Georgia Southern Extra: Health of dueling QBs a focus of Eagles' game at Coastal Carolina

Of all the streaks that record-setting quarterback Grayson McCall has put together since becoming Coastal Carolina's starter, this has to be the strangest.

The two-time Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year has missed both of his Chanticleers' previous games against Georgia Southern because of injuries.

And there's a chance the redshirt junior could make it 3 for 3 this Saturday when Georgia Southern visits CCU at a rescheduled time of 7 p.m. Saturday (weather permitting) at Brooks Stadium in Conway, S.C. (ESPN+).

McCall was a Freshman All-America in 2020 and missed only one game — the Chants' 28-14 home win over Georgia Southern — because of an upper-body injury. Fred Payton, who had starting experience, filled in admirably and CCU broke open the game with a 14-0 fourth quarter.

McCall was a sophomore and again one of the highest-rated quarterbacks in passing efficiency in the country in 2021, but missed the game against the Eagles in Statesboro due to an upper-body injury. His backup Bryce Carpenter was solid, particularly as a running QB, in CCU's 28-8 win.

The Chants are 4-0 this year as McCall has been outstanding again, but in the most-recent victory 41-24 on Sept. 22 at Georgia State, he left the game early after injurying his ankle while being tackled on an incomplete pass.

Reporter Alan Blondin, who covers CCU for  myhorrynews.com, wrote that after leaving the field, McCall was examined by medical personnel and later pedaled an exercise bicycle on the Chanticleers' sideline. The quarterback "did not appear to be wearing a brace as he mingled with Panthers players on the field following the game," Blondin wrote.

He quoted CCU head coach Jamey Chadwell saying in the postgame interview on WRNN 99.5 FM that "if (McCall) had to finish, we could have probably had him finish, but it’s a sprain. So we’ll see. Hopefully, he’s back for Georgia Southern."

While that sounds like McCall will finally face the Eagles, Georgia Southern quarterback Kyle Vantrease is dealing with a sore right (throwing) shoulder after coming down hard on it during the 34-23 win over Ball State last Saturday.

"It happened early in the game Saturday," Vantrease said Monday. "I had felt the feeling before, last year at the end of the season (while playing for the University of Buffalo), but it wasn't nearly the same (Saturday, nearly) as severe. I didn't want to leave the field. I wanted to keep playing. I just pushed myself. I knew it was going to be uncomfortable to throw but I had to push through because I wanted to be there for my teammates."

Vantrease played the whole game and threw two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter — 7 yards to tight end Jjay Mcafee and 47 yards to wide receiver Amare Jones.

Vantrease finished 26 of 39 for 310 yards, the two TDs and no interceptions. He also ran 4 yards for a third-quarter touchdown.

"It's still stiff, it's still pretty sore, but keeping the mobility and strength is all I'm focused on," Vantrease said Monday. "I'm getting out there and getting prepared for Coastal."

He was held out of practice Sunday and the team was off Monday, head coach Clay Helton said. The coach said that on Saturday, Vantrease was confident he could get the job done and wanted to stay in the game.

"Throwing-wise, he was still accurate and making good decisions and really being effective," Helton said Monday. "I thought Kyle did a great job of fighting his way through it. A little bit of a sore shoulder."

Helton said Monday they would see during the week how much Vantrease will practice but fully expected him to play Saturday.

"... knowing him, knowing his competitiveness, I feel like we'll be in good position," Helton said.

Eagles injury report

As for other injuries on the team, Helton said Monday that inside linebacker Todd Bradley-Glenn, who dislocated an elbow in the loss at UAB, is expected to be out at least another week.

"He is gaining strength in that elbow," Helton said. "We will see him again this season."

Bradley-Glenn is a seventh-year player and team co-captain who as the mike linebacker calls the plays and is the "quarterback of the defense," said Helton, who also called him the "rock of the defense."

His injury followed the season-ending knee injury one week earlier that wide receiver Sam Kenerson suffered in the win over Nebraska.

Redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Rasheed Miller (6-foot-6, 315 pounds), who has missed the last two games with a finger injury, is "a week or two away once that pin is removed," said Helton, explaining that a pin is slated to be taken out this week.

Mcafee, a senior tight end and former wide receiver, played through a sore ankle in the Ball State game and ended up catching the go-ahead touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.

He was held out of practice on Sunday, Helton said Monday.

The power of Paulson

With only two home football games in their first six outings in 2022, the Eagles have to take advantage, and they did.

They opened the season and the Clay Helton coaching era with a 59-7 win over Morgan State, an FCS program, before 15,183 on Sept. 3 at Paulson Stadium.

They split two road games, winning at Power 5 Nebraska 45-42 on Sept. 10, then losing at Group of 5 UAB 35-21 on Sept. 17.

Georgia Southern returned to Statesboro for the last of four nonconference games on Saturday night and scored the last 14 points of the game to knock off Ball State 34-23.

Helton called the atmosphere for the homecoming game at Paulson "was electric."

"It's great to be back at home after two weeks of being on the road," Helton said Monday. "I felt our fans were absolutely electric and Paulson (Stadium) was just a weapon that was used in that game, especially in the fourth quarter. I'm proud of the way our kids finished that game in all three phases to create that separation in the fourth and go 1-0 on the week."

The crowd of 18,434 at Paulson Stadium was slightly larger than the biggest home crowds last season at the University of Buffalo, where quarterback Vantrease was a three-year starter. The sixth-year player transferred to Georgia Southern in January and is enjoying the community's passionate following for football.

"I've been in college for quite some time now," Vantrease said Monday. "A home game, I've never had that experience. It's just a completely different atmosphere down here, and Saturday night was awesome.

"The student section was great, the fans were great. It was a great atmosphere, great energy. They stayed the entire time. We love that as players and coaches and a program. It gives us a lot of confidence. It gives us an advantage on the field."

MEN'S GOLF

Williams leads Eagles at North Carolina tourney

Mason Williams tied for seventh to lead the Georgia Southern men's golf team to an eighth-place finish at the Old Town Collegiate Invitational on Tuesday at the Old Town Club in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Williams' 63 in the second round tied for the lowest of the event and is tied for the fourth-lowest in program history. The senior shot a 71 in Tuesday's final round and carded a 72 in the first round to finish 4-under par for the tournament. 

Brantley Baker rolled in six birdies in the first round, including three in a row on Nos. 15, 16 and 17 to play his final five holes 3-under en route to a 66 in the first round. The freshman shot 71 in the second round and carded a 72 today to finish 1-under for the week and tie for 16th. 

Kansas State (-12) won the event, a stroke ahead of tournament host Wake Forest (-11). Georgia Southern (+1) finished eighth, one back of Southern Miss and six shots behind Rutgers (-5) in fifth place. The Eagles led the field in par-3 scoring and ranked second in par-5 scoring.

Georgia Southern results

Teams

8. Georgia Southern 277-284-280—841 (+1)

Individuals

T7. Mason Williams 72-63-71—206 (-4)

T16. Brantley Baker 66-71-72—209 (-1)

T. 28. Wilson Andress 67-76-69—212 (+2)

T44. Hogan Ingram 72-74-71—217 (+7)

T50. Ben Carr 74-78-69—221 (+11)

For more coverage of Georgia Southern athletics, go to https://www.savannahnow.com/sports/college/georgia-southern/

The podcast

To listen to the "Georgia Southern Extra" podcast with weekly recaps and previews of the Eagles' football games with guest analysts, go to https://omny.fm/shows/georgia-southern-extra/playlists/podcast

Nathan Dominitz is the Sports Content Editor of the Savannah Morning News and savannahnow.com. Email him at ndominitz@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @NathanDominitz