Box Score Game Coverage on SportsPage Gleaner
LEXINGTON, Va.- Tyler Thigpen's seven-yard touchdown pass to Jerome Simpson with 17.8 seconds rallied Coastal Carolina past VMI 31-27 before a Parent's Weekend crowd of 7,810 spectators Saturday afternoon at Foster Stadium.

In a back and forth second half, VMI took a 27-24 lead when senior fullback Sean Mizzer slammed in from the three-yard line with :54 seconds left in the game.

But Coastal Carolina had the final answer as the Chanticleers moved 67 yards in six plays, taking just :36 off the clock to produce the game winner.

VMI fell to 1-6, 0-1 BSC while #24 ranked Coastal moved to 5-2, 1-0 BSC.

Playing its most inspired game of the season, the Keydets rushed for a season-high 278 yards. Leading the way was freshman slotback Tim Maypray who averaged 11.1 yards per attempt with 89 yards on eight carries and a touchdown. Mizzer added 71 yards and a TD to the Keydet ground attack.

But the Keydets had trouble stopping Thigpen's big-play ability as the senior completed 19 of 21 passes for 225 yards and a touchdown and also rushed for 77 yards and a score.

VMI was able to do Saturday what it had been unable to do in the previous six games-get off to a good start. The Keydets took the opening kickoff and moved 59 yards in 12 plays before junior kicker Barrett Way nailed a 39-yard field goal to give VMI its first lead of the day. The drive was aided by a roughing the punter penalty which kept the football in VMI hands and freshman quarterback Kyle Hughes added a 20-yard run to the CCU 20-yard line to help the drive.

Coastal Carolina answered with a six-play, 43 yard drive that ended with a 37-yard field goal by Josh Hoke to knot the score at 3-3. The Chants first two plays of the possession, a Thigpen to Audres Perkins 25-yard pass and a 15-yard run by Perkins to the VMI 23 got CCU on a roll, but the Keydet defense stiffened and held for a field goal.

VMI scored 10 straight points in the second quarter scoring on a 23-yard shovel pass from Hughes to Mizzer with 13:36 left and a 32-yard field goal by Way which gave VMI its biggest lead of the day, 13-3, with 5:48 remaining in the half.

Coastal opened the second half with impressive scoring drives 76 and 44 yards to take its first lead of the game. Junior fullback Mike Tolbert rumbled up the middle for a 30-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 13-10 with 13:31 remaining, capping a three-play drive. The Chanticleers' Dewitt Hughes intercepted a Hughes pass at the VMI 44 on the ensuing drive and six plays later, Thigpen took a quarterback draw on a third and 15 call 32 yards to the endzone to give Coastal its first lead of the day, 17-13, with 8:04 left in the third quarter.

Maypray's 37-yard run off an option pitch capped a nine-play, 65 yard drive to put VMI back on top, 20-17, with 3:29 left in the third quarter. The Keydets converted a fourth an one from the VMI 44 on a Hughes sneak to keep the drive going.

CCU responded in quick fashion as Tolbert took handoff on Coastal's first play of the next possession and dashed for a Big South record tying 80-yard touchdown run to push Coastal ahead, 24-20, answering just 44 seconds after Maypray's score.

The Keydets forced a turnover on CCU's opening drive of the fourth quarter as sophomore linebacker Jacob Rochester stripped and recovered a Tolbert fumble from behind on a 25-yard pass play to the VMI 38. The Keydets moved the ball to the CCU 30 and executed a quick kick on a fourth and five to pinned Coastal back at its own one-yard line. The Chants moved into Keydet territory on a Perkins rush to the VMI 38, but the VMI's Keith Taylor recovered another fumble to halt another drive.

Later in the quarter, the Keydets' Rochester returned a punt to the Coastal 39-yard line and VMI punched it in the endzone eight plays later on Mizzer's three-yard run which gave VMI its final lead of the afternoon. A 26-yard pass to Maypray to the CCU 14 keyed the drive.

Thigpen was 4 for 4 passing for 50 yards and added a 17-yard run on the Chanticleers' game winning drive.

Simpson tracked a game-high six passes for 45 yards and the game-winning TD while Perkins snagged three passes for 49 yards.

Hughes completed eight of 13 passes for 108 yards and a touchdown and was intercepted once.

CCU's Jamar Heath led the game with 13 stops on his way to becoming the Big South's all-time leading tackler.

Rochester had nine tackles, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery to lead the Keydet defensive charts while freshman defensive back Levi Swindell had eight tackles and redshirt freshman linebacker Patrick added seven tackles including one for loss.

VMI travels to N. Charleston, South Carolina next week to play Charleston Southern at 1:30 p.m. Coastal Carolina returns to action Oct. 28 hosting Liberty at 12:30 p.m.