Coastal Carolina to Face William & Mary in Home Opener

Sep 6, 20242 min read

The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers look to open the home part of their 2024 campaign on a high note when they face FCS school William & Mary on Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. at Brooks Stadium.

What's at Stake?

Both the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers and the William & Mary Tribe look to build upon their opening week wins and improve to 2-0. The Chants started their season with a 55-27 victory over Jacksonville State, while the Tribe opened their season by beating VMI 41-7.

Key Players: Coastal Carolina

Offensive: After a strong showing in the season opener, Ethan Vasko will look to prove that head coach Tim Beck made the right call in naming him the starter. Throwing for 249 yards and 2 touchdowns on 12-of-19 passing, Vasko carved up the South Carolina Gamecocks defense and will look to do the same against the Tribe.

Defensive: After getting an interception in the season opener, Matthew McDoom will look to get another one this week, or at the very least make life hard for William & Mary quarterback Darius Wilson in getting the ball to his receivers.

Key Players: William & Mary

Offensive: Quarterback Darius Wilson will look to improve on his showing against VMI. He threw for 190 yards and 2 touchdowns on 11-of-15 passing. If the Tribe has any hope in this one, then Wilson will have to play flawlessly.

Defensive: Ty Gorgon had 1.5 sacks in last week's win. If the Tribe hopes to slow down the Chanticleer offense, then he will need to get into the backfield and put pressure on Vasko.

Trends to Watch

Both teams are coming into this one following strong performances to open the season. For the Chanticleers, if they can play their style of football, especially with the upgrades to Brooks Stadium, then this is a game that they should be winning. As long as the Chants win, it will continue to be a great time to be a Coastal Carolina fan. For William & Mary, it will be more of an uphill climb. It's always a challenge for Football Championship Subdivision teams going to Football Bowl Subdivision stadiums, and this game will be no different. The Tribe will have to play flawless football to have any chance of winning this one.