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College Football Free Picks: Weekly Mid-Major Report and Predictions for Coastal Carolina (2023 Season Preview)

by Matt Zitt - 8/22/2023

Mid Major betting report Coastal Carolina Grayson McCall

With the start of the college football season right around the corner, we will be taking an in-depth look at a school just down the road from Myrtle Beach -- Coastal Carolina University from the Sun Belt Conference. It has been quite the ride for CCU over the last six seasons since joining the FCS world. There were growing pains the first three seasons building the program up, followed by a 31-3 record over the next two and a half seasons before ending last year on a three-game losing streak.

We will be releasing picks for Coastal Carolina games each week of the college football season here on Doc’s Sports homepage and tracking the results. Using Doc’s Sports Unit System for every prediction, we might take a moneyline, side, total, or combination of the three. If nothing tickles our fancy, we could pass for that week, but we will still publish an article stating why. My overall goal is to help you, the reader, make a profit this season on a smaller scale school that does not garner the same attention as the Alabama’s, Ohio State’s and Georgia’s of the betting world.

I spent last season covering the Chanticleers and know this program inside and out. I can assure you there is no bias with these picks as I am from Pennsylvania and never attended the University for education. I lived and breathed CCU football the past year and will use my in-depth knowledge to earn you a profit during the upcoming season.

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Coastal Carolina University Football: 2022 Recap

Everything fell off the rails with a three-game losing streak to end the 2022 campaign. That was almost certainly an aberration as the Chanticleers star quarterback Grayson McCall missed two games and was nowhere near 100% in the final two losses. The pass defense was also nonexistent in the final four games in 2022. CCU finished 2022 with a 9-4 overall record and a 6-2 mark in conference. They had a solid 6-1 record at home and finished 3-2 as visitors. Their final defeat was a neutral site for the Birmingham Bowl, losing to East Carolina 53-29.

Coastal Carolina University Football: Coaching Preview

It took former head coach Jamey Chadwell three seasons to build the Chanticleers into an elite unit that eventually went on a 31-3 run. He is now off to Liberty to take their program up a notch, and in comes Tim Beck for his first career college head coaching gig. He is an offensive-minded coach and inherits a great unit on that side of the ball. Beck has served as an offensive coordinator at the FBS level for 12 seasons. He tends to lean on the running game and short passing game. Beck has served under great leadership such as Urban Meyer at Ohio State, Bo Pelini at Nebraska, Tom Herman at Texas, and Dave Doeren at NC State.

Coastal Carolina University Football: Offense

The new coaching change means two things: Lots of Grayson McCall and running the football. Easier said than done, but the offense will look to control the game and dominate the clock. All eyes will be on McCall, as he is the most decorated player in the history of the Sun Belt Conference. He has thrown for 8,061 yards with 77 touchdowns and just eight interceptions in his collegiate career. He has also added 1,054 yards on the ground while striking paydirt another 17 times. He is the only player in Sun Belt history to earn Player of the Year honors three times.

The rushing attack will be led by redshirt junior running back CJ Beasley. In 2022, Beasley played in all 13 games and led the team with 141 carries and 717 rushing yards. He averaged 5.1 yards per carry and found the endzone five times on the ground. He added 193 yards receiving, along with one receiving TD. The wide receiver room is headlined by senior Sam Pinckney. He led the Chants with 71 receptions, 996 receiving yards, and averaged 76.6 yards per game. Jared Brown and Tyson Mobley round out what should potentially be the best group of targets in the Sun Belt. The offensive line is also a veteran group, only losing center Willie Lampkin, and should set the pace for this year’s offense.

Coastal Carolina University Football: Defense

The defense still has question marks heading into 2023-24, and that could be the team's Achilles heel. The linebackers will be the strength of the D, with JT Killen. He flies all over the field, and the combination of Shane Bruce and Tre Pinkney will be the anchors on the outside. The secondary needs to be much better this season. I repeat, the secondary MUST be better this year. One interception over their final eight games in 2022 just will not cut it this season in terms of production. The Chants are trying to clean that up with the transfer portal (see below).

Coastal Carolina University Football: Transfer Portal

The Chanticleers ended up with three of the top FCS players from the transfer portal and they all play defense, which failed the 2022 team down the stretch. Micheal Mason, a versatile defensive lineman and Wofford transfer, should make an immediate impact as a pass rusher. He was also very solid against the run. Keonte Lusk, an East Central transfer and instinctive cornerback, will have plenty of chances to start in CCU’s suspect secondary. The same also goes for Courtney Eubanks, a North Dakota State transfer and cover corner.

Coastal Carolina University Football: Special Teams

All you need to know is Matthew McDoom. Named to the Phil Steele All-Sun Belt Conference third team as a specialist, McDoom was named the Sun Belt Conference Special Teams Player of the Week on Sept 12th last season. He led CCU’s return game with 20 kickoff returns for 451 yards and a touchdown. He averaged 22.6 yards per kickoff return on the season, which included a 95-yard touchdown return in week two against Gardner-Webb.

Coastal Carolina University Football: Betting Angles

The 2022 Chants boasted a 9-4 record straight up. They were 4-8-1 against the spread, and the over hit in eight of their 13 games. With a mediocre defense and a high-octane offense, attacking the over totals (especially early on in the season) is the way to go. CCU was 2-4-1 ATS at home and the over was 4-3 in home contests. On the road, they were 2-4 ATS and the over hit four out of six tries (including the bowl game).

Coastal Carolina University Football: Conclusion

I have high hopes for this Chanticleer squad after an awful finish to the 2022 season. If you are looking for a season-long prop, take the over on their win total. It is currently set at 7.5 wins at -125 odds. Even with a defense that needs to prove doubters wrong, McCall and the offense will carry this team. I look at the Chants and think their floor is an 8-4 record with the ability to be a one or two-loss team. There will be no shortage of points in 2023!

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