CONWAY, S.C. – The Coastal Carolina football program is celebrating its 20th season this year, having played the inaugural season in 2003.
 
As part of the celebration this season, each week the Coastal Athletics Department will feature a memorable game, championship, or moment that makes up the history of the Coastal Carolina football program.

Week 1: First Football Game in Program History (Sept. 6, 2003)
Week 2: Chants Knock Off No. 1 JMU (Sept. 10, 2005)
Week 3: Coastal Upsets No. 3 Furman 29-27 (Oct. 7, 2006)
Week 4: Chants Win First-Ever Road Game on Thursday Night (Sept. 25, 2003)
Week 5: Football Gets Dramatic 24-23 Win at No. 17 S.C. State (Oct. 1, 2005)
Week 6: Coastal Gets 13-7 Win at Idaho for First Sun Belt Victory (Nov. 18, 2017)
Week 7: Coastal Carolina Opens FBS Era with Victory Over UMass (Sept. 2, 2017)
Week 8: Open Week
Week 9: Football Earns Share of Big South Title with Win at GWU (Oct. 30, 2004)
Week 10: No. 14 Coastal Carolina Shuts Down No. 8 BYU in Thrilling Top-15 Matchup (Dec. 5, 2020)


Coastal Defeats No. 22 Bethune-Cookman, 24-14, to Advance to NCAA Second Round (Nov. 24, 2012)
Coastal Carolina safety Johnnie Houston made four big plays, including a 68-yard interception return for a touchdown, to lead the Chanticleers (8-4) to a 24-14 victory over No. 22 Bethune-Cookman (9-3) in the first round of the NCAA Championship, Saturday afternoon at Municipal Stadium.

The win was Coastal's first in three playoff appearances (others coming in 2006 and 2010).

Houston, who had four tackles, also finished with a half sack, two forced fumbles, and a 68-yard interception. Additionally, the junior recovered an on-side kick late in the game. Houston and Tyler McCarty, with 10 tackles, helped Coastal's defense hold the Bethune-Cookman rushing attack to just 206 yards as the Wildcats entered the game ranked 10th in the NCAA with an average of 247 rushing yards per game.

Coastal gained 202 yards on the ground, marking the seventh straight game with 200-plus rushing yards. Jeremy Height led the Chants with 78 yards on 16 carries, while Marcus Whitener added 72 and a score. Aramis Hillary completed 19-of-24 passes for 180 yards with an interception and a three-yard touchdown to Matt Hazel.

Both teams had relative success moving the ball in the first quarter. Coastal reached the Bethune-Cookman 29-yard line and went for it on fourth-and-three. Hillary hit Tyrell Blanks, but the Wildcats' corner Nick Addison broke up the play in the end zone.

The Chant defense would force a punt and the CCU offense kept the momentum. Hillary opened the second drive with a 16-yard completion to Blanks and, after a 15-yard face mask penalty on B-CU, Hillary found Niccolo Masromatteo and Blanks for consecutive 11-yard gains on the final play of the first quarter and the first play of the second. Whitener took over from that point, gaining 11 yards and scoring from 14 yards out on an option-run play to perfection by Hillary. The Alex Catron extra point gave Coastal the 7-0 advantage.

On the ensuing Wildcats' drive, Andrae Jacobs came through with an eight-yard sack to force a punt. The Chants kept the pedal down, scoring in nine plays, highlighted by a 13-yard Hillary to Mastromatteo completion on third-and-seven and a 12-yard run by Hillary. On second-and-goal, Hillary lofted a pass to the back left corner of the end zone where Hazel out-jumped two defenders for a three-yard score and a 14-0 lead.

Five plays after the kickoff, Coastal's defense came up with another big play, this time forcing a turnover. Quinton Williams completed a pass to Jordan Murphy. Houston dislodged the ball and Quinton Davis recovered it. The play was ruled down by contact on the field, but the play was reversed in CCU's favor as all plays in the NCAA postseason are automatically reviewed. While the drive stalled after a Bethune-Cookman sack, Catron split the uprights from 35 yards out to a 17-0 lead with 3:05 left in the half.

After a penalty on the kickoff backed Bethune-Cookman up to its eight-yard line, Williams completed a 55-yard pass to Eddie Poole. However, Houston recorded his second big play in as many drives, getting a 24-yard sack and forcing a fumble. While the Wildcats recovered, they faced a fourth-and-27, moving from the CCU 33 to the B-CU 46. B-CU punted and the Chants ran out the clock in the first half.

Coastal opened the second half with a good drive before fumbling on the B-CU 22. However, LaDarius Hawthorne forced a Wildcat punt thanks to a nine-yard sack. Height reeled off consecutive runs of 11, 21, five, and five yards before Whitener followed with runs of 11 and two yards. Hillary then found DeMario Bennett for 15 yards to the Wildcats' five-yard line. However, Coastal committed another turnover, throwing an interception on a fourtn-and-one from the one.

The Wildcats changed quarterbacks and Broderick Waters had a 56-yard rush to the CCU 11. Coastal's defense stiffened to force a fourth-and-five from the CCU six and forced Bethune-Cookman to send in Sven Hurd to kick a 22-yard field goal. However, a false start and unsportsmanlike penalty pushed the Wildcats back to the 26. After a timeout, the Wildcats decided to go for it and Waters hit KJ Stroud in the back of the end zone. However, after an official review, Stroud was ruled to have his hand touch first out of bounds to give Coastal the ball to start the fourth quarter.

While Coastal's offense sputtered - and after a short punt - Bethune-Cookman looked to be gaining momentum. However, Houston made his third big play of the game, picking off a pass and returning it 68 yards for a touchdown, marking the second-longest interception return in school history and giving Coastal a 24-0 lead.

The pick proved key. After trading punts, Bethune-Cookman got on the scoreboard with 6:44 left as Williams hit David Blackwell for a 74-yard touchdown. The two-point play was good to make the score 24-8. After Coastal missed a field goal, the Wildcats added another score with 1:22 left on a 10-yard Isidore Jackson run but failed on the two-point play.

Coastal recovered the on-side kick, got one first down, and was able to run out the clock for the win.

For complete coverage of CCU football, follow the Chants on social media @CoastalFootball (Twitter), facebook.com/CCUChanticleers (Facebook), @goccusports (Instagram), or visit the official home of Coastal Carolina Athletics at www.GoCCUsports.com.