No more growing pains as Chants return to form

After winning three consecutive Big South titles, something unexpected happened to Coastal Carolina last year — a losing season.

Even though the Chanticleers were in a massive rebuilding year after losing 36 seniors, last season's 5-6 record left a bad taste in coach David Bennett's mouth.

"We had a chance to win five of the six games we lost," Bennett said. "The only one we didn't have a chance was James Madison. They beat us like we stole something. It's over. It's done. It's no fun to endure it. But hopefully our guys learned a lesson — players, coaches, all of us — that hey, you better not take anything for granted."

It's safe to say Bennett has drilled that message home, and after working through some growing pains last season, expect the Chanticleers to contend for yet another Big South title.

"Hopefully our guys have remembered last season every day when they're running, lifting, practicing, going to class and doing all the little things," Bennett said.

Coastal Carolina returns eight starters on offense and eight on defense from last year's team, but the losses were significant.

Gone are starting wide receivers Jerome Simpson, an NFL second-round draft pick, and Santini Washington, as well as leading rusher Mike Tolbert.

Even with the losses, the Chanticleers have experienced receivers in Jon Greene, Trent Usher and Jamar Anderson.

Some incoming players also may be able to play their way into the mix.

At running back, Bennett is high on sophomore Eric O'Neil, and senior Arthur Sitton has played well enough to earn more minutes.

A key for the Chants is that all five starters return on the offensive line.

William Richardson returns at quarterback after starting all of last

season, but is facing a challenge from redshirt freshman Jamie Childers as well as Wake Forest transfer Zach MacDowell.

Childers, a former Wando standout, exited the spring as No. 1, followed by MacDowell and Richardson.

On defense, the Chanticleers return two All-Big South linebackers in D.J. Rice and Phillip Oboh and three All-Big South players in the secondary in corner Whitman Reese and safeties Marrio Norman and Brandon Autry.

Oboh is fast enough to also play at defensive end and may start the season at that position.

Bennett didn't exactly go out and find a confidence builder for the opener.

Coastal Carolina opens the season with a noon showdown at Penn State on Aug. 30.

"You go to booster clubs and some guy will stand up and say, 'Coach, Appalachian State beat Michigan, y'all can beat Penn State,' " Bennett said. "And I say, 'Yeah, but how many times has an FCS school defeated a 1-A team in the top 10? That was it. One.' So I'd say, 'Sit down, you're an idiot.'

"Now it can happen, but it ain't a good chance. You try to win battles. Get first downs, score points. Hold them, make them kick. Playing in front of 110,000 when the most we've played in front of in our stadium is 10,000. Can we win the war? I don't know, but we've got 11 games after that one that are a lot more important."