Chandler Rogers vs Coastal Carolina 2021
Victoria Pederson
6
ULM ULM 2-2 , 1-1
59
Winner Coastal Carolina CCU 5-0 , 1-0
ULM ULM
2-2 , 1-1
6
Final
59
Coastal Carolina CCU
5-0 , 1-0
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
ULM ULM 3 0 3 0 6
CCU Coastal Carolina 14 24 0 21 59

Game Recap: Football |

ULM Winning Streak Ends with Loss at No. 16 Coastal

By ULMWarhawks.com Online Columnist Paul Letlow

CONWAY, S.C. – ULM turned in its worst performance of the season against one of the best teams in the Sun Belt Conference.

It wasn't a winning combination as the Warhawks were overwhelmed in a 59-6 loss to No. 16 Coastal Carolina Saturday afternoon at Brooks Stadium.

"It's a hard one to take when you get beaten so badly by a team like that," ULM coach Terry Bowden said. "They're a very good team."

The Chanticleers (5-0, 1-0 in the Sun Belt) rolled up 557 yards of total offense against ULM (2-2, 1-1) while holding the Warhawks to 203 yards. Coastal topped 50 points for the third time this season and the sixth time since 2019.

"The thing I told our players is, 'In life, things are never as good as they seem and they're never quite as bad as they seem,'" said Bowden, whose team brought a two-game winning streak into the contest. "The truth is always somewhere in between and we're somewhere in between.

"We did not show well at all against this team offensively, defensively or the kicking game. And so we've got to be able to come away from this game, learn from it and have a great resolve."

Making his first ULM start, quarterback Chandler Rogers was unable get the offense moving on the bright teal "Surf Turf." Rogers completed 9-of-17 attempts for 100 yards, was sacked twice and threw an interception, ULM's second turnover of the year.

ULM punted six times while falling behind 38-3 by halftime. The Chanticleers outgained ULM, 351-99, and scored on five of six first-half drives while collecting16 first downs.

"We're getting whipped in every phase of the ballgame," Bowden said as he left the field at halftime. "They beat us on offense, they beat us on defense and they beat us in the kicking game."

The Chanticleers, who beat ULM for the first time in four games, flexed their muscles from the beginning.

Coastal led 7-0 after scoring on its opening drive. A 25-yard punt return set up a six-play, 55-yard drive as quarterback Grayson McCall found tight end Isaiah Likely for a 5-yard touchdown.

Braydon Bennett's 10-yard touchdown run with 4:46 left in the first quarter extended the home team's lead to 14-0. The Chants covered 63 yards in six plays on their second series.

The opportunistic ULM defense recovered a Coastal fumble at the Chants' 22 with 2:07 to go in the first quarter. McCall fumbled the exchange to his running back and Quae Drake pounced on the loose ball for the recovery.

Four plays later, Calum Sutherland's 40-yard field goal narrowed the gap to 14-3 with 55 seconds remaining in the opening period.

Likely snagged his second touchdown pass from McCall, this one from 30-yards out with 12:50 left  in the second quarter. The Chanticleers covered 81 yards in seven plays to go ahead 21-3.

A blocked punt by CJ Beasley led to an easy touchdown for the home team as Aaron Bedgood scooped and scored from 9 yards out to give Coastal a 28-3 lead with 11:19 left in the first half.

Coastal's first-half dominance continued with Bennett's 29-yard touchdown run with 3:32 remaining before the break. His score concluded a seven play, 86-yard drive and widened the margin to 35-3.

Coastal went to the locker room up 38-3 as Liam Gray tacked on a 45-yard field goal as time expired.

Rogers started the second half and orchestrated ULM's only sustained scoring drive as Sutherland kicked a 30-yard field goal. The Warhawks needed 12 plays to cover 59 yards and cut the score to 38-6.

After going scoreless in the third quarter, Coastal Carolina extended the lead to 45-6 on Beasley's 15-yard touchdown run. With back-up quarterback Bryce Carpenter at the helm, the Chanticleers mounted a 75-yard, 15-play drive.

Rogers' interception with 13:35 to go in the game led to another Coastal score. Two plays after the turnover, third-team quarterback Jarrett Guest tossed a 32-yard touchdown pass to Chris Rhone for a 52-6 lead. The scores were career firsts for both Guest and Rhone.

Coastal capped its advantage at 59-6 after a nine-play, 75-yard drive ended with Zachary Stevens' 5-yard touchdown pass to Jared Brown.

"They beat us first team, second team, third team, they beat us right on down the line," Bowden said. "We've got a ways to go to get to that level."

Something special: When ULM's defense pitched a shutout in the third quarter, it marked the first quarter all season that Coastal Carolina has been held scoreless.

Take that: ULM's defensive fumble recovery in the first quarter was its eighth takeaway of the season. The fumble recovery was ULM's fifth.

Enemy lines: Starting quarterback Grayson McCall sat out the entire second half after going 13-for-13 passing for 212 yards and two touchdowns in the first half.

Likely caught five passes for 95 yards and two scores. Reese White led a balanced rushing attack with 95 yards on 15 attempts.

Up next: On Oct. 9, ULM returns to Malone Stadium to host Georgia State in another Sun Belt Conference pairing. Kickoff is 7 p.m.

Tail feathers: Former starting quarterback Colby Suits saw limited action in the game. Suits completed 4-of-6 passes for 31 yards. …. Jiya Wright, the fourth ULM quarterback to play this season, also saw action for the first time. …  Game captains were WR Boogie Knight, LB Ja'Cquez Williams and P Devyn Williams. … QB Rhett Rodriguez did not play after suffering a lung injury in the win over Troy. … Coastal's blocked punt was the third this season for the Chants.
 
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