The winner stays within reach of Sun Belt East leader James Madison, and both are yet to play JMU -- Marshall will next week. Coastal Carolina has rushed for a combined 522 yards in his past two games and is 4-0 when rushing for 100+ yards this season. The Chants totaled only 233 rush yards in their three losses. Marshall allows 137.3 rushing yards per. Senior QB Samari Collier made his first start of the year last time out for CCU and he brings a major running threat that none of the other QBs who have played this season bring. After averaging 13 points per game through five games, CCU has scored 68 combined points in the past two thanks mainly to Collier taking over.

In this battle of former NC State assistants Tim beck (CCU) and Tony Gibson (Marshall), we'll side with the home underdog in a battle of Sun Belt clubs fighting for bowl-eligible seasons. The Thundering Herd's competence is of particular surprise, as they have performed above expectation following a program overhaul that included a mass exodus of players and a new coaching staff. Coastal is also having a down year relative to its recent success but coming off its best performance of the season in a road upset of Appalachian State. Take the points in what rates to be a one-score game.