AMHERST, MA. (WBTW) – Coastal Carolina football scored 42 points in the first half en route to a 62-28 blowout win over the Massachusetts Minutemen on Saturday afternoon at McGuirk Alumni Stadium in Amherst, Mass.
The 62 points scored by the Chants in the win are the most since posting 70 points in a win over Charleston Southern in 2010 (Nov. 20, 2010) and are the sixth-most points scored in a game in program history.
The 42 points in the first half tied the school record set back at North Greenville in 2003 (Sept. 25).
The Chants improve to 3-0 all-time versus UMass and push its winning streak to three-straight games, tying a program-record since moving to the FBS level in 2017.
Coastal’s offense totaled 636 total offensive yards on the day, the fifth-most in a single-game in program history, while their nine touchdowns is tied for the third-most in CCU history.
UMass is the first team this season to record 300 yards or more of total offense versus the Coastal Carolina defense, totaling 329 total yards.
Both teams recorded 73 total plays; however, CCU averaged 8.7 yards per play compared to UMass’ 4.5.
With his 100 rushing yards on the day, junior running back CJ Marable has now recorded three-straight 100-yard rushing games, the most since De’Angelo Henderson recorded five-straight such games in 2015.
Behind Marable’s 15 carries, 100 yards and two scores was quarterback Bryce Carpenter with a career-high 102 rushing yards on 12 carries, which included a career-long scramble of 45 yards in the third quarter. It was the first 100-yard rushing game for the sophomore.
Through the air, Fred Payton was 16-for-18 for 203 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, while Carpenter was 7-for-8 for 104 yards and two touchdowns. With the 203 passing yards, Payton has eclipsed 200 yards in a single-game three times.
Freshman Aaron Bedgood led the way receiving with five catches for 54 yards and score, while Jeremiah Miller (4 rec., 62 yards) and Jaivon Heiligh (4 rec., 42 yards) each had four catches for the contest.
UMass’ quarterback tandem of Andrew Brito (14-25-1, 100 yards) and Randall West (8-11-0, 120 yards, 2 TD) combined to go 22-for-36 for 220 yards, two touchdowns and one interception on the day, connecting with eight different receivers.
On the ground, Bilal Ally scored twice, both coming in the first half, on 11 carries and 42 yards, while no other Minutemen had more than 38 rushing yards for the game.
The balanced defensive attack saw 19 different players register two tackles or more for the game, while defensive end Tarron Jackson (1.5 sacks) and Sterling Johnson (0.5 sacks) combined for two sacks on the day.
Redshirt freshman linebacker Cincir Evans registered his first career interception, while five other Chants had a pass breakup in the win.
The Chanticleers received the opening kickoff and quickly drove down the field, as the visitors in white used 10 plays to dive 91 yards in just 4:49 to take an early 7-0 lead on a Marable 10-yard untouched touchdown run off the left side.
The opening scoring drive was the longest of the season for the Chants and consisted of six rushes and four pass attempts with five of the 10 plays going for 10-yards or more.
After the Coastal defense made what appeared to be a three-and-out stop, UMass executed a fake punt attempt to keep the drive alive in CCU territory.
The defense stood tall for the second time on the same drive to force a UMass punt and give the ball back to the offense on its own two-yard line.
The offense got the ball out to the 15-yard line only to see their third-down pass attempt picked off by the UMass cornerback and returned to the 12-yard line.
The UMass pick set up a five-yard touchdown run two plays later to tie the game up at 7-7 with 3:52 to go in the first quarter.
The Coastal offense responded back by putting the visitors back on top on the very next drive, as Payton completed two passes of over 11 yards while Marable recorded 30 yards on three carries with the last rush an 18-yard scoring scamper to put the Chants back in front by a touchdown at 14-7 just before the end of the first quarter.
The offense picked up where it left off in the second quarter, as Carpenter was 3-for-3 through the air and the Chants converted on a fourth-and-1 attempt on its own 39-yard line to set up a 24-yard touchdown pass and catch from Carpenter to Reese White to cap off a nine-play, 85-yard scoring drive.
The touchdown pass was Carpenter’s second of the season and White’s first career TD reception and put the visitors in front 21-7 with 9:21 to play in the first half.
Following a second Ally five-yard TD run which cut the Chants lead back to seven at 21-14, the offense quickly got the score back less than two minutes later as Payton completed back-to-back passes of 23 and 19 yards to T’Qele Holmes and Bedgood, respectively, before running back Jacqez Hairston finished the drive out with a 31-yard run and a two-yard plunge to add to the Coastal lead at 28-14 with 4:40 to go in the half.
Just 47 seconds later the Coastal defense got the ball right back to the offense, this time on a takeaway as Jackson tipped a pass at the line of scrimmage which was hauled in by Cincir Evans for his first career interception.
The turnover put the Chants on the UMass 34-yard line, where the Chants quickly scored on just four plays, as Hairston found pay dirt for the second-straight series to push the CCU lead to 35-14 with 2:22 to go in the second quarter.
Coastal forced another UMass punt late in the first half and the offense obliged by taking the ball 75 yards on just seven plays and 1:08 off the game clock to push across another score, this time on a five-yard pass from Payton to Heiligh to close the half out with a 42-14 halftime lead.
The Chants continued its incredible scoring pace with back-to-back scores on their first two drives of the second half, as Bedgood registered his first career touchdown on a 13-yard pass from Carpenter on the first series, while White followed with a 35-yard run off the left side of the offensive line for a score on the second drive to put Coastal up big at 56-14.
UMass picked up a stop late in the third quarter on defense and forced the first punt of the day for the Chants to try to jump-start its offense who then drove 75 yards on six plays to score on a 30-yard pass from West to Brennan Dingle to put the score at 56-21 as the third quarter came to an end.
The two teams each posted a score in the fourth quarter with the Chants coming on an eight-yard run from Anthony McAfee, his first career touchdown.
Coastal (3-1) will remain on the road to open up Sun Belt Conference play next Saturday, Sept. 28, at Appalachian State (3-0). Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. in Boone, N.C.
Courtesy: Coastal Carolina Athletics