Game Day: Coastal Carolina
9/23/2026 1:20:00 PM | Football
Liberty (2-1) will renew an old Big South Conference rivalry when the Flames visit Coastal Carolina (1-2), Thursday evening on ESPN.
Broadcast Information:
TV: ESPN
Game Day Information:
Location: Conway, S.C.
Stadium: Brooks Stadium
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
"4 Downs" with Coastal Carolina
#1 Thursday will mark Liberty's first visit to Coastal Carolina with both teams being FBS members. The Flames were scheduled to play at Coastal on Dec. 5, 2020 before the game was cancelled due to COVID-19. Jamey Chadwell will stand on the visiting sideline at Brooks Stadium for the first time since Oct. 1, 2016, when his Charleston Southern team posted a 59-58 (2OT) win.
#2 CUSA teams are 2-5 versus Sun Belt opponents this season, with three matchups between the two conferences coming up this week. Coastal Carolina is facing its second straight CUSA foe, after losing at Delaware 22-14 on Saturday. First-year Coastal head coach Ryan Beard is matching up against Liberty with a second different team in as many years. His Missouri State Bears recorded a 21-17 triumph at Liberty on Nov. 8, 2025.
#3 Three of the previous 15 Liberty-Coastal Carolina contests have gone to overtime, including the teams' most recent contest in 2020. The Chanticleers are the only opponent Liberty has played three or more OT games against in program history. Liberty has only allowed one opposing QB to throw for 300 yards since the start of 2024 (Delaware's Nick Minicucci in 2025).
#4 Thursday is the first of four straight weekday games for the Flames. Liberty will not play its next Saturday game until Oct. 31. The Flames have outscored opponents 28-0 during the fourth quarter in 2026. All four of Liberty's QBs saw playing time against Ball State, with Deshawn Purdie, Jaylen Henderson & Ethan Vasko scoring TDs.
A LIBERTY WIN WOULD...
ESPN
Thursday's game will be Liberty's fifth-ever appearance on ESPN, with the previous four all being bowl games. Liberty is 2-2 in games featured on ESPN.
Liberty's first two football games to appear on linear TV were both against Coastal Carolina on ESPNews, with Liberty beating the Chanticleers 24-21 in Lynchburg on Nov. 19, 2015 and falling at Coastal, 42-7 on Nov. 17, 2016.
The first time a Liberty football game aired on ESPN was the 2020 Cure Bowl, where the Flames won a dramatic 37-34 game in overtime over a Jamey Chadwell-coached Chanticleers team.
#BEATCOASTAL
This is about as close of a rivalry as you will get, as Liberty leads 8-7 and the total score in the series is 470-458 in favor of Liberty. Twice (2005 and 2013), the Liberty-Coastal game has required multiple overtimes.
Four out of the last five meetings have been decided by three or fewer points.
BLOCKED!
Two of Liberty's biggest wins have ended in blocked field goals against Coastal Carolina.
On Nov. 22, 2014, Liberty beat then FCS No. 1 Coastal Carolina by a 15-14 score in Conway. A game-ending blocked field goal sent Liberty to the FCS Playoffs for the first time in program history.
The Flames blocked a field goal attempt in overtime to seal a 37-34 victory over Coastal Carolina in the 2020 Cure Bowl, topping the unbeaten Chanticleers.
In Jamey Chadwell's last visit to Conway as Charleston Southern head coach, CSU blocked an extra point in double overtime to secure the 59-58 win.
FACING FORMER TEAM
Ethan Vasko and Elijah Hopkins, along with current head coach Jamey Chadwell, will face their former team, Thursday at Coastal Carolina.
The only other Liberty head coach to face a team which he had served as head coach before was Hugh Freeze, whose Flames lost 27-14 at No. 15 Ole Miss, Nov. 6, 2021.
Liberty safety Ashton Whitner faced some of his former teammates last Saturday, as he played in 10 games for Ball State in 2025. Safety Jeremiah Vessel began his career at New Mexico State in 2023, and will get to return to Las Cruces with the Flames on Nov. 7.
CHADWELL vs. COASTAL
Jamey Chadwell posted a 3-1 record against Coastal Carolina during his time as head coach at Charleston Southern. He posted home wins over Coastal in both 2013 and 2015, while falling at Coastal Carolina in 2014.
On Oct. 1, 2016, Charleston Southern overcame a pair of 14-point deficits at Coastal Carolina, outlasting the Chanticleers 59-58 in two overtimes.
Broadcast Information:
TV: ESPN
- Broadcast team: Matt Barrie (play-by-play), Chase Daniel (analyst) and Paul Carcaterra (sidelines)
- Broadcast team: Alan York (play-by-play), Jason Porter (analyst) and Nick Pierce (sidelines)
Game Day Information:
Location: Conway, S.C.
Stadium: Brooks Stadium
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
"4 Downs" with Coastal Carolina
#1 Thursday will mark Liberty's first visit to Coastal Carolina with both teams being FBS members. The Flames were scheduled to play at Coastal on Dec. 5, 2020 before the game was cancelled due to COVID-19. Jamey Chadwell will stand on the visiting sideline at Brooks Stadium for the first time since Oct. 1, 2016, when his Charleston Southern team posted a 59-58 (2OT) win.
#2 CUSA teams are 2-5 versus Sun Belt opponents this season, with three matchups between the two conferences coming up this week. Coastal Carolina is facing its second straight CUSA foe, after losing at Delaware 22-14 on Saturday. First-year Coastal head coach Ryan Beard is matching up against Liberty with a second different team in as many years. His Missouri State Bears recorded a 21-17 triumph at Liberty on Nov. 8, 2025.
#3 Three of the previous 15 Liberty-Coastal Carolina contests have gone to overtime, including the teams' most recent contest in 2020. The Chanticleers are the only opponent Liberty has played three or more OT games against in program history. Liberty has only allowed one opposing QB to throw for 300 yards since the start of 2024 (Delaware's Nick Minicucci in 2025).
#4 Thursday is the first of four straight weekday games for the Flames. Liberty will not play its next Saturday game until Oct. 31. The Flames have outscored opponents 28-0 during the fourth quarter in 2026. All four of Liberty's QBs saw playing time against Ball State, with Deshawn Purdie, Jaylen Henderson & Ethan Vasko scoring TDs.
A LIBERTY WIN WOULD...
- Give the Flames their first three-game winning streak since Liberty won three in a row between Oct. 8 and Nov. 1, 2025.
- Improve the Flames' all-time record against Coastal Carolina to 9-7, including 3-5 in Conway. It would mark Liberty's fourth win in the teams' last five matchups.
- Boost the Flames' all-time record against Sun Belt foes to 11-6, snapping a three-game losing streak versus conference members.
- Enable the Flames to snap a three-game road losing streak and record their first win in Conway since Nov. 22, 2014.
- Improve Jamey Chadwell's head coaching record against Coastal Carolina to 4-1.
- Boost the Flames' all-time record to 3-2 when playing on ESPN.
- Enable the Flames to finish the month of September with a 3-1 record, marking the sixth time in the last seven years Liberty has started a season 3-1 or better through four games.
ESPN
Thursday's game will be Liberty's fifth-ever appearance on ESPN, with the previous four all being bowl games. Liberty is 2-2 in games featured on ESPN.
Liberty's first two football games to appear on linear TV were both against Coastal Carolina on ESPNews, with Liberty beating the Chanticleers 24-21 in Lynchburg on Nov. 19, 2015 and falling at Coastal, 42-7 on Nov. 17, 2016.
The first time a Liberty football game aired on ESPN was the 2020 Cure Bowl, where the Flames won a dramatic 37-34 game in overtime over a Jamey Chadwell-coached Chanticleers team.
#BEATCOASTAL
This is about as close of a rivalry as you will get, as Liberty leads 8-7 and the total score in the series is 470-458 in favor of Liberty. Twice (2005 and 2013), the Liberty-Coastal game has required multiple overtimes.
Four out of the last five meetings have been decided by three or fewer points.
BLOCKED!
Two of Liberty's biggest wins have ended in blocked field goals against Coastal Carolina.
On Nov. 22, 2014, Liberty beat then FCS No. 1 Coastal Carolina by a 15-14 score in Conway. A game-ending blocked field goal sent Liberty to the FCS Playoffs for the first time in program history.
The Flames blocked a field goal attempt in overtime to seal a 37-34 victory over Coastal Carolina in the 2020 Cure Bowl, topping the unbeaten Chanticleers.
In Jamey Chadwell's last visit to Conway as Charleston Southern head coach, CSU blocked an extra point in double overtime to secure the 59-58 win.
FACING FORMER TEAM
Ethan Vasko and Elijah Hopkins, along with current head coach Jamey Chadwell, will face their former team, Thursday at Coastal Carolina.
The only other Liberty head coach to face a team which he had served as head coach before was Hugh Freeze, whose Flames lost 27-14 at No. 15 Ole Miss, Nov. 6, 2021.
Liberty safety Ashton Whitner faced some of his former teammates last Saturday, as he played in 10 games for Ball State in 2025. Safety Jeremiah Vessel began his career at New Mexico State in 2023, and will get to return to Las Cruces with the Flames on Nov. 7.
CHADWELL vs. COASTAL
Jamey Chadwell posted a 3-1 record against Coastal Carolina during his time as head coach at Charleston Southern. He posted home wins over Coastal in both 2013 and 2015, while falling at Coastal Carolina in 2014.
On Oct. 1, 2016, Charleston Southern overcame a pair of 14-point deficits at Coastal Carolina, outlasting the Chanticleers 59-58 in two overtimes.
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