Coastal Carolina held off Northern Illinois in a wild finish at the Tailgreeter Cure Bowl, grabbing their first-ever bowl win. With just under four minutes left, the Chanticleers ran an option play that ended with a long touchdown and a celebration straight to the camera. They followed it with a successful two-point conversion that saw the running back get smashed but still break the plane. That put Coastal up 47-41.
Northern Illinois had a chance late but things went sideways. On third and long, their quarterback scrambled and fumbled. Coastal’s number 19 scooped it up and was immediately tackled—not by the defense, but by his own teammate, number 10. That weird collision may have kept him from returning the fumble for a potential game-sealing score. The announcers ignored it, but it raised questions about what might have happened if number 10 let him run.
Despite the mix-up, Coastal’s number 29 came out as the MVP of the sequence. He forced the fumble with a well-timed hit, and then got showered with Gatorade and cheers. The sideline gave him the team jacket, a prop sword, and a full-on celebration while number 10 stood around unsure if he’d messed up or saved the day. Coastal ends the year on a high note, finally getting that elusive bowl win.