Coastal Carolina vs. South Alabama 2025 Preview: Keys, Players, and Predictions

It’s Week 4 in the season, which means it’s the start of conference play in the college football world. The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers are heading down to Mobile, AL, to face the South Alabama Jaguars in what should be a good matchup. It’s a Coastal Carolina vs. South Alabama showdown in 2025, and we’ll preview the Week 4 matchup below.

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers vs. South Alabama Jaguars: Series History

The last time these two teams faced off was four years ago in 2021. Coastal won 27-21 and has the lead in the overall series, 2-1. A lot has changed since then as both programs are in completely different stages than they once were, with new coaches and entirely new rosters.

Coastal was once a perennial Sun Belt team under the guidance of coach Chadwell, going 31-6 in conference play. They won their first bowl game in program history in 2021 (the Cure Bowl vs Northern Illinois), were co-Sun Belt Conference champions in 2020 (did not play the championship due to Covid), and were ranked as high as No. 9 in that 2020 run. Chadewell left Coastal in 2023, leaving the job for head coach Tim Beck. Now, Coastal has struggled to find the same success, starting the season 1-2 and only scoring 2o points in three weeks.

South Alabama has undergone a similar transitional phase, although not as significant as Coastal’s. Kane Wommack was the head coach from 2021 to 2023. During his tenure, they had their best season at the FBS level in 2022, going 10-3, and then in 2023 won their first bowl game in school history against Eastern Michigan in the 68 Ventures Bowl. In 2024, Wommack went on to take the defensive coordinator role at Alabama, leaving Major Applewhite to take the helm.

This is where the similarities end, however; as the Jags have actually kept up their success, going 7-6 and winning the Salute To Veterans Bowl last season. They, too, are off to a 1-2 start, but have looked much better than their record suggests. They lost a close one to Tulane in Week 2, 33-31, then had to face Auburn in Week 3. Now, the Jags are hungry to get back in the win column while Coastal is just barely holding on.

Coastal Carolina  vs. South Alabama  2025 Preview: Keys, Players, and Predictions

Key Players for Coastal Carolina

As has been the theme so far this season, Coastals’ most important player will be their quarterback, whether that’s Tad Hudson or if they decide to go back to MJ Morris. There wasn’t much to show for on offense during their 38-0 dismantling by ECU last week.

Hudson went 19-39 with 172 yards, no touchdowns, had four turnovers, two picks, and two fumbles. However, it’s not clear if Coach Beck should go back to Morris (who started Weeks 1-2) as he has not been any better, throwing throw picks against an FCS school (Charleston Southern) and almost costing them the game until Hudson was put in – in his last start. Whichever quarterback starts will need to get it under control, as Coastal’s aspirations for this season are quickly fading.

Some bright spots on this team include senior and captain linebacker Shane Bruce, who already has two interceptions this season, one of which came last week. Bruce, who was named to the second team all-conference this preseason, has been commanding the defense by making plays and setting the tone. Along with his toughness, tackling ability, and play recognition, Bruce displays visible emotion and heart. He rallies his teammates through rough stretches, inspiring the front seven to raise to his level of play.

Safety Tobias Fletcher is another veteran senior, who leads the defensive backs and has multiple pass breakups this season. Defensive end Zeke Campbell leads the team in sacks (2), but didn’t do much against ECU.

Notable stat: Preseason all-conference wide receiver Jameson Tucker has only three receptions for 15 yards through three games. Tucker was a captain last season who accounted for a team-leading 579 receiving yards and six touchdowns. It’s hard to say why he isn’t getting much playing time or production, but Coach Beck needs to incorporate Tucker into the offense to help this flailing passing game.

Key Players for South Alabama

Bishop Davenport is a junior quarterback who has been efficient in the passing game, with 567 yards, six touchdowns, and only one interception. He also contributes in the running game with 79 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. Wideout Devin Voisin has 19 receptions for 266 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 88.7 receiving yards per game. Wesley Miller and Ty Goodwill are a shutdown defensive back duo that play a significant role in their secondary. The two seniors are credited with 26 tackles, multiple pass breakups, and an interception.

These players will be key in defeating Coastal in this game.

How Coastal Beats the Jags in Week 4

Coastal must address their poor offensive play and make adjustments for the upcoming game. Their defense should be fine as long as they’re not on the field too much, but that all depends on the offense. Coastal’s defense isn’t bad, despite the result of the last couple of games. The real issue is they are on the field too much and too long, and eventually fatigue gets the best of them. If the offense can run a balanced offense, make a couple of drives, and score some points, then they should fare better. Scoring early will give them some much-needed confidence, proving they can compete.

Coastal’s offense also needs to reduce their turnovers, which have been a main factor in their losses. The Jaguars are heavy favorites to win the game. However if Coastal can address these key issues, particularly figuring out their offense, then they could pull out a much needed conference win. If not, and it’s more of the same for the Chants, and will cause Tim Beck’s seat to get hot in Coastal.