Eric Boggs 
Coastal Carolina defeated App State Thursday evening on the teal turf.
Coastal Carolina secured a 38-24 victory over Appalachian State on Thursday night, thanks to standout performances by Braydon Bennett and Ethan Vasko. Bennett ran for three touchdowns, accumulating 88 yards on nine carries, while Vasko contributed with both his arm and legs, helping Coastal Carolina improve to 5-4 overall and 2-3 in Sun Belt Conference play.
The game featured a strong start from Bennett, who scored on runs of 12 and 37 yards in the first quarter. In the third quarter, he capped off an impressive 17-play, 87-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run that drained 8 minutes and 42 seconds from the clock, putting Coastal Carolina up 24-10. Appalachian State’s attempt to answer back was thwarted on the following play when Coastal’s AJ Williams intercepted a pass from Joey Aguilar and returned it 35 yards to the Appalachian State 1-yard line. Vasko capitalized on the opportunity two plays later with a short touchdown run, extending Coastal’s lead to 31-10.
Vasko, who finished with 150 passing yards and 52 rushing yards, added a late 6-yard touchdown pass to Jameson Tucker with 2:26 remaining in the game. Meanwhile, Appalachian State’s Ahmani Marshall carried the load for the Mountaineers, rushing for 124 yards on 28 carries and scoring two touchdowns. Aguilar completed 17 of 31 passes for 226 yards but threw two costly interceptions. He connected with Kaedin Robinson for a 25-yard touchdown with 1:40 left in the game.
While Coastal’s win keeps them competitive in the conference, they still sit at 2-3 in Sun Belt play during a challenging season. The team recently made changes in the coaching staff, including dismissing the offensive coordinator and Public Communications Manager, as they aim to turn their season around.
Looking ahead, Coastal will face Marshall University on November 16th at 1 p.m. Georgia Southern currently leads the SBC East with a 6-3 record, with Marshall holding second place.
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