Coastal Football Heads to VMI for Final Road Game

Nov. 3, 2010

Coastal Carolina at VMI
Saturday, Nov. 6, 2010 1:30 pm
Alumni Memorial Field at Foster Stadium
ESPN3

Coastal Carolina Football Notes/Stats (at VMI) in PDF Format

Series Information
This is the eighth meeting between Coastal Carolina and VMI with the Keydets being one of four teams CCU has played in each of its first seven years (joining Gardner-Webb, Liberty and Charleston Southern). Coastal Carolina owns a 5-2 advantage in the series, including a 2-1 mark in Lexington.

2003 -- In Coastal's first season --and first football Homecoming -- VMI was down 10-0, but scored 19 unanswered for the 19-10 win.

2004 -- With the game tied to start the fourth quarter, Coastal took advantage of a 16-yard punt, giving CCU the ball on the 30. On the next play, Tyler Thigpen hit Perry Parks for a TD, providing the 21-14 final.

2005 -- Ranked 13th at the time, Coastal's 38-14 win clinched at least a share of the Big South title. The Chants scored on five consecutive possessions to put the game away. Coastal limited VMI's rushing attack to just 39 yards on 35 attempts. Thigpen ran for 112 yards and 3 TDs on 11 carries while throwing one TD.

2006 -- Then #24 CCU struggled in the first half at VMI and had to score in the closing seconds to escape with a 31-27 win. After Sean Mizzer scored with 54 seconds left to put VMI up 27-24. Coastal then went 67 yards in six plays and just 36 seconds. Thigpen threw a seven-yard TD pass to Jerome Simpson for the game-winner.

2007 -- Head coach David Bennett picked up career win #100 as Coastal defeated VMI 42-35. VMI dominated time of possession by 10 minutes -- 35:10 to 24:50 and outgained Coastal 525-433. CCU did manage 316 yards on the ground, while the Keydets put together 296 in their rushing attack. Mike Tolbert finished with a school-record 244 rushing yards on just 13 carries and two touchdowns.

2008 -- Coastal gave up 28 unanswered points in the second half and fell at VMI, 47-20. The Keydets, the nation's top rushing offense at the time, dominated the statistics as well, posting 546 yards of total offense as compared to just 252 for the Chants.

2009 -- VMI scored first -- a 17-play, 7:10 drive, but Coastal came away with a 20-6 hard-fought win. After the opening drive, CCU only allowed VMI to gain 162 yards while the Chants amassed 418 yards total offense. Eric O'Neal rushed for 78 yards, Jamie Childers for 54 and Zach MacDowall completed 14-of-20 for 207.

Date         Opponent      CCU Result  CCU     Opp.
11-01-03     VMI                L       10      19
10-16-04  at VMI             W          21      14
10-29-05     VMI             W          38      14
10-14-06  at VMI             W          31      27
10-27-07     VMI             W          42      35
10-11-08  at VMI                 L      20      47
10-10-09     VMI             W          20       6

Not What You Would Expect
Eric O'Neal has played well since a slow start in the season opener at West Virginia. However, he did not have a great game at Gardner-Webb, helping the following note hold true.... Did you know in Coastal's two Big South wins, Zach MacDowall was the team's leading rusher while Eric O'Neal lead the Chants in receptions?

MacDowall ran for 97 yards at Presbyterian and 31 at Gardner-Webb. O'Neal lead Coastal with three receptions at PC and four receptions at GWU.

Isn't That Special - Niccolo Sets CCU Single-Season Record
• Coastal leads all of NCAA Division I (FCS and FBS) in kick return yardage defense, allowing just 13.64 yards per kick return. Coastal only allowed Stony Brook to 47 yards on its four kick returns to become the nation's leader and padded its lead as GWU only had two returns for 21 yards.

• Niccolo Mastromatteo returned three punts for 19 yards at Gardner-Webb, giving him 21 punt returns on the season. Not only is Mastromatteo the only Chanticleer to return a punt, his 21 punt returns is a CCU single-season record, which is impressive considering opponents have only punted 48 times this season.

Mastromatteo had a breakout game versus Stony Brook returned three kicks for 99 yards and three punts for 33 yards versus Stony Brook ... He had a 53-yard kick return, marking the fourth-longest in school history ... Also had a 28-yarder to the CCU 45 to start the second half, leading to an eventual CCU TD drive ... He had long punt returns of 21 and 12 yards ... The 21-yard return gave CCU the ball on the SBU 29, leading to Coastal's first TD ... The 99 KOR yards ranks ninth for single-game in the CCU record book ... Also, the 33.0 average yards per return for a single-game ranks sixth in the CCU record book ... His 11.0 average yards per punt return for a single-game ranks ninth in the CCU record book.

• Jeremy Height added a 51-yard kick return to set-up Coastal's final score, marking the fifth-longest in school's history, and returned three kicks for 65 yards at Gardner-Webb.

FOR THE SEASON: Mastromatteo ranks second on the Big South and 77th in the nation in kick returns (21.46), while Height ranks third in the Big South and 79th in the nation (21.25).

Andrae is Giant -- Big South Tackles Leader
With just 25 tackles in his freshman season and playing with preseason All-Big South linebackers Desmond Steward and Chris Walls, Andrae Jacobs was not the odds-on favorite to be the team leader in tackles through seven games. However, the 5-11, 245-pound linebacker is doing just that with 77 stops --19 more than the next closest on the team, as well as leading the Big South and 32nd nationally, with an average of 9.62 stops per game. Jacobs came through with 11 tackles in each of his first two games before coming up with 13 versus Georgia Southern. Jacobs' total suffered in the Delaware State and Presbyterian wins, getting just six each time, but had 14 at Richmond.

Although he had just six stops versus the Hornets, Jacobs had two TFLs moving him to the top of the Big South list in the category. Jacobs had slipped to second in the Big South in tackles but rebounded with 12 stops at Gardner-Webb to jump back into the lead. Jacobs also averages 1.06 TFL per game to ranks third in the league.

Get Back
Despite facing Heisman Trophy candidate and an explosive offense at West Virginia, Coastal Carolina's defense dropped the Mountaineers behind the line of scrimmage nine times for minus 27 yards. Leading the way were sophomores Andrae Jacobs and Chris Thomas, each with 1.5.

Coastal's nine TFLs at West Virginia tied for 12th-best in the FCS after week one. However, that stat should not surprise the Chanticleer faithful as Coastal has ranked first or second in the Big South in tackles for loss in each of the last five seasons.

Coastal added six TFL at Towson, seven versus Georgia Southern, 11 versus Delaware State, 10 at Presbyterian and 11 at Gardner-Webb.

With an average of 7.88 TFL/game, Coastal leads in the Big South and ranks 11th nationally in tackles for losses.

The Quarterback Must Not Go Down --Rank 7th in Fewest Sacks
Coastal Carolina only allowed one sack at Gardner-Webb, marking just the fifth time the Chants offensive line -- led by Jamey Cheatwood and Seth Smalls -- has given up a sack.

Coastal did not give up a sack in back-to-back games -- at Presbyterian nor versus Stony Brook -- and also did not allow a sack at West Virginia.

Coastal has not allowed more than one sack in any one game this season. The Chants rank seventh in the nation, allowing just 0.63 sacks per game. Last year, Coastal Carolina allowed 25 sacks -- 2.18 per game --to rank 73rd in the NCAA and allowed 25 -- 2.08 avg -- in 2008 (69th).

Players Mentioned

Jamey Cheatwood

Jamie Childers

Jeremy Height

Andrae Jacobs

Zach MacDowall

Niccolo Mastromatteo

Eric O'Neal

Seth Smalls

Desmond Steward

Chris Thomas

Chris Walls

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