Buccaneers, Chants aim to claim winning mark

Coastal Carolina coach David Bennett and his wife, Melanie, have a tradition for the Sunday following the end of the Chanticleers' football season.

"Sunday afternoon after church, we go watch two movies when we are done with the season," Bennett said this week. "And I promise you, she'll hold my hand a lot quicker if we win than if we don't."

That's just one of the rewards awaiting the winner of today's season finale between rivals Coastal Carolina and Charleston Southern at CSU Stadium. With each team at 5-5 overall and 3-2 in the Big South Conference, only one can emerge from today's game with a winning record for the season.

And that can impact everything from a double-feature to recruiting, off-season workouts and spring practice.

"It just makes you feel a lot better when you go into the winter coming off a win," Bennett said.

CSU is gunning for its fourth winning record in seven seasons under coach Jay Mills, and is looking to end the season with four straight victories for the second year in a row. Last year, the Bucs beat Coastal 24-0 in the season finale, the first time the Chants had ever been shut out.

The Bucs have made a habit of finishing strong, having won their last six games in the month of November. They are 12-3 in the month since the 2005 season, when they went 3-1 in the Big South to claim a share of the league title.

"We've been blessed with good leadership," Mills said. "Leadership in our coaches and in our seniors. The thing we've tried to emphasize is not so much winning games, but the pursuit of excellence along the way."

CSU has won its last three games over VMI, Presbyterian and Stony Brook, which can win a share of the Big South title with a victory over Liberty today. In a 30-27 overtime win over the Seawolves, the Bucs kicked three field goals and scored by kickoff return, pass reception and interception return.

"They are very talented," Bennett said. "Charleston Southern has done a great job of recruiting, especially down in Florida, and they have a lot of speed. They are a lot faster than they were even a couple of years ago."

CSU gave up 340 rushing yards to Stony Brook, but made up for it with three interceptions.

"We've got a number of things to shore up," Mills said. "Our defense has done well at times with bending and giving up some yards, but minimizing points along the way. Our staff has done a great job with a lot of moveable parts, but it's that time of year."

Coastal, meanwhile, has won two straight (over Gardner-Webb and Presbyterian) after dropping three in a row to Liberty, Stony Brook and Clemson. The Chants' defense got ripped for 487 yards by PC, but Coastal scored 41 points as running back Tommy Fraser ran for 157 yards and quarterback Zach MacDowall passed for three TDs and ran for two.

Last season, Coastal committed six turnovers, on three fumbles and three interceptions, in the loss to CSU.

Notes

Coastal Carolina leads the series with CSU, 4-2 ... The Chants have lost five straight road games ... CSU has intercepted seven passes in the last two games, returning two for touchdowns ... The Bucs' defense also has 28 tackles for loss in the last four games.