By Michael Smith michael.smith@myhorrynews.com | Posted: Tuesday, December 3, 2013 3:51 pm
If there were any lingering concerns that Coastal Carolina might be negatively impacted by the big loss to South Carolina, the Chanticleers showed no signs of them Saturday in round one of the FCS playoffs.
As they’ve done most games this season, the Chants quickly disposed of No. 12/12 Bethune-Cookman 48-24.
It’d be a stretch to say the Chants locked things up in the first half. But based on what I saw, few teams are capable of recovering from the 21-3 hole Bethune-Cookman found itself in after the first quarter.
Trailing 7-0, the Wildcats quickly fell behind 14-0 after a CCU fumble recovery that led to a touchdown. Matt Hazel’s leaping grab in blown coverage tacked on another seven points after the extra point.
Coastal Carolina cruised from there.
The Chanticleers will need to repeat that sort of play this week against a much tougher opponent, the No. 5/8 Montana Grizzlies.
The CCU-Montana game will be televised on ESPN3, with kick-off slated for noon (MDT) at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
On paper, the Grizzlies (10-2 overall, 6-2 Big Sky Conference) might seem overrated.
No. 4/5 Montana is one of few Top 10 FCS teams without a quality win over an FBS opponent. The Grizzlies also finished third in their division with two conference losses.
But any weaknesses end there.
Montana’s advantages
In reality, the Big Sky Conference is one of the most stacked FCS leagues out there. Thirteen teams belong to the Big Sky.
Four teams are ranked in the FCS Coaches’ Poll (Eastern Washington, Montana, Northern Arizona and Southern Utah). A fifth (Montana State) is also ranked in The Sports Network Poll (16).
The Grizzlies’ two losses came against No. 3/3 Eastern Washington and No. 8/11 Northern Arizona.
The Big South, of which Coastal belongs, is comparatively weak.
CCU and Liberty are the only two remaining traditional Big South powerhouses.
Stony Brook left the conference after last season.
Gardner-Webb has been inconsistent while VMI and Presbyterian rarely contend. The same was true of Charleston Southern prior to this season.
Montana also has one of the largest FCS stadiums out there, capable of seating more than 26,000 fans.
In their last home game Nov. 16, the Grizzlies had an announced attendance of 23,609 and are averaging 25,552 fans per game, according to the Montana athletics website.
The Grizzlies have won their last four games and seven of their last eight.
Noise will be a factor.
Cold will also be an issue.
On Saturday, high temps are forecast to only reach 14 degrees Fahrenheit in Missoula, Mont., home of the Grizzlies, according to the National Weather Service.
In contrast, 69 degrees is the forecast high in Conway.
That’s why I think the FCS playoff seeds are playing a pivotal role.
As the No. 9 seed, CCU was forced to play Nov. 30 and travel to the tundra on Dec. 7. Had CCU drawn the No. 8 seed, the Chants would’ve had a week off in preparation for a game in beach weather.
No matter what Coach Joe Moglia or the players say, that’s a huge difference. Clearly Montana has the edge in terms of weather and fan support.
In Coastal’s favor
Although this will be Coastal’s toughest test of the season, I believe the Chants can win. Coastal Carolina emerged victorious in a similarly hostile environment on Oct. 19, defeating the No. 26 Liberty Flames 55-52 in double overtime.
That game was played before an announced crowd of 18,911. CCU trailed 28-16 at the half and 42-30 after three quarters, yet came from behind to win.
Liberty is no slouch.
The Flames rallied late this season, blowing out Charleston Southern and nearly cracking the Top 25 in the Sports Network poll.
Coastal Carolina also matches well statistically against Montana on offense and defense, according to the NCAA.
The Chants are ranked 10th in total offense (492.7) while Montana is 21st (444.4).
CCU gets the edge in rushing yards, coming in at No. 7 (262.5) vs. No. 39 for the Grizzlies (186.5).
Montana, however, is a better passing team. The Grizzlies are ranked 26th (257.9). CCU is 48th at 230.2.
Neither CCU nor Montana are ranked in the Top 50 in total defense, though CCU has defeated four of the FCS’ top 10 defensive teams (S.C. State, 1; Bethune-Cookman, 3; Gardner-Webb, 6; and Liberty, 9). Advantage Chanticleers.
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