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The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers have had a week off and are no doubt ready to get back on the field. They and the Liberty Flames will compete for holiday cheer in the Cure Bowl on Saturday at Camping World Stadium at 7:30 p.m. ET. Keep an eye on the score for this one: both teams posted some lofty points totals in their previous games, so things might heat up even more when they meet.
Coastal Carolina didn't have too much breathing room in their contest with the Troy Trojans two weeks ago, but they still walked away with a 42-38 win. It was another big night for the Chanticleers' RB CJ Marable, who rushed for two TDs and 120 yards on 20 carries in addition to snatching one receiving TD. One of the most memorable plays of the game was Marable's 59-yard touchdown rush in the first quarter.
Meanwhile, the Flames got themselves on the board against the Massachusetts Minutemen four weeks ago, but UMass never followed suit. Liberty steamrolled past UMass 45 to nothing at home. The matchup was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 31 to nothing. Liberty's QB Malik Willis was on fire, passing for three TDs and 223 yards on 24 attempts in addition to rushing for one TD and 63 yards. Willis put himself on the highlight reel with a 54-yard TD scramble in the third quarter.
The Chanticleers are the favorite in this one, with an expected 7.5-point margin of victory. Those burned by picking them against the spread two weeks ago might want to keep in mind that the squad has not yet dropped back-to-back games against the spread this season.
A pair of defensive stats to keep in the back of your head while watching: Coastal Carolina enters the game with 33 sacks, good for sixth best in the nation. As for the Flames, they come into the contest boasting the seventh fewest yards allowed per game in the nation at 303.2.
