparison from the 2007 timing rules to this year, the biggest difference has been that Coastal Carolina's games have been shorter in duration, but not fewer in plays. In non-televised games in 2007, the average length was just under three hours at 2:57 with the two teams combining for 132.7 plays on average. This season, the length has dropped to 2:35 with just a reduction to 131.2 plays a contest. The major changes in timing first occurred during the 2006 season and the game times decreased to 2:44 a contest. The number of plays also shrunk from the 2005 season by more than 11 snaps a contest, on average, though some of the difference for the Chants can be attributed to playing six overtimes during the 2005 slate.
Getting a Foot (Or 50 Yards) On the Ball: Sophomore punter Ben Erdman had one of the best games in Coastal Carolina history for his position. Erdman averaged 43.0 yards per punt at Penn State, Aug. 30, the second-best single-game average in program history. In addition, he became the first Chanticleer to have two punts of 50 yards or more in a single game, hitting 54- and 50-yard punts in the first half. The 54-yarder tied for the fifth longest punt in school history while the 50-yard boot tied for 10th.
Currently, Erdman is averaging 38.0 yards per punt on the season, which leads the Big South Conference and is more than three yards a punt better than during his freshman campaign. Of his 46 punts, 13 have finished inside the 20. His recent effort in the win at Gardner-Webb of 40.3 yards per punt on seven attempts, including three inside the 20, earned Erdman his first Big South Special Teams Player of the Week award in his career, Nov. 10.
Usher Making All the Grabs: Redshirt senior Trent Usher has asserted himself as one of primary receivers for the Chanticleers this season. Usher has team highs of 31 catches for 485 yards and four touchdowns on the year. In the win at Monmouth, Sept. 13, Usher posted career bests of five receptions for 80 yards. This is solid for a player who has shown his “team first” attitude by playing three positions (also defensive back and quarterback) in his time at Coastal Carolina.
Fordham Hits the 1,000-Yard Milestone: After receiving a waiver from the NCAA that reinstated his eligibility, redshirt senior Jamie Fordham has made the most of it. In the game against Towson Sept. 20, Fordham became the fifth player at Coastal Carolina and 20th in Big South Conference history to eclipse the 1,000-yard career rushing mark, entering this week's action with 1,412 yards. He currently ranks 14th in Big South annals, just 10 yards behind David Montgomery of Gardner-Webb.
Fordham returned to the field for his first action of the year at Monmouth. In his first drive of the season, which started the third quarter, Fordham had six of the 10 touches on the drive, rushing four times for 28 yards, including the touchdown, and grabbing two catches for 10 yards. He finished the game with six carries for 39 yards and the score on the ground, along with his two receptions. He currently has 86 carries for 485 yards and three touchdowns on the year.
MacDowall Sets New Standards: Quarterback Zach MacDowall put his name in the Coastal Carolina record books with his performance against Liberty, Oct. 4. Against the Flames, MacDowall threw for school records of 44 times for 382 yards and tied the school mark with 24 completions. The previous records were all held by current Kansas City Chief quarterback Tyler Thigpen as he had 24 completions and 351 yards in the Division I Playoff game at Appalachian State in 2006 and 43 pass attempts in the season opener that year at Elon.
MacDowall currently leads the league in total offense at 223.0 yards per game while ranking second in the conference (24th in the nation) in passing efficiency with a 143.7 rating and second in the league at 198.4 passing yards per game.
Rice Stepping Up To Fill the Gaps: Senior linebacker D.J. Rice has been on a tear lately for the defense. Most recently, he posted a team game-best eight tackles (six solos), one interception and one fumble recovery in the win over Presbyterian. His interception led to the third Coastal Carolina touchdown, as he returned the ball to the PC 18, while his fumble recovery ended the Blue Hose's last chance in the game and sealed the win for the Chants. Currently leading the team with 80 tackles on the season, he has recorded 44 tackles against the five Big South opponents (including PC), an average of 8.8 tackles per contest. His season high of 11 came at VMI, while he also posted 10 against Liberty.
Frasier Named First Team Academic All-District: Sophomore linebacker Derrick Frasier was named ESPN The Magazine First Team Academic All-District as selected by CoSIDA, the organization announced today. Frasier now moves on to the national ballot for Academic All-American.
A business major with a 3.55 grade-point average, Frasier has started all 11 games at linebacker and currently ranks second on the team and 14th in the Big South Conference with 65 tackles, including 29 solos. He has 5.5 tackles for loss for 21 yards and 1.0 sack for 10 yards. He has had two games with 10 or more tackles, including a career-best 11 tackles (six solos), with 1.0 tackles for loss against Stony Brook. He also had 10 tackles against Colgate for his first double-digit tackle of his career. On the year, he has seven games with at least six tackles recorded. He enters this week's action with 99 total tackles in his career.
To be nominated, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative grade-point average (on a 4.0 scale) at his/her current institution. Nominated athletes must have participated in at least 50 percent of the team’s games at the position listed on the nomination form (where applicable).
Pair Earn Big South Weekly Honors: Coastal Carolina defensive back Marcus Lott has been named the Big South football New Balance Defensive Player of the Week, while Coastal Carolina punter Ben Erdman was named Special Teams Player of the Week for games played in week 11 of the 2008 season, it was announced today by the Conference office.
Lott recorded a career-high six tackles (including a personal-best three solos), along with his first collegiate interception and three pass break-ups in Coastal Carolina’s victory at Gardner-Webb. Making just his second career start due to injuries, Lott had one of the game’s crucial plays when he broke up the Bulldogs’ two-point conversion late in the fourth quarter to preserve the Chanticleers’ two-point lead and the win. His third quarter interception also ended a Gardner-Webb threat, as the Bulldogs were in Chanticleer territory when the pick occurred.
Erdman averaged 40.3 yards on seven punts for the Chanticleers, including three inside the 20-yard line and two inside the 5-yard line. Of his seven punts, only one was returnable and went for just five yards, and Gardner-Webb’s average start was its own 19-yard line. Erdman booted a long of 48 in the third quarter, in addition to punts of 45, 41 and 42 during the game.
Sitton Posts A Career-Best Night To Help The Effort: Senior running back Arthur Sitton posted the best game of his Coastal Carolina career in the win over North Carolina Central, Oct. 18. In the victory, the four-year letterwinner had just six carries to post his first career 100-yard rushing game, going for exactly 100 yards and a touchdown. His 42-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, the second longest of his career, sealed the win for the Chanticleers. He currently is second for the Chants with 477 rushing yards, averaging 6.4 yards per carry.
Bennett Hits The Century Mark: Head Coach David Bennett isn’t one to keep an eye on his statistics, but he just reached a major coaching milestone. With the 42-35 win against VMI, Oct. 27, 2007, Bennett picked up his membership in the illustrious career 100-win club. For his 12-year career, he is now 108-39 (.735) as a head coach.
This Week's Injury Report: On this week's injury report for the game against Charleston Southern, Ben Collins, Andre Ford, Ronnie Mason and Whittmin Reese are probable, with Brandon Autry and Trent Usher questionable. Kenny Jones is doubtful, while Marrio Norman and Alex Wolfe are out for the game. Dominique Davenport (right elbow), Tommy Fraser (left hamstring), Myron Rogers (left knee) and Dominique Whiteside (left foot) are out for the year.
Four in the Show: With just three graduating classes in two years, the Chanticleers have shown they have some quality talent, with four players on 53-man National Football League rosters for Opening Day. Quarterback Tyler Thigpen was the first-ever draft pick out of the Big South Conference by the Minnesota Vikings in 2007, and got his first career start in week three for the Kansas City Chiefs and has started the last four games for the Chiefs with a 96.9 passing rating combined. Defensive back Quinton Teal is starting his second year with the Carolina Panthers after playing in 15 games as a rookie. Wide receiver Jerome Simpson was a second-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2008 NFL Draft while fullback Mike Tolbert was a free agent signee of the San Diego Chargers this past offseason and started seven of his first10 professional games so far.
Returning This Season: The Chanticleers returned 53 letterwinners and 21 starters (eight offense, eight defense, five special teams) to the squad this year. Of the returners, one significant group could be the offensive line as the entire starting unit, along with two other significant players from last season, returned for the 2008 campaign.
Coaching Staff Continuity: The Coastal Carolina football coaching staff is a rarity in the world of college football. In the seven years as a program, the coaching staff has not had a single full-time coach leave the program and has added two over the years in the process of building to a full staff, with the addition of Co-Offensive Coordinator Gary Smallen in 2006 and Linebackers Coach Grant Cain in 2007. Four of them (Head Coach David Bennett, Co-Offensive Coordinator Jamie Snider, Defensive Coordinator Curtis Walker and Passing Game Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach Kevin Brown) have been together for the last 11 years dating back to their time at Division II Catawba.
Steward Makes His First Career Start A Memorable One: Redshirt freshman linebacker Desmond Steward had his first career start in the win over North Carolina Central, Oct. 18, and made the most of it. Steward recorded a game-high 11 tackles in the win and now has 25 on the year.
Willis Breaks Out On The Wide Side: Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Marquel Willis had a break out game against defending Big South champion Liberty, Oct. 4. In the game, Willis had career-highs of seven catches, 145 yards and two touchdowns against the Flames. The 145 yards ties for the fourth-best single game in school history, while his seven receptions ties for fifth on the single-game chart. It was also the 15th time that a Chanticleer has posted two touchdown receptions in a game.
DavenportAmong the League Leaders:Junior safety Dominique Davenport was named The Sports Network Football Championship Subdivision National and Big South Conference Defensive Player of the Week for his play against Colgate, Sept. 7. Davenport currently ranks second in the league in tackles per game at 9.8 (39 total), including a school-record 20 tackles against Colgate and 10 tackles at Penn State. However, the junior suffered a season-ending elbow injury in the home win over Towson, Sept. 20.
Against Ranked Opponents: Coastal Carolina is 3-4 against FCS ranked opponents in its brief history, but 2-1 at Brooks Stadium. In 2005, the Chanticleers burst on the national scene when they upset No. 1 and defending national champion James Madison, 31-27. The Chants then followed it up with a dramatic 24-23 win at No. 24 South Carolina State the same season. In 2006, Coastal Carolina took on two more ranked squads, losing at No. 24 Georgia Southern, 38-21, before returning home to knock off No. 3 Furman, 29-27, with the difference a blocked point after attempt returned for two points. Then in the 2006 Playoffs, the Chants fell at No. 1 and eventual national champion Appalachian State, 45-28. In 2007, Coastal Carolina was handled 45-10 by No. 8 James Madison, while the most recent was a 43-38 loss to No. 20 Liberty Oct. 4.
Coastal CarolinaFootball On TV: Coastal Carolina's football team had three appearances on television this year. The Chanticleers were on the Big Ten Network to start the season when they played nationally-renowned Penn State, Aug. 30. The other two televised contests were part of the Big South Conference package, as the home contest against defending champion Liberty that was played Oct. 4 and the road contest at Gardner-Webb Nov. 8 were on the tube. Coastal Carolina is a solid 14-7 in television appearances all-time, but just 6-5 on the road.
Pair of Players Picks Up Big South Honors In Week Four: Coastal Carolina quarterback Zach MacDowall and linebacker D.J. Rice were named the Big South football Choice Hotels Offensive Player of the Week and New Balance Defensive Player of the Week, respectively, for games played in week four of the 2008 season, it was announced Sept. 22 by the Conference office.
MacDowall amassed 197 yards of total offense (40 rush, 157 pass) and was responsible for three of the Chanticleers’ four touchdowns in Coastal Carolina’s 31-3 win over Towson. He scored on a 9-yard touchdown run with 1:36 remaining in the first quarter to give the Chanticleers a 7-3 lead. He also threw two touchdown passes in the third quarter, including a 63-yarder to Brandon Whitley, to help put the game away. MacDowall directed the Coastal Carolina offense to a season-high 459 yards on just 56 plays – an average of 8.2 yards per play.
Rice totaled a career-high 11 tackles – his first career double-digit tackle game, and had one tackle for loss in the Chanticleers’ 31-3 win over Towson. He helped lead the Chanticleer defense in holding the Tigers to more than 130 yards below their season average on offense, including 120 yards fewer through the air for a quarterback with more than 9,000 career passing yards. The defense also held Towson to 44 rushing yards and to 11 fewer points than No. 2 Richmond the week before.
Week Three Jinx Ends This Year: Not only did Coastal Carolina snap its two-game losing skid to start the season with the victory at Monmouth, it ended the Week Three jinx it had in the first five years. In the previous five years, the Chanticleers had not won their third game of the season in any of them. The closest was during the inaugural season, when the Chants dropped a 14-9 decision at Jacksonville. Of the Week Three games in history, five of the six have been played on the road.
MacDowall Gets It Done: Redshirt sophomore Zach MacDowall earned his first Big South Conference Choice Hotels Offensive Player of the Week honors for his play at Monmouth. MacDowall was solid in his second career start, leading the Chanticleers to a win at Monmouth. MacDowall was 17-for-26 for 233 yards, one touchdown and one interception through the air and added seven rushes for 21 yards on the ground.
DavenportEarns National, Conference Weekly Awards:Junior safety Dominique Davenport was named The Sports Network Football Championship Subdivision National Defensive Player of the Week for his play against Colgate, Sept. 7, the publication announced. Davenport had been earlier named the Big South Conference Choice Hotels Defensive Player of the Week. He is the first Chanticleer to earn a weekly league honor this season and the first Coastal Carolina player to earn a national award since defensive back Marrio Norman garnered the Sports Network Defensive Player of the Week award for his play in the regular season finale against Charleston Southern in 2006.
In earning his first-ever weekly league or national award, Davenport set a school record with 20 tackles Sunday against Colgate (breaking the old record by five), with 11 solo shots against the Raiders. He had two drive-ending stops in the game, as well as one tackle-for-loss. His 20 tackles ties for the fourth-most in a single game in Big South history and second-most ever by a defensive back. Davenport’s 11 solo tackles were also a school record for a single game.
O'Neal Hits the Century Mark: Sophomore running back Eric O’Neal posted his best game as a Chanticleer Sept. 6 vs. Colgate, as he rushed 17 times for a career-best 115 yards and one touchdown. It was his first career 100-yard rushing game. He also tied his career high in carries and posted the 21st 100-yard rushing game in Coastal Carolina history, with his 115 yards ranking 13th all-time.
Making the Grab a Historic One: Coastal Carolina's first points of the 2008 season were ones that senior wide receiver Trent Usher will remember. Usher took a short slant route over the middle and sprinted to the end zone for a 33-yard touchdown at Penn State, Aug. 30. The touchdown was the second of Usher's collegiate career and his first on the receiving end. He also became the first Coastal Carolina player in his career to score a touchdown as both a receiver and a quarterback, as he got in the end zone as a quarterback off the bench in a home win over Savannah State in 2006.
More Than the 2007 Season Combined: The announced crowd of 106,577 that watched the Coastal Carolina-Penn State game at Beaver Stadium, Aug. 30, is more than the attendance combined at all 11 games on Coastal Carolina's 2007 schedule (93,231). As a matter of fact, the largest crowd that the Chanticleers had played in front of previously was at eventual national champion Appalachian State in 2005, when a then Kidd Brewer Stadium record 23,267 watched the Mountaineers get a 30-3 win.
Among The National Leaders in Attendance: Coastal Carolina has been one of the standouts in I-AA in attendance based on capacity in its first five seasons. Ranking in the top seven in the nation in each of the first two years, the Chanticleers set a new Brooks Stadium record in the home opening win over No. 1 James Madison, packing 8,533 fans into a stadium that seats 6,408. Coastal finished the season as the top I-AA team in attendance based on capacity at 114.3 percent.
The Chants continued that tradition in 2006, including setting a new Brooks Stadium record with 9,287 fans in the home win over South Carolina State, Sept. 23. The Chanticleers then surpassed it with 10,013 fans in the home win over then No. 3 Furman. The Chanticleers had 8,169 fans in the first contest at Elon and ranked fourth in I-AA in attendance based on percentage of capacity at 112.52 percent. Last season, Coastal Carolina ranked 12th in the nation, again averaging over capacity at 102.65% in six games played. This year, the Chants currently are currently 15th at 95.05% in the first five games.
Stadium Expansion: Sept. 2, 2006 marked the first game with the new seating capacity of Coastal Carolina University's Brooks Stadium. The school added 914 seats to the facility to bring seating capacity up to 7,322 for the 2006 season. Now Coastal Carolina has completed ground work in preparation for full construction to start right after Christmas on the new Adkins Fieldhouse.
It Was The First (But Not the Last) Time: Coastal Carolina made its first appearance in the Division I Football Championship (formerly known as the I-AA playoffs) in its brief five-year history when it took on eventual two-time National Champion Appalachian State in the opening round in 2006. This was the first time that a Big South Conference school earned a berth in the postseason and only the second school from a non-automatic bid conference to earn a berth (Cal Poly - 2005) in the last 10 years.
Back-To-Back-To-Back: The Chanticleers were the first Big South school to capture three league titles in the brief history of the conference. Gardner-Webb won the first two championships, while Coastal Carolina won the 2004 crown, shared the 2005 title with Charleston Southern and won the 2006 title outright with a 4-0 mark.
The Class of 2006's Impact Still Being Felt: Coastal Carolina graduated more players than any Division I football program in the country in 2006, losing 36 seniors, including 31 letterwinners. Among the 36 seniors on the roster, 32 of them were in at least their third year with the program. This group, comprised of the first two football recruiting classes at Coastal Carolina, led the Chanticleers to a 34-11 mark in four years, along with at least a share of three consecutive Big South Conference titles and the program's first-ever berth in the NCAA Division I Football Championships. Two of those players in that class, quarterback Tyler Thigpen and safety Quinton Teal, are on National Football League rosters for the second straight year.
