Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Bailey Throws for 297 and Saves His Own Interception With a Tackle
A weekly, unique recap show for each college football team that played a game. This unique look at what occured has a forward-looking approach and gets you what you need to know. For hardcore fans, casual onlookers and the gambler looking for an edge. Check out the Depth Dossier!
This is the Depth Dossier: the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, Week 9.
Coastal Carolina got through Georgia State 31 to 20, and the headline here is quarterback Deuce Bailey throwing for 297 yards and three touchdowns, then saving one of his own mistakes by chasing down an interception returner himself.
Coastal built a 31 to 6 lead through three quarters and then let Georgia State make the final score look closer than the game actually was. Bailey's arm did almost everything. Running back Clayton Coppock Junior had a career day with 100 yards and two touchdown catches, and wide receiver Zach Courtney hurdled a defender on his way to a 25-yard score. But Bailey also turned the ball over three times, and one of those was nearly a disaster. He threw a pass that got batted at the line, and it was intercepted near Coastal's own goal line. Bailey chased down the returner and knocked the ball loose and out of the end zone for a touchback instead of a defensive touchdown. On the ground, Coastal really struggled, managing just 73 yards on 35 carries. The defense had three sacks of Georgia State quarterback Ayden Pereira, but gave up 160 yards rushing, including a 58-yard run.
If you just look at the score, this one seems tight. Look closer and it wasn't. Coastal won the efficiency battle by a wide margin and scored far more points per scoring chance than Georgia State did. Georgia State actually won the turnover battle three takeaways to one, and still only scored 20 points, because that goal-line interception Bailey saved turned into a touchback instead of points off the board. Coastal answered with an 80-yard touchdown drive right after. That one sequence alone was roughly a 14-point swing in a game Coastal only won by 11.
The other story hiding in the numbers is how bad the ground game was. Coastal converted just four of 13 third downs and averaged only about two yards a carry. Running back Dominic Lee-Knicely got stopped for no gain or a loss on a quarter of his 12 carries. Both of Coastal's fourth-down conversions came from quarterback runs or short runs by Jaden Allen-Hendrix, not from the regular running game, which tells you exactly where the actual push was coming from.
A few other things worth mentioning. A short Georgia State punt set up great field position that turned into a Bailey sneak and a Coppock touchdown. A muffed punt by Coastal's Robby Washington gave Georgia State good field position, but penalties bailed Coastal out and they scored anyway on the ensuing possession. On defense, Coastal held Georgia State to five of 15 on third down, even while giving up chunks on the ground, which is how you bend without breaking. And kicker Nico Cavanillas Alti hit a 53-yard field goal but missed from 42, continuing what's been a boom-or-bust season for him.
No injuries were reported this week, so the depth chart story is all about usage. Coppock's six catches for 100 yards and two scores, combined with leading the team in total offensive value, make him Bailey's clear top target going forward, not just a complementary piece. Courtney, who's said it's been a long season dealing with injuries, still put up 89 yards on four catches, including that hurdle touchdown and a 39-yard catch that set up another score. He's still Bailey's reliable second option.
The real problem remains the run game. With Lee-Knicely getting stuffed so often and the offensive line not creating any push before contact, Coastal doesn't have a ground answer to lean on. Allen-Hendrix may keep getting short-yardage work even without being the lead back.
On defense, linebacker Ja'Marion Wayne had 11 tackles and two pass breakups, keeping him the clear leader of that unit, though it's worth watching the pass interference call he drew.
Coastal sits at 3 and 5 overall, 2 and 2 in the Sun Belt under head coach Beard. With the passing game carrying the offense, how the staff tries to fix the run blocking next week is the thing to watch.
This was the depth dossier. For everything college football, be it depth charts, data or dossiers, head over to C F B Depth dot com. We will be back next week. This was an AI-generated podcast from content developed by real human beings passionate about college football.