CONWAY, S.C. — Coastal Carolina leaned on its defense and a grinding rushing attack to blank Charleston Southern 13-0 before a Brooks Stadium-record crowd of 22,217 on Saturday night.
 
The Chanticleers (1-1) limited the Buccaneers (0-2) to just 153 total yards, forced an interception and posted their first shutout since 2020.
 
Running back Dominic Knicely set the tone with 92 yards on nine carries, including a 52-yard burst in the third quarter that flipped field position. Ja'Vin Simpkins added 58 yards on the ground, while Jalen John chipped in 51. In all, Coastal ran for 245 yards.
 
Quarterback Tad Hudson provided the game's only touchdown, capping a 16-play, 83-yard drive with a 4-yard keeper early in the fourth quarter. Kicker Kian Afrookhteh hit field goals from 21 and 29 yards, giving the Chants all the points they would need.
 
MJ Morris started and played the first three quarters, going 13-of-22 for 102 yards with three interceptions. He ran it four times and had an 11-yard long for a rush.
 
Charleston Southern never crossed the 50-yard line in the second half. Quarterback Zolten Osborne finished 10-of-22 for 55 yards with one interception, while running back Ke'Marion Baldwin had 62 yards rushing.
 
The night also doubled as a showcase event for Coastal. A halftime drone show lit up the sky with teal-and-black imagery ranging from the Chanticleer logo to nods to Conway and Myrtle Beach landmarks, drawing raucous cheers from the sellout crowd.
 
Fans also experienced the debut of the school's new free concessions initiative, with select items available at no charge throughout the stadium. Lines were steady but moved quickly as the initiative was rolled out for the first time.

NOTEBOOK
By the Numbers:
• Coastal finished with 384 total yards to Charleston Southern's 153.
• The Chants owned a 35:35 to 24:25 edge in time of possession.
• CSU went 0-for-11 on third downs and did not make it to the red zone.
• Coastal posted its first shutout since a 51-0 blanking of Georgia State on October 31, 2020.
 
Defensive Standouts:
• Zeke Campbell led the way with 1.5 sacks and two tackles for loss.
• Shane Bruce snagged an interception, the third of his career.
• The defense combined for six tackles for loss and held the Bucs to 3.8 yards per carry.
 
Special Teams Edge:
• Afrookhteh was perfect on his two field goals and extra point.
• Punter Emile Sebafundi averaged 51.0 yards on two kicks, including a 61-yarder.
 
Crowd Factor:
• The 22,217 in attendance broke last season's mark set against Virginia (22,104).
• Coastal improved to 6-2 all-time against Charleston Southern at Brooks Stadium.
 
UP NEXT
Coastal Carolina: Faces East Carolina in Brooks Stadium at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 13 to wrap a two-game homestand.
 
Charleston Southern: Opens its home and Big South Conference schedule against Lindenwood at 4 p.m. ET.