ATLANTA — ATLANTA (AP) — Grayson McCall threw two long scoring strikes to freshman Jared Brown and ran for a score — all in the first quarter — and Coastal Carolina breezed to a 41-24 victory over Georgia State on Thursday night.
McCall hit Brown for a 50-yard score on the first play from scrimmage and the pair hooked up again for a 53-yarder as Coastal Carolina (4-0) jumped out to a 14-0 lead just 2:53 into the Sun Belt Conference opener.
Tucker Gregg scored on a 4-yard run to get Georgia State (0-4) within seven, but McCall capped a 10-play 75-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run and the Chanticleers led 21-7 after one quarter. The Panthers never got closer than 10 points from there.
McCall completed 19 of 27 passes for 248 yards. He set a school record with touchdown passes in 17 straight games. Brown finished with five catches for 129 yards.
Gregg's TD run was the 19th of his career, tying the Panthers' record. Jontrey Hunter picked off a pass from Chanticleers' backup Jarrett Guest and returned it 77 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Guest had a 5-yard TD run later in the period.
The Chanticleers and Panthers have split the six games they've played. Neither team has a home win in the series.
Coastal Carolina has won seven straight dating back to last year and has started 4-0 for a third straight season.
Georgia State was held to 78 yards rushing on 33 attempts. The Panthers came in averaging 231.3 yards on the ground.