Coastal upsets Kansas Jayhawks

After a week-long break from classes due to Hurricane Dorian, the Coastal Carolina football team traveled to Lawrence, Kansas to play power five school, the Kansas Jayhawks. The Chants brought the intensity and energy in what led them to a 12-7 victory.

The Jayhawks got off to an aggressive start, scoring on their first possession of the game with a 41-yard touchdown run by Khalil Herbert to put the team up 7-0.

Getting down the field, the Chants looked as if they were going to score with passes from Fred Payton to Isaiah Likely and CJ Marable. But after moving down the field, a misread by the quarterback and a sack pushed the Chants back.

Looking to get on the scoreboard, the Chants went for a 31-yard field goal that would be missed by Massimo Biscardi leaving the score 7-0 Jayhawks.

As the Jayhawks moved the chains and looked to score again, Chandler Kryst intercepted the pass with 12:05 left in the first half. The Chants did nothing on their series and would give the ball right back.

After a Kansas punt, Marable gave a 12-yard run to move the chains. Payton to Likely for 22 yards and Payton to Jeremiah Miller on a 19-yard out to set up the 20-yard catch from Marable to score the touchdown with 41 seconds to go in the first half. A missed extra point put the Chants down by one.

To start the second half, the Chants went three-and-out but with another Kryst interception, their drive would be stopped. Seven plays later, at second-and-goal, Marable scored his second touchdown of the night. A missed two-point conversion gave the Chants a 12-7 lead.

The two teams traded punts, but the Jayhawks made a run down the field. The Coastal defense stood tall and made stop after stop.

Traveling 74 yards on 14 plays, the Chants came up short with another missed field goal with 5:35 to play in the game. With the Jayhawks burning all their timeouts early in the last quarter at the 14:22 mark, the Jayhawks had to rely on the offense.

Defense with another stop, the Chants were able to takeover with 4:01 left in the game which sealed the fate of the game.

The Chants had 291 total yards of offense. Payton went 6-for-9, 98 yards and a TD. Bryce Carpenter went 2-for-5, 21 yards. Likely had 2 receptions for 46 yards and Jaivon Heiligh had two receptions for 26 yards. Marable would finish the game with 24 rushes for 148 yards and two touchdowns.

On the defense, Teddy Gallagher had a team high of 10 tackles. Mallory Clayborne and Alex Spillum both had eight stops and Spillum had the only sack for the Chants.

This is the first win over a power five school in Coastal Carolina school history.

The Chants will host Norfolk State next Saturday, Sept. 14, at 2 p.m. ET.