Six takeaways help Coastal Carolina survive Marshall rally, 27-21

Coastal Carolina turned six Marshall turnovers into enough breathing room to survive a frantic finish Saturday, winning 27-21 in Huntington for its first Sun Belt victory of the season. Dominic Lee-Knicely ran for 169 yards, including a 70-yard touchdown on the first offensive play of the second half, as the Chanticleers scored the game's first 27 points.

Marshall scored twice in 38 seconds late in the fourth quarter, bringing a game that had appeared settled back within one possession. Zion Turner found Judah Price for a nine-yard touchdown with 2:52 remaining, then hit Owen Sweeney for a 19-yard score with 2:14 left after an onside kick gave the Thundering Herd the ball again.

Coastal secured the next onside kick and finished the job on the ground. Jaden Allen-Hendrix broke a 19-yard run for a first down before the Chanticleers took two kneel-downs. He finished with 39 rushing yards and a touchdown, contributing both to the lead and the possession that protected it.

The turnover sequence explains why Marshall's 505-308 advantage in total offense produced a loss. Coastal intercepted three passes and recovered three fumbles. The official Coastal report identified Ja'Marion Wayne's interception on the first play from scrimmage, Ibrahim Diawara's early fumble recovery and Travis Roman's interception in the end zone as the plays that disrupted Marshall's opening possessions.

The Sun Belt Conference published highlights of Coastal Carolina’s 27-21 win over Marshall.

Chase Jackson added another interception early in the second quarter. Deuce Bailey then found Karmello English for a seven-yard touchdown, giving Coastal a 10-0 lead. Nico Cavanillas Alti's field goals from 26 and 40 yards supplied the other first-half points, and the Chanticleers reached halftime ahead 13-0.

Lee-Knicely's long run made it 20-0 just 18 seconds into the third quarter. Coastal recovered a muffed kickoff return immediately afterward, with Azarel Juste securing the ball. Allen-Hendrix finished the ensuing short drive with a two-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 27-0.

Price began Marshall's recovery with a 50-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter. He finished with 124 yards on 12 carries, averaging more than 10 yards an attempt. Turner completed 18 of 27 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, who also played quarterback for Marshall, threw three interceptions.

Coastal's defense stopped another scoring opportunity in the fourth quarter when Myles Woods forced Turner to fumble and Jalen Lee recovered near the goal line, according to the team report. That lost possession became especially costly when Marshall's late touchdowns made the margin six.

Bailey completed eight of 18 passes for 73 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Lee-Knicely also led Coastal's receivers with three catches for 42 yards. The Chanticleers improved to 2-4 overall and 1-1 in the Sun Belt; Marshall fell to 3-3 and 0-2. Coastal hosts App State on Friday, Oct. 16.

Sources

ESPN final boxscore and play-by-play · Six takeaways lift Chants at Marshall · Coastal Carolina defeats Marshall