Simpson scores twice in last game at Brooks Stadium

By: Lou Bezjak/Morning News | SCNow
Published: November 10, 2007

Jerome Simpson’s improvisation paid off.

The Coastal Carolina receiver made an adjustment on a route and it proved to be the right move as Will Richardson hit Simpson on a 6-yard pass in the fourth quarter to help the Chanticleers to a 17-14 win over Gardner-Webb on Saturday at Brooks Stadium.

“My coaches got on me because I snuck inside him on a post when I should have run a fade route,” Simpson said. “I kind of got a different feeling, so I tried to tweak the route a little. So I guess ran it good enough; we got the touchdown.”

Coastal coach David Bennett said some of his assistants were worried when Simpson altered the route, but he wasn’t.

“One of our coaches up top said, ‘What in the world is he doing?’” Bennett said. “I said, ‘He is scoring a touchdown. That’s what he’s doing.’ It was a fabulous catch.”

Playing in his final home game, Simpson finished with five catches for 91 yards and two touchdowns. Simpson is the active Division I-AA leader in touchdown receptions with 43 in 44 games.

After Simpson’s touchdown, the Bulldogs had a chance to win the game, but Coastal’s defense forced Gardner-Webb into a field goal attempt. And Evan Kay’s 45-yard try with 2:45 remaining was wide left.

The victory keeps Coastal in the hunt for a share of the Big South Conference championship. The Chants must win next week at Charleston Southern and hope Gardner-Webb beats Liberty, which defeated VMI 73-34 on Saturday.

“It was good to win a game like this,” Simpson said. “It shows good character. Nobody gave up tonight. It’s great to go out like this.“

The Chanticleers trailed 14-3 in the third quarter but got back into it on Simpson’s 39-yard touchdown catch to make it 14-10.

Then Gardner-Webb punter Michael Hanna bobbled a snap, which the Chanticleers recovered on the Bulldogs’ 18 to set up the game-winning score.

Senior Mike Tolbert led Coastal’s ground game with 100 yards on 16 carries.

Richardson was 8-of-14 with for 108 yards and a touchdown.

David Montgomery led the Bulldogs with 73 yards rushing and a touchdown that put Gardner-Webb up 7-0 in the first quarter.

Coastal cut the lead to 7-3 on Justin Durham’s 44-yard field goal in the second quarter.

Notes

Senior quarterback Ren McKinnon took the first Coastal snap, a handoff to Chris Brown. McKinnon, who fractured his hip in the opener against Delaware State, waved to the crowd and gave way to Will Richardson. … Santini Washington saw action on both sides of the ball Saturday. Washington, who starts at receiver, also got in at right cornerback. Washington got beat by Dobson Collins on the Bulldogs’ opening touchdown but got his first interception the next possession. … The Chanticleers’ game at Charleston Southern will be televised on SportSouth (Time Warner channel 65). … The Coastal band was warned twice by the referees about playing when the teams were coming to the line of scrimmage.

Simpson scores twice in last game at Brooks Stadium

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