Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009

Coastal Carolina football drops finale

CHARLESTON -- After Charleston Southern's game-clinching touchdown with 4:32 left, Coastal Carolina's mascot, Chauncey, began slowly walking toward the end zone of Buccaneer Field.

Before exiting the stadium and beginning the 200-yard procession to the locker room, Chauncey shrugged his shoulders, shook his head and threw up a hand in frustration. Even Coastal's most diehard fan couldn't stand to watch any longer.

Charleston Southern's Matt Bach returned an interception for a touchdown in the game's waning minutes to seal a 30-23 win over the Chanticleers in Saturday's season finale. Coastal (5-6) finished with a losing record for the second time in three seasons and has lost consecutive games to the Buccaneers (6-5).

In a game that epitomized Coastal's season, the Chants committed a bevy of offensive mistakes, gave up 437 yards and missed two field goals and an extra point. Their struggles this season, much like Saturday's loss, were certainly shared by the entire team.

"It's like the whole season rolled into that game right there," Coastal coach David Bennett said. "... Offense, defense, special teams. We just didn't play good enough to win the ballgame."

Still, Coastal had a chance to salvage a result after it seemed the Buccaneers clinched the win on Bach's 25-yard return and score. The Chants, under the direction of backup quarterback Jamie Childers, immediately cut the deficit to 30-23 on Brandon Whitley's 23-yard touchdown catch with 2:37 left.

But the Buccaneers gained two first downs, one when Coastal's Robert Balkunas was flagged for a personal foul, and pinned the Chants inside their own 20 with a late punt to put the game away.

"It's execution," Whitley said. "That's how it's been all year. It's just execution with the whole team. We are a way better team than 5-6."

The Chants will have an entire offseason to rue what went wrong in 2009, a season that was supposed to see them return to the top of the Big South. Instead, they committed many of the same mistakes that much-younger squads did the two seasons before.

Coastal forced three turnovers but managed to score just once, a first-half field goal, on the ensuing drives. The Chants lost a fumble after Charleston Southern fumbled the opening kickoff and threw an interception after intercepting the Buccaneers in the fourth quarter.

The Chants also saw their special teams struggles return. Kicker Justin Durham had a solid campaign, hitting 13-of-19 field goals, but missed from 41 and 35 yards on Saturday and missed his second extra point in as many weeks. Had he hit those three kicks, the Chants would have been in position to force overtime.

Instead, Coastal needed a touchdown and came out throwing after safety Dominique Davenport intercepted the Buccaneers inside Coastal's 20 with 4:38 left. On the first play, quarterback Zach MacDowall dropped back and was intercepted by Bach, who outraced several Chants to the pylon.

"We think we're going in to steal the victory offensively," Charleston Southern coach Jay Mills said. "It was an excellent play on the interception by [Davenport]. ... Sometimes it's not pretty, but we find ways to get things done."

Charleston Southern moved the ball at will in the second half, driving into Coastal territory on each of its final six possessions. Yet, the Buccaneers twice settled for field goals, including an 18-yarder early in the fourth quarter after they had failed to convert on third-and-goal from the 1.

The Chants were down just seven and drove 62 yards on the ensuing drive before it stalled at Charleston Southern's 18. But Durham's kick with the wind sailed wide right, and the Chants saw their dreams of a winning season evaporate on Bach's interception two drives later.

"You hate to lose any ballgame, especially the final one," Bennett said. "What happens is through all of recruiting and conditioning and spring practice and summer training you have that taste in your mouth."