Quarterback who led Coastal Carolina to upset of Kansas is from Union County
In high school in Union County, Grayson McCall was a three-year starter at Porter Ridge and the Southwestern 4A player of the year in 2017.
As a true freshman at Coastal Carolina, he played in two games and completed all four pass attempts.
But Saturday, McCall, now a redshirt freshman, seriously added to his resume. A surprise starter, McCall led Coastal Carolina to one of the biggest wins in school history, a 38-23 win over Kansas. At Kansas.
Coastal Carolina, a member of the Sun Belt conference, had never defeated a Power 5 school in football until it beat Kansas last year. The Jayhawks had payback on their mind at home Saturday night.
Instead, Coastal now has two Power 5 wins and is now 2-7 all-time against college football’s glamour division.
“I think there’s some sick people right now,” second-year Kansas coach Les Miles said after the game.
Coastal Carolina won last year’s game 12-7. Playing before no fans in the stands because of COVID-19, Coastal jumped out to a 28-0 lead Saturday night. McCall, listed as a third-team QB entering the game, was the game’s star.
He completed 11-of-18 passes for 133 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He rushed for 73 yards on 11 carries with two more TDs.
“I thought he played really well,” Coastal coach Jamey Chadwell told The Observer’s sister paper, the Myrtle Beach Sun News. “I think he hit a little rut there in the second half. I think he felt a little pressure there because they were making a comeback. ... Zero turnovers, he ran our offense, helped us control the clock. I thought he did a really nice job for us. I’m very proud of him and his performance.”
This story was originally published September 13, 2020 at 11:31 AM.
