Coastal Carolina seals win with a game-ending stop

Sudipo’s tackle lifts Chanticleers to 10-0 in fill-in matchup with high-powered BYU.

CONWAY, S.C. — Mateo Sudipo stopped Brigham Young’s Dax Milne at the one-yard line as time expired and No. 18 Coastal Carolina beat the 13th-ranked Cougars 22-17 in a short-notice showdown of undefeated teams Saturday.

The Cougars (9-1) were a late-week fill-in, traveling more than 2,200 miles to the South Carolina coast and eagerly stepping after Liberty had to back out of the game Thursday because of COVID-19 concerns.

It sure looked like an uphill climb for the Chanticleers (10-0), the Sun Belt East champions, as Brigham Young entered with one of the game’s most dynamic passers in Zach Wilson and the fourth-highest scoring offense in the country at more than 47 points a game.

But Coastal Carolina controlled the clock with three long touchdown drives and made plays when it counted — none bigger than when the freshman safety Sudipo corralled Milne a few steps from the end zone. It will go down as a 17-yard completion, but the Cougars needed 18 on their final play.

That sealed Coastal Carolina’s biggest victory in the program’s four Football Bowl Subdivision seasons.

“It was the best feelings I’d ever felt,” Chanticleers linebacker Jeffrey Gunter said.

Wilson was 19 of 30 for 240 yards, a touchdown and an interception. The Cougars defense, which had allowed less than 90 yards rushing a game coming in, was pounded by Coastal Carolina for 281 yards.

CJ Marable rushed for 128 yards and two touchdowns for the Chanticleers.

Coastal Carolina put together the longest drive in program history going 94 yards on 17 plays over 9:05 of the opening quarter to start the scoring on Marable’s five-yard scoring run.

It turned ugly right before halftime when Wilson’s Hail Mary pass was intercepted at the goal line and Gunter and Teddy Gallagher kept blocking and hitting Wilson. The two got Wilson to the ground and when Wilson got up, Gunter hit him again.

Both teams rushed to the spot before coaches and officials separated the scrum.