Week 13 Preview: Coastal Carolina
After a deflating home loss to Troy, the Georgia Southern Eagles will try to stay in the hunt for the Sun Belt East Division crown against a 5-5 Coastal Carolina squad in Conway, SC. Kickoff is set for 3:30 PM and the game will be streamed on ESPN+. The Chanticleers are fighting for bowl eligibility and must win one of their last two games of the season to accomplish that. The Eagles come into this game as a 2-point underdog according to ESPNBet.
Coastal Carolina began the season with three straight wins coming against Jacksonville State, William & Mary, and Temple before dropping a game to ACC foe, Virginia. They followed up that loss with a win against Old Dominion and it felt like they may be in the drivers seat in the East Division. However, the Chanticleers have lost four of their last five games including losses to JMU, Louisiana, Troy and Marshall. Their lone win in the last five games was a 38-24 win over Appalachian State on November 7, 2024.
Offensively, the Chanticleers average 383.2 yards and 30.4 points per game. The unit is led by sophomore QB Ethan Vasko who has completed 125 of his 229 passes for 1,818 yards and 11 touchdowns. In addition, Vasko has 90 carries for 357 yards and 4 rushing touchdowns. He is a true dual threat quarterback and one that can make defenses pay in a hurry. Coastal Carolina uses a two running back system that includes RB Braydon Bennett and RB Christian Washington. The two have combined for 168 carries for 953 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground. Bennett is used quite a bit as a receiver out of the backfield as he has 20 receptions for 155 yards and 2 touchdowns this season.
In the passing game, Coastal Carolina is one of the most balanced units in the Sun Belt Conference. Five players have 199+ receiving yards and eight different players have caught a touchdown pass this season. The best receiver for the Chanticleers is junior WR Jameson Tucker who has caught 27 passes for 500 yards and 6 touchdowns this season. During Monday’s press conference, Georgia Southern DB Chance Gamble mentioned that the Coastal Carolina receivers present a different challenge compared to recent opponents in terms of size. The top three receivers for Coastal Carolina have an average height of 6’2” and average weight of 196 pounds. The defensive backs for Georgia Southern will have to be physical in coverage and tackling to keep those guys at bay.
Defensively, Coastal Carolina surrenders 405.5 yards and 31.4 points per game, so if the Eagles can convert on third down and keep the offense on the field, they have a good chance to score a lot of points. Of those 405.5 yards per game, about 187 yard come on the ground. The Eagles average just 119.7 yards per game on the ground, but this matchup gives them an opportunity to get their ground game going to control the clock and set up play action passes for QB JC French. The defensive unit is led in tackles by LB Shane Bruce who has 68 total tackles this season, but the most dangerous player sophomore LB Clev Lubin who has registered six sacks this season including three against Appalachian State earlier this month. The group has forced fourteen turnovers this season including six interceptions and eight fumble recoveries. All six interceptions were picked off by a different player, so the defense definitely has playmakers on the back end. Eagles QB JC French and the offense will need to protect the ball to limit the number of possessions for the Chanticleers offense.
In the kicking game for Coastal Carolina, K Kade Hensley has made 12 of his 15 field goal attempts including a 49-yarder this season and he is 38 for 38 on PATs. P Emile Sebafundi has punted the ball 40 times for an average of 41.53 yards per punt including 14 punts ending up inside the opponents 20-yard line. The Eagles will need to be effective in the return game to prevent giving themselves the long fields that they were forced into by the Troy Trojans last week. The Chanticleers do not attempt many punt or kickoff returns, but the special teams units will still need to ensure great coverage to keep the Coastal Carolina playmakers from flipping the field on Saturday.
The Eagles win if:
1) They win the turnover battle
Georgia Southern is now 5-0 when the turnover margin is +1 or better and 1-5 with an even or negative turnover margin
2) They effectively use the ground game to set up play action passing
Georgia Southern has three very capable backs in White, Arnold, and Mbadinga but the offensive line has to give them space to be effective
3) They convert more than 60% of their third down plays on both sides of the ball
Against Troy last week, the Eagles offense was 3 of 8 on third down and the defense was unsuccessful in stopping Troy on 11 of 14 of third down plays
