CONWAY, S.C. -- After enduring an almost two-hour weather delay in the fourth quarter, Coastal Carolina University's football squad dropped a heartbreaker, 23-19, against visiting Colgate, Sun., Sept. 7. The Chanticleers dropped to 0-2 on the year while the Raiders advance to 1-1. The contest was pushed back from Sat., Sept. 6 due to Tropical Storm Hanna.

Coastal Carolina got on the scoreboard first in the opening quarter, going 63 yards in 12 plays over 2:55. Kicker Justin Durham hit from 25 yards out and the Chanticleers led 3-0 with 4:47 to go in the first. Colgate answered with a field goal of its own on the following drive, with Jacob Stein's 30-yarder wrapping up a 10-play, 53-yard march to knot it at three on the first play of the second quarter.

The Chants posted a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter, spurred by a turnover and a defensive stop. Coastal Carolina forced a fumble by Colgate running back Jordan Scott deep in CU territory, recovered by Keon Cunningham to give the Chants the ball at the Raiders' 11. Four plays later, quarterback Zach MacDowall surged in from a yard out to put Coastal Carolina up 9-3. However, Durham's point after attempt sailed wide to keep the margin at six. Following a stand on the next drive, Coastal Carolina went 64 yards in just three plays and 52 seconds to push the lead to 16-3. MacDowall connected with wide receiver Trent Usher for 32 yards and 22 yards on the drive, which wrapped up with a five-yard run by running back Eric O'Neal for the 13-point halftime advantage.

Coastal Carolina got it going late in the third quarter and converted an 11-play, 59-yard drive into points early in the fourth, as Durham hit from 21 yards out to make it 19-3 with 14:16 to play. Colgate followed it up with a march on its next possession, going 63 yards in 12 plays over 4:48, with Scott taking it in from a yard out. Quarterback Greg Sullivan's rush for the two-point conversion make it 19-11 with 9:22 to play, with the game suspended at that point for the next hour and 50 minutes.

After stopping Coastal Carolina on a fourth-and-1 at their own 26, Colgate took the ball 74 yards down the field with Sullivan throwing his first career touchdown pass to tight end Adrien Schriefer for his first career touchdown reception from six yards out to make it 19-17 Coastal Carolina with 3:06 on the game clock. Colgate then went for two-point conversion and Scott was stopped at the 1-yard line by linebacker Derrick Frasier to keep the margin at two.

After the Chanticleers could not manage a first down, the Raiders took over on their own 31-yard line with 1:44 to play in the contest. Colgate moved down to the Coastal Carolina 16 and quickly set up for a game-winning field goal. A clock error set the time at 8.0 and with it running, the Raiders had a bad snap over the holder's head. However, the holder - backup quarterback Ryan Meyers - recovered the ball and lofted a pass to Schriefer streaking into the left corner, who hauled it in and streaked into the end zone for the game winner with no time on the clock.

Colgate outgained Coastal Carolina 394-304 and held a commanding 36:05-23:55 time of possession advantage. The Chanticleers did force three turnovers in the game while only giving up one.

MacDowall was 11-19 for 120 yards for Coastal Carolina, while O'Neal had 17 rushes for a career-high 115 yards and one touchdown on the afternoon. Usher had four carries for 70 yards to lead the Chanticleer receivers.

For the Raiders, Scott recorded his 14th-straight 100-yard rushing game, setting a new Colgate school record for consecutive games in a year, with 190 yards on a Coastal Carolina opponent record 43 carries. Sullivan was 14-22 for 110 yards, one touchdown and one interception, while wide receiver Pat Simonds had six receptions for 55 yards. Colgate head coach Dick Biddle also became the winningest coach in school history with 96 career wins.

Coastal Carolina returns to action in six days, heading on the road to West Long Branch, N.J. to take on Monmouth, Sat., Sept. 13. Kickoff at Kessler Field is scheduled for 1 p.m.
 

Coastal Carolina Head Coach David Bennett
"We had a ball game in our grasp and didn't execute well enough. We didn't score enough points on offense and left our defense on the field and they got worn down. That's a tough one to swallow when you are up and they can't stop the clock and then clock gets stopped on a play that was a fumble and not a spike. But that's the hand we've been dealt and we have to move on from here."