CCU's LaDarius Hawthorne returned an interception 66 yards for a TD.
The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers beat the Liberty Flames 36-12 before a sparse crowd at Brooks Stadium on Homecoming in Conway, South Carolina.
Coastal never trailed after LaDarius Hawthorne returned an interception 66 yards for a touchdown. CCU went for two on the conversion. Austin Cain ran it in for the deuce to make it 8-0 Chants.
Liberty countered with a 46-yard John Lunsford field goal to cut Coastal's lead to 8-3 at the end of the first quarter. The Chants increased their advantage late in the second quarter on a 46-yard TD run by Jeremy Height. Height had 12 carries for 99 yards and two scores.
Height scored his second TD in the third quarter to put CCU on top 22-3. Liberty's Lunsford booted a 50-yard field goal to cut Coastal's lead to 22-6.
The fourth quarter belonged to Coastal Carolina. Aramis Hillary threw a 3-yard TD pass to Chris Presley. But late in the game, Hillary was hit hard and carried off the field on a stretcher. He was taken to an area hospital for precautionary measures, after complaining about neck pain. The Coastal Carolina Athletics Department reports that all tests on Hillary were normal and he was not kept for further observation.
Hillary completed 11 of 21 passes for 113 yards and one TD. He also ran the ball 10 times for 87 yards.
Alex Ross came in for Hillary and threw a 3-yard TD pass to Cheraw High product Travis Small.
The Coastal defense was led by 15 tackles by Quinn Backus, who also recorded a sack. CCU held Liberty to just 86 yards on 30 carries. The Chants defense picked off a total of three passes.
The Chanticleers record is now 4-4, 2-1 in the Big South Conference. The Chants will travel to Boiling Springs, North Carolina next Saturday, November 3 to play at Gardner-Webb. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
