Coastal Comes Alive in the City of Halloween, Giving Marshall a Nightmare Third Quarter

Halloween Eve was a nightmare scenario for the Marshall Thundering Herd, dropping the game in Conway, 44-27 to the newly nicknamed, ‘Haunticleers’ of Coastal Carolina.

On Coastal’s opening drive, Marshall defensive back Boogie Trotter jumped a pass from quarterback Samari Collier and returned it for a pick-six, giving the Thundering Herd an early 7-0 lead. Ball security issues hurt the Chanticleers early.

On the next drive, the Chanticleers found their rhythm, highlighted by a 22-yard jet sweep from Robby Washington and a 24-yard catch-and-run by Cameron Wright. The series ended with a successful field goal from Kian Afrookhteh, cutting the deficit to 7–3. Afrookhteh remains perfect on the season, now 8-for-8 on field goal attempts.

After the defense forced a punt, Chanticleers freshman running back Jevon Edwards lost a fumble that Marshall recovered on the very first play of the possession, turning it into a field goal to push their advantage to 10–3. Costly turnovers continue to be a recurring issue for Coastal.

Marshall forced Coastal to punt once again and marched down the field, but after a promising drive, the Chanticleer defense stood tall at the goal line, holding the Thundering Herd to a field goal. The kick extended Marshall’s lead to 13–3 early in the second quarter.

Coastal’s offense answered after the goal-line stand with an impressive drive that featured a 17-yard run from Ja’Vin Simpkins and a 22-yard reception by Bryson Graves. Collier capped it off with a 2-yard touchdown run, trimming the deficit to 13–10 with 10 minutes to go in the half.

Marshall quickly responded with an eight-play, three-minute drive capped by redshirt junior running back Jo’Shon Barbie’s 4-yard touchdown run. The score was set up by a pair of strong runs from Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, extending the Thundering Herd’s lead to 20–10 with just over six minutes left in the half.

On the next drive, Coastal dialed up a perfectly executed speed option, and true freshman Dominic Knicely broke free for a 59-yard touchdown run, cutting the deficit to 20–17. It marked the Chanticleers’ longest play from scrimmage this season as both offenses continue to trade scores in this back-and-forth matchup.

Marshall opened the second half on fire as Del Rio-Wilson connected with redshirt junior receiver De’Andre Tamarez for a 7-yard touchdown. An explosive 55-yard run from Antwan Roberts set up the score.

Less than two minutes later, Collier answered quickly, connecting with receiver Malcolm Gillie, who put on the jets for a 69-yard touchdown that capped a three-play drive and cut the deficit to 27–24.

On Marshall’s next drive, Del Rio-Wilson tossed a backward pass that Floyd Lacy couldn’t secure, and Coastal’s Xamarion Gordon pounced on the loose ball. The recovery gave the Chanticleers a prime opportunity to take their first lead of the game, starting the drive inside Marshall’s red zone.

The Chanticleers capitalized on the prime opportunity as Collier found Bryson Graves wide open in the end zone after a defensive breakdown, giving Coastal its first lead of the night with just over 10 minutes remaining in the third quarter, 31-24.

On Marshall’s next drive, Del Rio-Wilson was picked off by senior linebacker Dontae Lunan. Lunan has been a difference-maker throughout the game, adding that interception to his tackle for loss earlier in the night. Coastal’s drive ended in a field goal to extend the lead, 34-27.

The Coastal defense came up big again, recording their third consecutive takeaway as Myles Woods intercepted Del Rio-Wilson after a sharp pass deflection by Lionell Whitaker. Once again, the defense set up the offense with excellent field position in an action-packed third quarter. Coastal ended up settling for three; Afrookhteh is now a perfect 10-for-10 on the season.

Once again, the Coastal defense delivered in the clutch as Dre Pinckney recovered a fumble, marking the team’s fourth takeaway of the third quarter—two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. After finishing the first half at minus-two in turnover margin, the Chanticleers have completely flipped the script in what has become a massive momentum swing.

The Chanticleer offense capitalized on Marshall’s mistakes as Collier once again called his own number, punching it in for six. The score was set up by a 40-yard strike to receiver Eli Aragon, who was brought down at the 1-yard line.

JUCO transfer Samari Collier has completely transformed this offense and energized the team. The Chanticleers have now posted back-to-back games with over 40 points after a sluggish start to the season. Head coach Tim Beck described Collier as an element with his ability to run and pass.

“He didn’t pout, he doesn’t put his head down. He listens, he learns, and he goes out there and he just keeps playing, and he’s been a great leader for us, he has a great command of what we’re doing,” Beck said post-game.

First-year defensive coordinator Jeremiah Johnson has done an outstanding job leading this Coastal defense, shutting down a Marshall offense that came in averaging 35 points per game. Marshall quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, who entered the matchup ranked second nationally in completion percentage, was limited to just 21 completions for 153 yards while throwing two interceptions.

Dontae Lunan’s name was called often as he led the Coastal defense, finishing the night with six tackles, including a tackle for loss, an interception, and a forced fumble — showcasing his ability to impact the game in multiple ways.

The Chanticleers closed out the game in dominant fashion, scoring 27 unanswered points to secure a 44–27 victory. Coastal finished with 410 total yards of offense, while Marshall totaled 432 yards, including 279 on the ground. Running back Antwan Roberts led the Thundering Herd with 134 yards on 15 carries.

With the win, the Chanticleers improve to 5–3 overall and 4–1 in Sun Belt play. After a shaky start that raised doubts early in the season, Coastal has bounced back from adversity and now sits just one win away from bowl eligibility. The Chanticleers are firmly in the hunt for a Sun Belt championship, trailing only James Madison in the East Division standings.

Marshall drops to 4–4 overall and 2–2 in conference play. The Thundering Herd will look to bounce back next week when they host first-place James Madison.

The Chanticleers turn their attention to a key home matchup with Georgia State as they seek to keep their postseason hopes on track.