The big stage has been good for Coastal Carolina.
The No. 13 Chanticleers are looking to back up the program’s most significant victory as they return to Sun Belt Conference competition Saturday at Troy.
“Everybody in the country knows who Coastal Carolina University is now,” Coastal Carolina offensive lineman Trey Carter said. “We knew we had an opportunity to show what we had, and we did that.”
Coastal Carolina will be the highest ranked team to ever visit Veterans Memorial Stadium in Troy, Ala.
The Chanticleers (10-0, 7-0 Sun Belt) complete the regular season with this game before heading home for next week’s Sun Belt championship game against No. 19 Louisiana (9-1).
“It’s crazy, but we worked hard to get there,” Carter said. “It has been a long, hard process. A lot of trials and tribulations, but we’re blessed to be in this position.”
Coastal Carolina burst onto the national scene in a bigger way with Saturday’s thrilling 22-17 victory against then-No. 13 BYU in a matchup of undefeated teams.
“We feel we can play with anybody in the country, and we proved that,” Coastal Carolina defensive end Jeffrey Gunter said.
Troy (5-5, 3-3) has a pair of home games remaining. The Trojans are coming off a 29-0 thumping of host South Alabama in an in-state rivalry, but this looms as a bigger opportunity to turn heads.
“It’s a great opportunity for us, and I know our guys are extremely excited to play these guys at home,” Troy coach Chip Lindsey said. “We’ll need to play really well in three phases.”
This is the third year in a row that Troy has played host to a ranked opponent.
The Chanticleers have won 11 consecutive games overall. They’re the only team in Sun Belt Conference history to hold a 10-0 record.
Quarterback Grayson McCall, who has thrown for 1,832 yards and 20 touchdowns this season, has been among the Chanticleers’ breakthrough players.
“Grayson don’t play like a (redshirt) freshman,” Carter said. “Grayson plays like a fifth-year senior. “He goes out there, takes charge. He’s running the show when he’s out there.”
Running back CJ Marable of Coastal Carolina has posted more than 100 rushing yards the past two games along with a team-high 16 touchdowns. He has scored in the past nine games.
While there are numerous Sun Belt results to compare the teams, there’s also another common opponent. Troy faced Brigham Young in September, losing 48-7 in Utah.
Troy quarterback Gunnar Watson went 35 of 41 passing for 297 yards and three touchdowns against South Alabama. The team has compiled more than 400 yards in six games this season.
Coastal Carolina provided a dramatic finishing touch against BYU. Troy’s second halves have been sprinkled with disappointments as the Trojans have led at halftime in seven games.
The Coastal Carolina-Troy game was rescheduled from mid-November, with the postponement stemming from coronavirus protocols at Troy.
This will be the fourth meeting between the teams. Coastal Carolina’s lone victory came 36-35 on Marable’s two-point conversion run with 30 seconds remaining last year at home. That outcome marked the fewest points Troy has scored in the series.
