Coastal Carolina still hoping for a playoff berth

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Posted 3:14PM on Thursday, November 16, 2006

Coastal Carolina's motto this year: ``Finish it off.'' The Chanticleers will end the regular season Saturday against the team that inspired the motto Charleston Southern with a likely playoff bid again on the line. ``This is a chance to win a championship outright that we should have done last year, but we didn't do it,'' Coastal Carolina coach David Bennett said. ``You get another chance.'' In other games involving South Carolina's smaller colleges Saturday, Wofford goes to Gardner-Webb; The Citadel travels to Elon and South Carolina State is at North Carolina A Furman (7-4) doesn't play this weekend, but the Paladins will be watching at 1 p.m. Sunday to see if they earn their seventh playoff bid in eight years. In Conway, some think Coastal Carolina (8-2, 3-0 Big South) can earn a playoff bid if the Chanticleers beat Charleston Southern (9-1, 2-1). A year ago, the Chanticleers looked well on their way to the biggest win in program history up 14 points with less than three minutes to go. But Charleston Southern scored a quick touchdown. Then, instead of running the ball out of the end zone for a safety as time expired, Coastal Carolina receiver Jerome Simpson stepped out of bounds with 1.5 seconds to go, setting up the tying TD in what would end up a 34-27 Charleston Southern victory in double overtime. ``All I remember is last year we let it slip away,'' Bennett said. But the stunning loss led his team to dedicate this year to finishing things off, Bennett said. On the other side, Charleston Southern is trying to recover from its first loss in 14 games. Even if the Buccaneers win, a playoff bid is unlikely because just six of their victories would be over Division I-AA opponents. The game features two four-year starters at quarterback, who also lead their teams in rushing. Charleston Southern's Collin Drafts has passed for 2,403 yards and rushed for 444 yards, while Coastal Carolina's Tyler Thigpen has 2,620 yards in the air and 586 yards on the ground. In Boiling Springs, N.C., Wofford (6-4) has quietly crept back into consideration for a playoff bid and will try to impress the selection committee with a win over Gardner-Webb (6-4). The Terriers losses are impressive. They lost by seven at South Carolina after a fourth down play failed in the final moments at the Gamecock 10. They also lost by a touchdown to No. 1 Appalachian State the closest game by far the Mountaineers have faced against a fellow Division I-AA team. Wofford's other losses came to Coastal Carolina and Furman. But the Terriers, who are on a four-game winning streak, don't have any impressive wins and will likely need several other teams looking for an at-large bid to lose to have a shot at their first playoff trip since making it to the national semifinals in 2003. Expect the Terriers to keep the ball on the ground. Wofford is second nationally, averaging 258 yards rushing a game, while Gardner-Webb's defense is near the bottom, allowing almost 194 yards on the ground per game. In Elon, N.C., The Citadel (4-6, 3-3 Southern Conference) can do something it hasn't done in 14 years if the Bulldogs can beat Elon (5-5, 2-4). A victory would give The Citadel a winning SoCon record for the first time since winning the league crown in 1992. But the Phoenix are no longer a SoCon pushover. ``They are very sound on defense. They have caused a lot of turnovers which has allowed them to be in every football game,'' Citadel coach Kevin Higgins said. The Bulldogs have won four of five in the series, but the loss came in their only trip to Elon in 2004. In Charlotte, N.C., South Carolina State (6-4, 4-2 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) will play its annual rivalry game with North Carolina A (0-10, 0-6) at Memorial Stadium. While the Bulldogs no longer have a chance at their first playoff bid since 1982, South Carolina State still has other motivation. Foremost might be avoiding embarrassment. The Aggies are on a 15-game losing streak and have lost by at least 16 points in every game this season. They are last in the MEAC in a host of categories, including scoring offense (9.5 points a game); scoring defense (43.4 points a game allowed) and total offense (210 yards a game).