The Citadel faces Coastal Carolina in a college football game at Brooks Stadium in Conway, South Carolina, on Thursday, September 2, 2021 (9/2/21).
Fans can watch the game exclusively with ESPN+.
Here’s what you need to know:
What: FBS, College Football
Who: The Citadel vs. Coastal Carolina
When: Thursday, September 2, 2021
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Where: Brooks Stadium
TV: N/A
Channel finder: Verizon Fios, AT&T U-verse, Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, Cox, DIRECTV, Dish, Hulu, fuboTV, Sling.
Live stream: ESPN+
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Coastal Carolina coach Jamey Chadwell sees a new challenge for his surprising Chanticleers this fall: staying as hungry at chasing success as they were during their landmark 2020 season.
Coastal Carolina was picked last in the Sun Belt East, yet started the season 11-0, finished No. 14 in the final rankings and came up just short of playing in a New Year’s Six bowl game.
And the Chants, ranked No. 22 in the preseason this year, are not alone in the AP Top 25, with Louisiana-Lafayette right behind them at No. 23. It’s the first time the league has had a pair of teams in the preseason rankings.
Last year was a breakthrough for a team that played in the FCS five years ago and figured to need more seasoning before coming to the top of the Sun Belt. Instead, the Chants were a plucky and fun-loving team that grabbed national attention.
“There is more name recognition for our university and our football program than we’ve ever had,” Chadwell said. “There are more opportunities and that’s a benefit for our student athletes.
“But the main thing we’ve got to focus on, the reason why the recognition’s there was what we did on the field,” he said. “Our players and coaches have to make sure to remember what got us there.”
Despite their best mark since elevating to the FBS, the season ended on a disappointing note.
The Chants were set to host the Sun Belt title game against Louisiana-Lafayette last December before the game was called off due to positive virus tests and contact tracing within Coastal Carolina’s program.
Then the team lost a heartbreaker in the postseason, 37-34, to No. 23 Liberty (the Chants and Liberty had a December showdown called off due to COVID-19) in the Cure Bowl.
The finish left the Chants wanting more — and wanting to work even harder to achieve more success.
“People probably have a target on us and that might supply that pressure” to strive, linebacker Silas Kelly said. “In our minds, we’re still picked to finish last.”
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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