Ex Libertate Veritas | Coastal Carolina Chanticleers

[YaBoyRobRoy]

brutal way to end the run

[redsox907]

UCLA gonna murder you after this loss. So much for undefeated.

UCLA gonna murder you after this loss. So much for undefeated.

He’s not going to the CFP after that

Southern Miss had Brett Favre use some Medicaid money to bring in some ringers to get the upset.

Oof a CC loss after all that!

I made the mistake of changing my sliders mid-season. But I wanted to change them going into the playoffs anyways to represent the jump in competition, just didn't expect Southern Miss to bring the heat

Lost by 3 again. This one's on you

In retro, it is. Should have stuck with my mans Barber. I tried playing mad scientist and it back fired. Those three drives Hudson was in for all started at our own 40 at least - Barber would have at least gotten us a field goal I feel.

Tough loss, especially coming in the conference championship. But Southern Miss gave a good fight the first time around, what's the motivation for the bowl game now that the CFP is out of the picture

Send the seniors out with a W

brutal way to end the run

[redsox907]

The Road To Las Vegas

The dust has settled on Conference Championship Weekend, and the 12-team College Football Playoff bracket is officially locked in — with only minor shakeups to the expected field.

Of the 12 teams projected to make the playoff heading into the weekend, only TCU and Southern Miss broke through from the outside. But thanks to clutch conference title wins, both punched their tickets — knocking out former hopefuls in the process.

“This one’s definitely going to sting for Coastal Carolina,” said former head coach Nick Saban on the playoff reveal show. “But that’s the reality for a Group of Five team. They knew the stakes heading into the title game — and Southern Miss took the spot on the field.”

As a result of their upset win over previously unbeaten Coastal Carolina, the Southern Miss Golden Eagles will now travel to Miami for a first-round clash, with the winner earning a Cotton Bowl date with Notre Dame.

Elsewhere in the bracket:
• Nebraska will head to Happy Valley to face Penn State, with the winner advancing to meet top-seeded Georgia in the Orange Bowl.
• TCU, fresh off their Big 12 title, will face ACC runner-up Duke. The winner moves on to the Fiesta Bowl for a showdown with Ohio State.
• In an all-SEC first-round battle, LSU heads to Knoxville to face Tennessee, with the winner earning a Peach Bowl date with Big Ten champion UCLA.

[redsox907]

Jeremiah Smith Secures 2026 Heisman Memorial Trophy

For the first time since Troy Smith in 2006, a Buckeye is bringing the Heisman back to Columbus. Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith edged out Georgia’s Landon Roldan and teammate Julian Sayin to capture college football’s most prestigious individual honor.

Smith kept his acceptance speech brief and focused, thanking his family, coaches, and teammates before shifting attention back to unfinished business.

“A Heisman is special, no doubt,” the junior said in New York. “But after falling short in the Big Ten title game, I can’t celebrate this like it’s the end goal. We’ve got bigger dreams — and I need to play even better to help us reach them.”

Smith didn’t just walk away with the Heisman — he swept the major offensive hardware, claiming the Maxwell, Walter Camp, and Biletnikoff awards to cap off a dominant season.

But it was Coastal Carolina who made the loudest statement on the defensive side, nearly sweeping the national awards. Of the seven honors for defensive players, only the Butkus Award escaped Conway.

Trevor Holton earned the Thorpe, while pass-rushing menace Aakil Washington brought home the Bednarik, Nagurski, Lombardi, and Edge Rusher of the Year awards — a clean sweep for one of the most feared defenders in the country.

Defensive coordinator Jeremiah Johnson was honored with the Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach, while head coach Kade Vaughn finished third in Coach of the Year voting, behind winner Kirby Smart of Georgia.

The Chanticleers may have fallen just short of the playoff — but on awards night, they left their mark.
2026_National_Awards

Award	Player	Team
Heisman	WR Jeremiah Smith	Ohio State
Maxwell	WR Jeremiah Smith	Ohio State
Walter Camp	WR Jeremiah Smith	Ohio State
Bear Bryant Coach of the Year	HC Kirby Smart	Georgia
Davey O'Brien	QB Julian Saying	Ohio State
Chuck Bednarik	DE Aakil Washington}Coastal Carolina
Bronko Nagurski	DE Aakil Washington	Coastal Carolina
Jim Thrope	CB Trevor Holton	Coastal Carolina
Doak Walker	HB Caden Durham	LSU
Fred Biletnikoff	WR Jeremiah Smith	Ohio State
Lombardi	DE Aakil Washington	Coastal Carolina
Unitas Golden Arm	QB Avery Johnson	TCU
Edge Rusher of the Year	DE Aakil Washington	Coastal Carolina
Outland Trophy	C Iapani Laloulu	Arizona State
John Mackey	TE Lawson Luckie	Georgia
Broylers	DC Jeremiah Johnson	Coastal Carolina
Dick Butkus	MLB Red Murdock	Buffalo
Rimington	C Iapani Laloulu	Arizona State
Groza	K Jamal Bromell	Marshall
Ray Guy	P David Barker	New Mexico
Returner of the Year	WR Nathan Acevedo	Tulsa

[redsox907]

2026 - Bowl Preview

#15 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (12-1)
Offensive Scheme: Veer and Shoot
Defensive Scheme: 3-3-5
Offensive Points Per Game: 39.5
Defensive Points Per Game: 15.5
Offensive Rankings: 410.6 YPG
Defensive Rankings: 235.3 YPGA

Houston Cougars (9-3)
75 Overall // 76 Offense // 74 Defense
Head Coach: Billy Napier
Offensive Scheme: Power Spread
Defensive Scheme: 3-3-5 Tite
Offensive Points Per Game: 32.0
Defensive Points Per Game: 23.8
Offensive Rankings: 3937 YPG
Defensive Rankings: 363.0 YPGA

Houston Cougars 2026 Results
Week 1 | Oregon State (4-8) | W 27-10
Week 3 | @ Indiana (8-4) | W 33-14
Week 4 | @ Georgia Southern (4-8) | W 41-25
Week 5 | @ Texas Tech (6-6) | W 20-17
Week 6 | Baylor (2-1) | W 34-28
Week 7 | UCF (4-8) | W 38-24
Week 8 | @ Colorado (11-2) | W 29-24
Week 9 | Oklahoma State (4-8) | L 34-21
Week 10 | Cincinnati (4-8) | W 35-14
Week 11 | @ Utah (6-6) | L 33-30
Week 12 | @ Kansas State (7-5) | W 41-14
Week 13 | @ West Virginia (10-2) | L 49-35

Houston Cougars Top Contributors
QB Austin Carlisle (79) | 234/379 (61%), 2,967 Yds, 18 TD, 12 INT
HB Brandon High Jr (86) | 256 Att, 1,192 Yds, 20 TD
WR Zaylen Cormier (79) | 56 Rec, 875 Yds, 6 TD
MLB Mihalis santorineos (72) | 71 Tkl, TFL
DE Latreveon McCutchin (79) | 21 Tkl, 9 TFL, 4.5 Sacks
LB Christian Brathwaite (76) | 61 Tkl, 3 TFL, 2.5 Sacks
SS Jordan Allen (79) | 47 Tkl, 3 INT

Bowl Matchups
68 Ventures Bowl - Appalachian State (7-5) vs Akron (6-6)
Alamo Bowl - #21 UConn (9-3) vs #13 Colorado (11-2)
Arizona Bowl - Buffalo (10-3) vs Fresno State (7-5)
Armed Forces Bowl - Ole Miss (6-6) vs Tulane (9-4)
Bahamas Bowl - Northern Illinois (6-6) vs Middle Tennessee (6-6)
Birmingham Bowl - #14 Auburn (10-2) vs #20 Pittsburgh (8-4)
Boca Raton Bowl - Liberty (7-5) vs Arkansas State (9-3)
Citrus Bowl - Michigan (7-5) vs Wisconsin (6-6)
Cure Bowl - Kennesaw State (7-5) vs Kent State (7-6)
Duke's Mayo Bowl - North Carolina (6-6) vs Indiana (8-4)
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl - Florida International (6-6) vs #24 Boise State (9-4)
Fenway Bowl - Memphis (8-4) vs Florida State (6-6)
First Responder Bowl - Navy (8-5) vs South Alabama (7-5)
Frisco Bowl - Arizona (6-6) vs UAB (8-4)
GameAbove Sports Bowl - Clemson (7-5) vs Central Michigan (7-5)
Gasparilla Bowl - #25 Virginia Tech (9-3) vs Kentucky (6-6)
Gator Bowl - Arkansas (8-4) vs Tulsa (8-4)
Hawaii Bowl - San Diego State (6-6) vs North Texas (8-4)
Holiday Bowl - #11 SMU (10-2) vs New Mexico (8-4)
Independence Bowl - Louisiana Tech (6-6) vs #22 BYU (9-3)
LA Bowl - Air Force (6-6) vs Colorado State (9-4)
Las Vegas Bowl - UNLV (6-6) vs #19 Alabama (8-4)
Liberty Bowl - Utah (6-6) vs Texas (7-5)
Military Bowl - USF (7-5) vs Syracuse (7-5)
Music City Bowl - #16 Oklahoma (8-4) vs #23 Michigan State (8-4)
Myrtle Beach Bowl - Louisiana-Monroe (6-6) vs Temple (7-5)
New Orleans Bowl - UTEP (9-4) vs Marshall (8-4)
PopTarts Bowl - #18 West Virginia (10-2) vs Wake Forest (7-5)
Rate Bowl - Kansas State (7-5) vs USC (7-5)
Reliaquest Bowl - Oregon (7-5) vs Vanderbilt (6-6)
Salute To Veterans Bowl - Toledo (8-4) vs Georgia State (6-6)
Sun Bowl - Army (6-6) vs Louisville (8-4)
Texas Bowl - Texas A&M (8-4) vs #17 Arizona State (9-3)

[djp73]

End the season with a W

[Soapy]

FRAUD CHECK!

[YaBoyRobRoy]

fitting match up with another team who had a terrific season before choking towards the end of the year kick the Cougars ass!

[redsox907]

End the season with a W

FRAUD CHECK!

fitting match up with another team who had a terrific season before choking towards the end of the year kick the Cougars ass!

[redsox907]

Chants Tame Cougars In New Mexico


After surrendering an opening touchdown to the potent Cougars offense, Coastal flexed their muscle defensively as they tallied five sacks and kept Houston from reaching the end zone again.

BOXSCORE

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Houston	10	0	0	3	13
Coastal Carolina	14	14	14	7	49

ScoringSummary

Q	Team	Time	Play	Houston	Coastal Carolina
1st	Houston	8:36	Brandon High Jr, 29 Yd Run	7	0
1st	Coastal Carolina	7:54	Aziah Johnson, 58 Yd Pass From Larry Garfield	7	7
1st	Houston	5:06	Dillon Curtis, 57 Yd FG	10	7
1st	Coastal Carolina	0:54	Trishtin Glass, 11 Yd Pass From Larry Garfield	10	14
2nd	Coastal Carolina	2:20	Trishtin Glass, 4 Yd Pass From Larry Garifled	10	21
2nd	Coastal Carolina	0:29	Michael Allen, 17 Yd Pass From Larry Garfield	10	28
3rd	Coastal Carolina	7:17	Aziah Johnson, 14 Yd Pass From Larry Garfield	10	35
3rd	Coastal Carolina	2:52	Larry Garfield, 1 Yd Run	10	42
4th	Coastal Carolina	11:01	Michael Allen, 4 Yd Run	10	49
4th	Houston	0:51	Dillon Curtis, 31 Yd FG	13	49

Coastal Carolina
Passing_Stats

Larry Garifled	27/38, 326 Yds, 5 TD

Rushing_Stats

Bill Davis	20 Att, 112 Yds
Larry Garfield	9 Att, 66 Yds, TD
Michael Allen	7 Att, 33 Yds, TD

Receiving_Stats

Trishtin Glass	9 Rec, 93 Yds, 2 TD
Michael Allen	6 Rec, 29 Yds
Aziah Johnson	5 Rec, 118 Yds, 2 TD
David Yazzie	4 Rec, 53 Yds
Xakery Wiedner	2 Rec, 17 Yds
Ja'Marion Wayne	1 Rec, 9 Yds
Bill Davis	1 Rec, 7 Yds

Defensive_Stats

MLB Luke Murphy	7 Tkl, 4 TFL
CB Trevor Holton	6 Tkl, 2 TFL, 1.5 Sacks
MLB Wyatt Gedeon	4 Tkl, TFL, Sack
DT Nick James	4 Tkl, 2 TFL, 1.5 Sack
DT Darrion Hammer	3 Tkl, 3 TFL, 1.5 Sacks
DE LJ McCray	1 Tkl, TFL, 0.5 Sack

Houston
Passing_Stats

Dan Mahan	5/7, 96 Yds
Austin Carlisle	7/20, 95 Yds

Rushing_Stats

Brandon High Jr	9 Att, 80 Yds, TD
Austin Carlisle	7 Att, 8 Yds
Parker Jenkins	4 Att, 5 Yds
Dan Mahan	3 Att, 12 Yds
Re'Shaun Sanford II	2 Att, 7 Yds
Dexter East	1 Att, -3 Yds

Receiving_Stats

Zaylen Cormier	3 Rec, 49 Yds
Dexter East	2 Rec, 22 Yds
Amare Thomas	2 Rec, 20 Yds
Luke McGary	1 Rec, 20 Yds
Jacory Thurman	1 Rec, 43 Yds
Tyler Johnson	1 Rec, 26 Yds
Parker Jenkins	1 Rec, 5 Yds
Re'Shaun Sanford II	1 Rec, 6 Yds

Defensive_Stats

FS Kentrell Webb	11 Tkl, TFL
LB Christian Braithwaite	10 Tkl, 2 TFL
DE Latreveon McCutchin	4 Tkl, TFL, Sack

Albuquerque, NM. - The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers may have stumbled in the Sun Belt Championship Game — and with it, their shot at the College Football Playoff — but there was no hangover in the Isleta Bowl. Coastal roared back with a dominant 49-13 win over the Houston Cougars, closing out a sensational 13-1 campaign.

Houston struck first with an 80-yard touchdown drive to open the game, but that would be their last real highlight. The Chanticleers’ top-ranked defense slammed the door shut from there, allowing just 200 yards the rest of the way while racking up five sacks in a vintage performance.

“We talked about it all week,” said head coach Kade Vaughn. “Win or lose, the seniors deserved to finish the game on the field. They earned that moment. And the plan was to send them off with a win.”

Conspicuously absent from the sideline was former starting quarterback Roquan Barber, who did not travel with the team. In his place, redshirt sophomore Larry Garfield seized the spotlight, throwing for 326 yards and five touchdowns in a breakout performance.

“I left that decision up to Ro,” Vaughn confirmed postgame. “After how I handled the Sun Belt title game, I told him this one was his call. We respect it. He made the choice he felt was best for his future.”

When pressed on whether Barber would return in 2027, Vaughn declined to comment — adding fuel to growing speculation that the junior will re-enter the transfer portal, this time without a push from the coaching staff to return.

Regardless of what the offseason brings, Coastal Carolina closes the 2026 season at 13-1, with a bowl trophy in hand, the nation’s top defense, and all eyes on a potential playoff run in 2027.