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Texas State has enjoyed a three-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will challenge the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at Brooks Stadium. Texas State is the slight favorite, but fans should be in for an exciting matchup likely to go down to the wire.
Last Saturday, everything went Texas State's way against Georgia Southern as Texas State made off with a 45-24 victory. The contest was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 31-10.
TJ Finley was the offensive standout of the match as he threw for 301 yards and three touchdowns while completing 80.6% of his passes, and also punched in two touchdowns on the ground. Ismail Mahdi and his 99 yards on the ground were also a key factor in Texas State's victory.
Meanwhile, Coastal Carolina came tearing into Saturday's contest with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 13.7 points) and they left with even more momentum. They secured a 28-24 W over Old Dominion. The victory came about thanks to a strong surge starting at the 2:02 mark of the third quarter, when they were facing a 21-6 deficit.
Ethan Vasko had a dynamite game for Coastal Carolina, rushing for 170 yards and a touchdown while picking up 8.1 yards per carry, and also throwing for 180 yards and a touchdown. Vasko really tore up the turf during one magnificent 75-yard run.
Coastal Carolina was down by three with only one minute and 24 seconds left when they drove 78 yards for the winning score. Vasko hit Sam Pinckney from 14 yards out and that was all she wrote.
Their wins lifted both teams to an identical 6-3.
Coastal Carolina is hoping to beat the odds on Saturday, as the experts think they're headed for a loss. For those looking to play the spread, take note: they are a solid 4-1 against the spread when playing as the underdog.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Saturday's matchup: The Bobcats have been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 200.9 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like the Chanticleers struggle in that department as they've been averaging 167.3 per game. It's looking like Saturday's game might have some serious battles in the trenches. Check CBS Sports after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more college football content.
