2020 BYU vs. Coastal Carolina football game
Mormons vs. Mullets | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Non-conference game | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date | December 5, 2020 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Season | Network ESPNU | | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Announcers | Bill Roth and Dustin Fox |
The 2020 BYU vs. Coastal Carolina football game, popularly known as Mormons vs. Mullets, was a regular-season college football game played on December 5, 2020, at Brooks Stadium in Conway, South Carolina. The matchup, played as a part of the 2020 FBS football season, featured the BYU Cougars, an FBS independent, and Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, representing the Sun Belt Conference. Both teams entered the game ranked, with BYU at No. 13 and Coastal Carolina at No. 18 in the College Football Playoff rankings, and undefeated, both at nine wins and no losses. The game was scheduled as a 5:30 p.m. ET kickoff broadcast on ESPNU.
The game was scheduled at short notice after Liberty, Coastal Carolina's original opponent, had to withdraw due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Both Coastal Carolina and BYU entered the game as contenders for a spot in a New Year's Six bowl game, though they were not candidates for the College Football Playoff. The ESPN pregame show College GameDay traveled to Conway for the contest, which was nicknamed "Mormons vs. Mullets", a play on the 1988 "Catholics vs. Convicts" game played between Notre Dame and Miami. The "Mormons" portion referred to Brigham Young University's affiliation with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the "Mullets" portion was a reference to the mullet haircuts worn by many Coastal Carolina players.
The game was scoreless until the last ten seconds of the first quarter, when Coastal’s C. J. Marable scored a six-yard touchdown rush at the conclusion of a 17-play drive that spanned 94 yards and over nine minutes. The teams traded three touchdowns in the second quarter, with BYU scoring two and Coastal Carolina scoring one. BYU quarterback Zach Wilson gave his team the lead with a 41-yard touchdown pass, and BYU led 14–13 at halftime. BYU increased their lead with a field goal on their first drive of the second half, but fumbled the ball back to Coastal on their next drive, resulting in a quick field goal for the Chanticleers. Coastal Carolina captured the lead with a touchdown rush, though a failed two-point conversion kept their lead to five points. Each of the next two drives for both teams resulted in punts, and BYU got the ball back for a potential game-winning drive. On the game's last play, BYU wide receiver Dax Milne came up one yard short of the goal line, securing a 22–17 win for Coastal Carolina.
Background
The COVID-19 pandemic caused numerous scheduling issues during the 2020 college football season. Originally, Coastal Carolina was scheduled to play Liberty at home in South Carolina. Liberty itself was 9–1 and ranked No. 25 in the AP Poll; its only loss had come in a close game with NC State two weeks earlier. A rising number of COVID-19 cases within the program led Liberty to drop out less than a week prior to game day, and BYU, who had not originally been scheduled to play that week, and had hopes of making the College Football Playoff, worked to schedule this game in its place.[3]
BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe told ESPN journalist Heather Dinich that he had not heard about Liberty's predicament until the Wednesday before the game; by the end of that day, he had sent the Cougars' football equipment truck to Conway before even confirming that the two teams would play. He would tell Dinich, "If it had to turn around and come back, turn around and come back, but we're not going to miss a game because we don't have our equipment. Our guys just wanted to do it. They pushed me."[4] The game was not officially confirmed until the following day, with ESPN playing a key role in the process, and even then the two schools had yet to enter into any kind of written agreement. Holmoe told Dinich that BYU and Coastal would work out a future return game, presumably hosted by BYU at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah, after the 2020 season.[4]
The game was only the sixth meeting between unbeaten college football teams in December (excluding bowl games in NCAA Division I FBS and playoff games at lower levels of play), and the first such meeting since the 2009 SEC Championship Game.[5] Neither BYU nor Coastal Carolina were in the picture for the College Football Playoff National Championship, despite their undefeated seasons, but a strong showing could earn them a spot in a New Year's Six bowl game.[6]
ESPN's College GameDay program traveled to Conway for the game. Host Lee Corso praised both teams, but picked BYU to win:[7]
Coastal is 9–0 and 18th in the playoff ranking...And they're playing at home – that's really good stuff. But BYU is 9–0 and 13th in the playoff rankings. BYU will play anybody, anywhere, anytime – so I'm going with BYU. Go Cougars!
The name "Mormons vs. Mullets" originated from unofficial merchandise and was a play on Catholics vs. Convicts, a game played in 1988 between Notre Dame and Miami.[8] "Mormons" references BYU's affiliation with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as the Mormon Church, while "Mullets" references the haircuts worn by many Coastal players.[9]
Teams
BYU Cougars
The BYU Cougars, representing Brigham Young University, entered the season led by fifth-year head coach Kalani Sitake. Many of BYU's scheduled games for the 2020 season were canceled due to decisions by numerous conferences to play shortened or conference-only schedules as a result of COVID-19. The Cougars opened their season with a road contest on Monday, November 7, when they defeated Navy by a score of 55–3.[10] This win propelled them to a No. 18 ranking in the AP Poll,[11] though they fell to No. 22 the following week after another sound win, this time at home against Troy.[12] BYU played Louisiana Tech in another home game the following week, winning by 31 points.[13] Their next game was against UTSA for homecoming, which the Cougars won by a touchdown.[14] Now ranked No. 14, BYU traveled to Houston and won by 17 points,[15] which they followed up with a dominant 52–14 home victory against Texas State.[16] A win against Western Kentucky put the Cougars at a 7–0 record going into the month of November, with a ranking in the AP top ten.[17] BYU's first game against a ranked opponent came on November 6, when they defeated No. 21 Boise State on the road, 51–17.[18] After a bye week, the No. 8 Cougars defeated North Alabama by 52 points.[19] The first College Football Playoff rankings were released three days later, with BYU ranked at No. 14,[20] though, after another bye, they rose to No. 13 entering their matchup at Coastal Carolina.[21]
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, representing Coastal Carolina University, entered the season led by second-year head coach Jamey Chadwell. Like BYU, several of their games were cancelled over COVID-19 concerns; as a result, Coastal did not play their first game until September 12, when they faced Kansas.[22] The Chanticleers won by fifteen points, and defeated Campbell the following week in their first home game.[23] The Chanticleers defeated Arkansas State to begin October,[24] and won an away contest at No. 21 Louisiana on a Wednesday evening by three points the next week, for their first win over a ranked program in school history.[25] This win put the Chanticleers themselves in the top 25 for their next game against Georgia Southern, who they defeated by two touchdowns.[26] Coastal Carolina entered the top fifteen after a 51-point shutout win at Georgia State on October 31, in time for their homecoming matchup against South Alabama.[27] The Chanticleers defeated South Alabama, 23–6,[28] going into a bye week. Afterwards, Coastal defeated Appalachian State by eleven points, and were subsequently ranked No. 20 in the first College Football Playoff rankings.[29] The following week, Coastal defeated Texas State to clinch the Sun Belt East Division title and a spot in the conference championship game.[30] The win put them at 9–0 and ranked No. 18 headed into the game against BYU.[31]
Game summary
First half
Scheduled for a 5:30 p.m.
BYU began the second quarter with a 16-yard pass from Wilson to Neil Pau'u, gaining a first down, and they got on the scoreboard two plays later, as Allgeier rushed for a 42-yard touchdown on 2nd & 4. Jake Oldroyd converted the extra point, giving BYU a 1-point lead. Oldroyd's kickoff resulted in a touchback, and Coastal started their drive at their own 25-yard-line. They gained a first down in two plays, and another one play later, though the drive stopped on the next play after McCall
Second half
The second half began with a kickoff returned by BYU's Christensen to the Cougars' 32-yard-line. A 12-yard rush by Wilson on the drive's second play was extended by a
Coastal Carolina began the fourth quarter facing a 3rd & 1, which they converted with a 4-yard rush by Reese White. Following an incomplete pass, a pair of 7-yard rushes by McCall and White gained another first down. After another play, McCall passed to Kameron Brown for a 20-yard gain, setting the Chanticleers up for a 1st & goal from the BYU 2-yard-line. Coastal took the lead on the next play, scoring on a 2-yard rush by C. J. Marable, though their
Scoring summary
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Source[33]
Statistics
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Aftermath
The game had an average viewership of 1.212 million viewers, making it the most-watched college football broadcast on ESPNU since a matchup between LSU and Western Kentucky in 2015.[38] The viewership peaked at 2.115 million viewers at 8:50 p.m., near the end of the game,[38] and it was ESPNU's fifth most-watched college football broadcast overall.[38] A highlight clip from the game was the most-viewed clip from any Week 14 game on any ESPN digital platform, receiving 1.4 million views,[38] and the full-game highlight video posted to the ESPN College Football channel on YouTube has over 100,000 views as of 2022[update].[39]
The game dropped BYU's record to 9–1 with their first loss, though it would be their only loss of the season. They returned home to play San Diego State the following week, defeating the Aztecs by two touchdowns.[40] That game was initially cancelled as a result of a decision made by the Mountain West Conference to suspend their 2020 season, though a later decision allowed San Diego State to play BYU.[41] They rose to No. 16 in the rankings after the win and accepted an invite to the Boca Raton Bowl to play UCF.[42] BYU won the bowl game convincingly,[43] ending their season with a record of 11–1 and a final AP and Coaches' Poll ranking of No. 11.[44]
The Chanticleers improved to 10–0 with their win, and improved to No. 13 in the College Football Playoff rankings as a result.
References
- ^ "BYU vs. Coastal Carolina odds, line: 2020 college football picks, Week 14 predictions from proven model". CBS Sports. December 4, 2020. Archived from the original on December 4, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ "Sun Belt 2018 Football Media Guide" (PDF). Sun Belt Conference. 2018. p. 16. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
- ^ Cobb, Dave (December 5, 2020). "BYU vs. Coastal Carolina: Live stream, watch online, TV channel, coverage, kickoff time, odds, spread, pick". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on December 6, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
- ^ a b Dinich, Heather (December 3, 2020). "BYU needed quality football opponent, AD says, and Coastal Carolina fulfilled 'incredible opportunity'". ESPN. Archived from the original on December 5, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
- ^ Saelhof, Todd (December 5, 2020). "College Football Frenzy: 'Decision Saturday' helps clear up NCAA conference races". Calgary Sun. Archived from the original on December 6, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
- ^ "No. 18 Coastal Carolina to play No. 13 BYU in place of Liberty". The Athletic. December 3, 2020. Archived from the original on December 3, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
- ^ Gonzalez, Norma (December 5, 2020). "BYU-Coastal Carolina matchup takes center stage on ESPN's GameDay". The Salt Lake Tribune. Archived from the original on December 6, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
- ^ Blondin, Alan (December 5, 2020). "Who wants a 'Mormons vs. Mullets' T-shirt? It's a thing heading into the BYU-CCU game". The Sun News. Archived from the original on December 6, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
- ^ Walker, Sean (December 4, 2020). "'What happened in the past doesn't matter': 5 things to know about BYU's latest opponent, the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers". KSL.com. Archived from the original on December 6, 2020. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
- ^ Pekale, Zach; Welper, Brenden (September 7, 2020). "BYU dominates Navy to close Week 1 of college football season". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Archived from the original on May 18, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ Drew, Jay (September 20, 2020). "BYU moves up to No. 18 in AP Top 25, its highest ranking since starting 4–0 in 2014". Deseret News. Archived from the original on October 3, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ Call, Jeff (September 27, 2020). "BYU unleashes its passing game, trounces Troy, 48–7". Deseret News. Archived from the original on October 8, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ "Zach Wilson helps No. 22 BYU rout Louisiana Tech 45–14". ESPN. October 3, 2020. Archived from the original on June 17, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ Gonzalez, Norma (October 10, 2020). "No. 15 BYU struggles with UTSA, but hangs on for 27–20 victory to improve to 4–0". The Salt Lake Tribune. Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ Cobb, David (October 17, 2020). "Zach Wilson dazzles again as No. 14 Cougars rally to remain unbeaten". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on February 17, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ Call, Jeff (October 25, 2020). "BYU scores 49 straight points en route to blasting Texas State, 52–14". Deseret News. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- Western Kentucky University Athletics. November 1, 2020. Archivedfrom the original on June 17, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ Cobb, David (November 7, 2020). "No. 9 Cougars make emphatic statement in rout of No. 21 Broncos". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on February 28, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ "No. 8 BYU routs overmatched North Alabama to improve to 9–0". CBS Sports. November 21, 2020. Archived from the original on December 5, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ Gonzalez, Norma (November 24, 2020). "BYU opens at No. 14 in College Football Playoff's initial rankings". The Salt Lake Tribune. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ Lundquist, Casey (December 1, 2020). "BYU Football Improves to No. 13 in the College Football Playoff Rankings". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on August 25, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ Smith, Benton (September 12, 2020). "Kansas Falls in Season Opener to Coastal Carolina". Kansas University Athletics. Archived from the original on August 9, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ "McCall, Coastal Carolina beat Campbell for 2–0 start". ESPN. September 18, 2020. Archived from the original on October 28, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ "A-State Drops 52–23 Decision at Coastal Carolina". Arkansas State University Athletics. October 3, 2020. Archived from the original on June 17, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ "Chanticleers Make History with 30–27 win Over No. 21 Louisiana". Coastal Carolina University Athletics. October 15, 2020. Archived from the original on June 17, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ "Georgia Southern vs Coastal Carolina Football Game Summary". National Collegiate Athletic Association. October 24, 2020. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ "No. 20/21 Coastal Dominates Georgia State 51–0". Coastal Carolina University Athletics. October 31, 2020. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- AL.com. Archivedfrom the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ Blondin, Alan (November 25, 2020). "Coastal Carolina ranked No. 20 by College Football Playoff". Myrtle Beach Online. Archived from the original on December 6, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ a b "No. 16 Coastal Carolina tops Texas State, wins Sun Belt East". ESPN. November 28, 2020. Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ McDonald, Gabe (December 1, 2020). "Coastal Carolina ranked No. 18 in latest College Football Playoff Poll". WMBF News. Archived from the original on February 28, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ "Football vs BYU on 12/5/2020 – Box Score". Coastal Carolina University Athletics. December 5, 2020. Archived from the original on June 17, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f "BYU vs. Coastal Carolina – Play-By-Play". ESPN. December 5, 2020. Archived from the original on June 17, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ "Coastal Carolina stops BYU at 1 on final play to seal upset". ESPN. December 6, 2020. Archived from the original on February 18, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- Athlon Sports. Archivedfrom the original on December 9, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ "BYU vs. Coastal Carolina – Team Stats". ESPN. December 5, 2020. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
- ^ a b "BYU vs. Coastal Carolina – Box Score". ESPN. December 5, 2020. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
- ^ a b c d Brooks, Amanda (December 9, 2020). "BYU-Coastal Carolina Thriller is ESPNU's Most-Viewed Game Since 2015 and Fifth-Most Viewed All-Time". ESPN Press Room. Archived from the original on February 26, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ "BYU Cougars vs. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers | 2020 College Football Highlights". YouTube. ESPN College Football. December 5, 2020. Archived from the original on June 17, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ Greene, Dana (December 13, 2020). "Wilson throws three touchdowns in BYU's 28–14 victory over San Diego State". ABC4 Utah. Archived from the original on March 24, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ Drew, Jay (October 2, 2020). "BYU continues to upgrade its revamped 2020 football schedule, adds San Diego State in Provo in December". Deseret News. Archived from the original on November 6, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ Greene, Dana (December 14, 2020). "BYU accepts invite to Boca Raton Bowl against UCF". ABC4 Utah. Archived from the original on February 18, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ Schuster, Blake (December 22, 2020). "Zach Wilson Dazzles as No. 16 BYU Beats UCF 49–23 in 2020 Boca Raton Bowl". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ Judd, Brandon (January 12, 2021). "BYU football ranked No. 11 in final Associated Press poll". Deseret News. Archived from the original on November 4, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ "Coastal Carolina moved up to No. 13 in the CFP rankings". Myrtle Beach Online. December 8, 2020. Archived from the original on December 29, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- AL.com. Archivedfrom the original on December 13, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ Owens, Michael (December 13, 2020). "Coastal Carolina climbs to No. 9 in AP Poll, first-ever top-10 ranking". WMBF News. Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ "2020 Sun Belt Championship Game Set for Noon ET". Coastal Carolina University Athletics. December 2, 2020. Archived from the original on December 2, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ "Coastal Carolina, Louisiana named co-champions after Sun Belt championship canceled". WSFA 12 News. December 18, 2020. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ Schuster, Blake (December 26, 2020). "Liberty Stuns No. 12 Coastal Carolina in Cure Bowl Despite Late Goal-Line Gaffe". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on June 17, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ "Liberty Takes Down Coastal Carolina in Wild Cure Bowl Win". Sports Illustrated. December 27, 2020. Archived from the original on December 3, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ "Coastal Football finishes the season ranked No. 14 nationally". WMBF News. January 12, 2021. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
Further reading
- Vannini, Chris (December 5, 2020). "Vannini: Coastal Carolina-BYU went from unscheduled to delivering in every way". The Athletic. Retrieved December 6, 2020. (subscription required)