Ok, two big reasons I’m consolidating the final three. First, I’m behind. I said on the air that I would have all these done by the College Football Playoff title game and I’m slack on that. Secondly, and “after further review,” why not put the final three together to save everyone from ruining the surprise with social media and text message guessing? I try to have a flair for the dramatic!
Milestone game #3 – November 13, 2004
As we hop in the time machine, we’re traveling back to the end of the 2004 season as the Chants took on the Charleston Southern Buccaneers. In only our second season, Coastal sought a Big South title. Coastal would finish the season 10-1 and hoist the first Big South Conference title. With the help of a 28 point 4th quarter, the Chants won at home over the new football rival from the Lowcountry.
Patrick Hall rushed for 195 yards and two touchdowns, Ren McKinnon ran for 116 yards and threw for a touchdown to Chris Noble, Aundres Perkins ran for 64 yards and four touchdowns, and the total offense amassed 517 total yards in an explosive performance on the day.
It was the First Big South Title with a win over Charleston Southern 56-28. Only in Year Two, and already a conference champion. The Chants dominated their Lowcountry rivals to claim the Big South title, proving the teal wave was real — and here to stay. It also established Coastal as an up and coming program in FCS. It wouldn’t be long until CCU was a consistent playoff team and turning out terrific NFL caliber level talent. The rivalry with CSU was renewed this year and Coastal was victorious causing many of us “old Chants” to wax nostalgic for those days.
Milestone Game #2 – December 5, 2020
Oh what an historic night 12/5/2020 was! People are still talking about this game and many point to this one as potentially the biggest win in Coastal football history. Circumstances surrounding this game read like a movie. It was COVID. We had a game scheduled with Liberty but they backed out due to COVID concerns. Midweek, talk began to circle around a new opponent potentially being BYU and the appearance of College Gameday. Those rumors proved to be true and this game happened. All the panelists chose BYU over Coastal, except for Dustin Johnson. Corso did his segment remotely while the rest of the crew were in Brooks Stadium or at TD’s house.
The 22-17 win was CCU’s first win over a top ten FBS team. Both teams were undefeated. The game’s outcome moved CCU further into the New Years’ Six discussed and our record to 10-0. The Chants amassed 281 rushing yards to 85 passing yards. Zach Wilson threw for 240 yards in the game. Coastal controlled the time of possession by hanging on to the ball for 37 minutes. C.J. Marable had132 rushing yards & 2 touchdowns on 23 carries — the heart of CCU’s ground assault. Grayson McCall was 10-of-15 passing for 85 yards + 68 rushing yards — a dual-threat night.
Mullets vs Mormons The national spotlight moment. ESPN’s College GameDay in Conway. Two undefeated teams. One yard separating victory from defeat. The Chants held strong at “The Surf Turf,” stopping BYU at the goal line in what’s now called “The Stop.” BYU drove to the Coastal 1-yard line with seconds left but was stopped short as time expired. The defense’s final stand remains one of the most replayed moments in CCU lore. This game elevated Coastal to a Top-10 national ranking — unheard of for a program only three years removed from FCS play.
Milestone Game #1 – September 6, 2003
This day took Coastal football from an idea to a reality. The first ever game and first ever win vs Newberry 21-14 on September 6th, 2003 is the most important milestone game in Coastal football history. This game put teal cheeks in teal seats. After a year of preparation, the plan worked. If momentum at birth is oxygen, Coastal got a full breath.
The domino effect from this game is prevalent in the nine previous games. What a way to win it too! The Chants drove 97 yards with the game tied at 14 in the fourth quarter to win. Eshoun Talley scored the game winner on a nine yard touchdown run. Coastal ran the ball for 172 yards and threw for 79. Aundres Perkins had two rushing touchdowns in the game as well. The Chants also dominated the time of possession by more than ten minutes.
This wasn’t just a first win on paper. The numbers tell a story of poise, balance, and execution under pressure — attributes uncommon for brand-new programs. By controlling time of possession, winning the line of scrimmage on the ground, and finishing drives efficiently, Coastal showed early signs of the competitive identity it would build into championships and national recognition.
From the first win that gave Coastal football a pulse, through the early statement victories that turned curiosity into confidence, past the 2004 breakthrough that hardened belief into expectation, and on to the nights when teal toppled giants and Conway became a national address, the ten defining games in Chanticleer history read like chapters in a fast-moving epic. Each milestone mattered not just for who was beaten, but for what was proven. That Coastal could start. That Coastal could sustain. That Coastal could belong. That Coastal could matter. From muddy beginnings to bowl confetti, from regional newcomer to national conversation, every step built the next rung of the ladder. And now, with the past secured and the present established, Coastal football looks ahead not as a program chasing relevance, but as one guarding its standard, sharpening its edge, and writing the next milestones with the calm confidence of a team that knows exactly who it is and where it’s going.