Coastal Carolina Dominates Georgia State 40-27, Secures Bowl Eligibility with Powerful Ground Attack

After kicking off to open the game, the Chanticleers’ defense forced a punt on the first drive. On Coastal Carolina’s very first offensive snap, quarterback Samari Collier made an immediate statement by taking a power read to the right for an 85-yard touchdown.

TO THE HOUSE ON THE FIRST PLAY pic.twitter.com/Oh4bXRYijG

— Coastal Football (@CoastalFootball) November 8, 2025

Georgia State would even the score at seven, as quarterback Cam Brown orchestrates a 13-play drive and caps it off by leaping and stretching into the end zone on 4th-and-goal with five minutes remaining in the first quarter. Both teams’ quarterbacks set the tone early, each using their legs to get their team on the board.

Redshirt sophomore, and Miami transfer, Robby Washington capped an impressive drive by bursting 16 yards to the end zone on a jet sweep. The Chanticleers’ eight play, 75-yard march included a pivotal 16-yard run by Ja’Vin Simpkins before Samari Collier connected with Karmello English for a 25-yard gain—Collier’s first pass of the game—setting up Washington’s touchdown.

Cam Brown and the Panthers responded on their next possession with a 57-yard bomb to senior receiver Ted Hurst, then finished the drive with an eight yard strike to tight end Grant Hollier, tying the game at 14 just before the end of the first quarter. After one quarter of play, both quarterbacks were showing impressive efficiency.

Kian Afrookhteh drilled the field goal to put the Chanticleers ahead 17-14 with just over 11 minutes remaining in the half. Afrookhteh has been flawless this season, going a perfect 11-for-11 on field goals, making him one of only five kickers nationwide with at least 10 attempts who remain 100% in field goal accuracy.

The Coastal Carolina defense forced a stop for the first time since the opening drive, but after a promising offensive series, Collier was sacked on third down. The Chanticleers were then forced to settle for a field goal on back-to-back drives, extending their lead to 20-14 with just over six minutes remaining in the first half.

The Coastal defense forced another stop as junior linebacker Walt Gray burst through an edge block to sack Cam Brown on third down. Gray has stepped up admirably amid a banged-up linebacker corps for the Chanticleers. On offense, Ja’Vin Simpkins broke free for a 51-yard run, but the play was called back due to a holding penalty, resulting in a punt for Coastal Carolina.

After forcing a third consecutive punt, the Chanticleers began their next drive deep in Panther territory with just two minutes remaining in the half. Freshman running back Jevon Edwards made a key contribution with a burst to the outside, picking up significant yardage to move the team into the red zone. Despite the momentum, Coastal was held to a field goal—Afrookhteh’s third of the game—extending the lead to 23-14. The Chanticleers will take possession to start the second half with the advantage.

Quarterback TJ Finley entered the game for the Panthers. On their first possession of the second half, receiver Javon Robinson fumbled after a hard hit from Chanticleer cornerback Ja’Marion Wayne. Linebacker Tray Brown recovered the loose ball, giving Coastal excellent field position. Despite the opportunity, the Chanticleers had to settle for a field goal by freshman kicker Philippe Laforge, extending Coastal’s lead to 26-14 with just over nine minutes remaining in the third quarter.

Collier connected with English wide open in the end zone for a touchdown, completing a six minute, 12-play drive. The strong rushing attack has been dominant against a struggling Georgia State run defense, accumulating over 300 yards on the ground with a quarter remaining. The Chanticleers would lead 33-14.

Karmello English found inside leverage on his defender and scored his second touchdown of the night on a designed RPO, breaking free on a 31-yard catch-and-run that put the Chanticleers up 40-16 with just over 11 minutes remaining in the game. This marks Coastal Carolina’s third game this season with 40 or more points. The Chanticleers now have accumulated over 300 yards rushing—their highest ground total in a game since 2021.

Georgia State running back Jordan Simmons capped an efficient nine play, 75-yard drive with a powerful one yard rush up the middle for a touchdown. The Panthers’ two-point conversion attempt failed as linebacker Tray Brown deflected the pass. Georgia State then attempted an onside kick and successfully recovered, regaining possession with just over seven minutes remaining in the game, trailing by 20 points.

Finley found Ted Hurst in the corner of the end zone to extend the lead to a two-possession game, scoring on back-to-back drives. What’s even more remarkable is that Georgia State’s offense remained relentless, returning to the field for the third consecutive time after recovering back-to-back onside kicks. Coastal Carolina now finds itself in panic mode as the Panthers continue to fight back with six minutes remaining in the game.

Branson Robinson picks up the onside kick for the Panthers! #LightItBlue | #NewAtlanta | @GeorgiaLottery pic.twitter.com/vh4bi1tRv2

— GSU Football (@GeorgiaStateFB) November 9, 2025

The Coastal Carolina defense forced a critical turnover on downs as Ted Hurst dropped a pass on fourth down. With just four minutes left in the game, the Chanticleers would aim to control the clock and put the game out of reach.

The Georgia State offense was driving and got deep in Coastal territory, knocking on the doorstep, but Hurst drops bobbles the pass on fourth down and Ja’Marion Wayne picks it off to seal the deal. The Chants hold off a fourth quarter comeback and are bowl eligible for the sixth consecutive season. The final tally in this one, Chants 40 Panthers 27.

We’ve got a song to sing 👌 pic.twitter.com/GJeXiWEdE2

— Coastal Football (@CoastalFootball) November 9, 2025

Despite some crucial drops, Ted Hurst finished the night with an impressive 10 catches for 165 yards and a touchdown. The Chanticleers dominated on the ground, rushing for over 300 yards to secure their first-ever victory over the Panthers in Conway. Collier finished with 123 yards on the ground and threw three touchdowns. Jevon Edwards took seven carries for 80 yards, and Ja’Vin Simpkins rushed 16 times for 74 yards. Head coach Tim Beck emphasized post-game how the successful run game opens up the passing offense and creates big plays.

“If you’re able to run the football, they start committing a lot of guys to the run, your play action game, your RPOs, bootlegs, things of that nature, and that’s what we did,” Beck said.

Ja’Marion Wayne had a standout performance, with his name called frequently throughout the game. He recorded both an interception and a forced fumble, playing a key role in the Chanticleers’ defensive effort. Beck also had high praise for Wayne.

“[Ja’Marion] Wayne has been awesome for us… He is a great tackler, he has done a tremendous job for us at corner, but even special teams, his play on special teams has been outstanding… He’s able to get down the field, tackle, he’s smart, he understands the game. He definitely brings an element that you don’t usually find in corners, which is the physical play he has,” Beck said.

The Chanticleers control their own destiny in the Sun Belt Conference as they improve to 5-1 in league play. Their next home game, the season finale against James Madison, carries significant implications for the conference championship.

Georgia State falls to 1-8 on the season overall as they look to bounce back next weekend at home against Marshall.