Coastal Carolina of the Sun Belt Conference defeats KU for the second year in a row
Coastal Carolina of the mid-major Sun Belt Conference had never defeated a Power Five school in football … until scheduling Kansas in 2019.
The Chanticleers now are 2-7 versus college football’s larger-conference squads after knocking off the Jayhawks of the Big 12 for a second straight season, 38-23, on Saturday night at Booth Memorial Stadium.
“I think it hastens the correction,” second-year KU coach Les Miles said when asked if losing this game hurts his task of rebuilding KU’s football program. “I think there’s some sick people right now,” Miles added, ostensibly referring to players and coaches sick about losing the game. “I like the commitment this team has together. That will make a difference.”
The Chanticleers, who raced to a 28-0 lead, withstood a Miles Kendrick-led KU comeback in the second half that saw the Jayhawks cut the gap to 11, 28-17, to start the final quarter and reduce the margin to 35-23 with seven minutes to play. KU couldn’t slice the deficit to single digits.
The Jayhawks’ comeback was made without both running back Pooka Williams and quarterback Thomas MacVittie, who went down with injuries in the second half. It appeared to be a shoulder or arm injury for MacVittie, who ran off the field rubbing his arm in the third quarter.
Of McVittie’s injury, Miles said: “I do not (have an update). HIPAA,” he added, referring to privacy laws.
Of Williams’ injury, he said: “He has a nick. I think he’ll be back relatively quickly.”
Coastal Carolina won last year’s game in Lawrence 12-7. That game, during Week 2 of the season, had fans in the stands. This year’s contest was played before a crowd listed as “zero.”
Fans were denied entry to the 47,000-seat stadium because of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
The Jayhawks’ quarterback competition was won by senior MacVittie, who started the game and shared time with Kendrick in the initial half. MacVittie’s name was mispelled on the back of his jersey when he took the field as the starter — it was missing the second “i.”
After his injury in the third quarter, he was taken to the locker room and did not return. MacVittie completed 5 of 9 passes for 20 yards with one interception. Kendrick, who engineered the second-half comeback attempt, completed 15 of 24 passes for 156 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception.
First-team preseason all-Big 12 running back Williams, whose injury also forced him to the locker room, rushed for 67 yards on 12 carries. He rushed for 99 yards on 22 carries against the Chanticleers a year ago. Velton Gardner went for 81 yards on 11 carries with a TD.
Of the QB competition, Miles said only: “Well, we played three quarterbacks.” Freshman Jalon Daniels worked KU’s final possession, going 1 of 2 for 13 yards. “Three quarterbacks, in my opinion, will make a significant future for us at that position. Daniels got his feet wet.”
Coastal Carolina was led by redshirt freshman Grayson McCall, who was listed as third-team QB entering the game. He hit 11 of 18 passes for 133 yards and three TD. with no interceptions. He rushed for 73 yards on 11 carries with two TDs. Running back C.J. Marable gained 75 yards on 21 carries.
KU’s Andrew Parchment caught six passes for 54 yards and a TD; Kwamie Lassiter caught five passes for 63 yards and a TD. KU outgained Coastal 367 yards to 318.
Coastal Carolina scored first on a 12-yard touchdown run by McCall. The drive was set up by a KU turnover. MacVittie fired a pass to freshman Lawrence Arnold, who tipped a somewhat high pass into the hands of Derick Bush for an interception that appeared to be more Arnold’s fault than MacVittie’s
The Chanticleers took advantage of a second KU turnover to make it 14-0 with 2:37 left in the first quarter.
On a second-down call at KU’s own 28, junior Takulve Williams caught a pass from MacVittie and after a hard hit, lost a fumble. Just a couple plays later, Coastal Carolina’s McCall hit defensive tackle — yes, defensive tackle — C.J. Brewer on a 2-yard pass for a score and the 14-0 lead.
Coastal Carolina didn’t need a turnover to make it 21-0. The Chanticleers marched 89 yards in seven plays and scored with 10:57 left in the half on a 2-yard pass from McCall to tight end Isaiah Likely.
KU quarterback Kendrick threw an interception late in the first half that ultimately led to Coastal’s fourth TD of the half.
On a second-and-3 at KU’s own 23, Kendrick fired a pass, intended for Lassiter, into the hands of bandit Jeffrey Gunter. Gunter bobbled the pass, then caught the carom.
Four plays later, it was 28-0. McCall hit receiver Jaivon Heiligh for a 25-yard score. Heiligh had escaped into the clear on a pass up the middle of the field.
“I mean, it’s the game of football. You shoot yourself in the foot with turnovers,” Kendrick said.
He said it was not made clear after the game who would be the starting quarterback for KU’s next game.
“I’ll keep preparing like I have each and every week, prepare for it, give my best,” he said.
The Jayhawks hit a field goal to conclude the first-half scoring. Redshirt freshman Jacob Borcila converted from 47 yards as the clock ran out. Earlier, he’d missed a 53-yarder.
Down 28-3, KU scored a TD and two-point conversion with 2:29 left in the third quarter.
MacVittie started the half and directed the Jayhawks to the visitors’ 14-yard line. MacVittie was shaken up on that play and gave way to Kendrick for a fourth-and-5 call at the 14. Kendrick hit a well-covered Parchment in the end zone for a TD. He also hit Lassiter for a two-point conversion pass and KU trailed by 17, 28-11.
Shortly after, running back Velton Gardner raced 61 yards for a score. The two-point conversion failed this time and KU lagged 28-17 with four ticks left in the quarter.
The Chanticleers halted KU’s building momentum by scoring on a 2-yard McCall run with 9:55 to play. That gave Coastal Carolina breathing room at 35-17.
However, KU came right back, Kendrick hitting Lassiter on a 5-yard TD pattern with 7:00 left. KU’s two-point conversion pass failed and it was 35-23 at 7:00. It was a nine-play, 75-yard drive,
KU at first recovered an onside kick, but the Jayhawks were ruled offside, and on the ensuing onside re-kick, Coastal Carolina recovered. Coastal Carolina tacked on a 27-yard field goal to make it 38-23 at the 1:13 mark.
“I feel (turnovers) killed us a lot,” receiver Parchment said. “I would grade my performance as ‘F.’’’
After an off-week, KU will travel to Baylor Sept. 26. Coastal Carolina will meet Campbell Friday night in Conway, S.C.
This story was originally published September 13, 2020 at 1:09 AM.
