College Football Schedule Week 11: Under the Radar Games to Watch

Texas State at Coastal Carolina

2:30 PM CT on ESPN+

It’s basically become a weekly tradition for me to feature a Sun Belt game on ESPN+. Let’s keep it going with another of our adopted G5 programs in Texas State (who Mississippi State fans may want to pay attention to for certain reasons…) traveling out to Myrtle Beach to face the Chanticleers of Coastal Carolina. Both teams sit at 6-3 on the year.

We’ve discussed Texas State many times now. GJ Kinne has done a masterful job of turning the program around in just one offseason with his innovative offensive attack and a boatload of transfer additions. Last week they took it to league-contender Georgia Southern in a 45-24 blowout where the Bobcats at one point led by five touchdowns. Their offense produced 487 yards while their defense stifled a usually prolific GSU pass game to just 195 yards.

Coastal Carolina has been one of the G5 darlings over the past few years. They first burst onto the scene in the 2020 COVID year with an undefeated regular season in which they notably took down BYU in a game that was scheduled just days prior, following that season up with another 11-win team in 2021.

The Chants have a different look these days. Jamey Chadwell left for Liberty, taking his spread triple option attack with him. New HC Tim Beck kept some of those philosophies in place but has otherwise implemented his own system. The star QB from those great CCU teams, Grayson McCall, is still on campus. But unfortunately he’s out for this game. And his backup is actually out too.

So why would I still hype this matchup? Because third-stringer Ethan Vasko had himself a day in their win over Old Dominion last week. He totaled 350 yards of offense, including 170 on the ground, and two scores to lead the Chants to a last second victory.

He’ll need another big day to keep pace with Texas State, but this could be an exciting one in the Fun Belt.