LEXINGTON, Va. (AP)—Jerome Simpson scored on a seven-yard pass with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter and Coastal Carolina beat VMI 31-27 on Saturday.
Simpson’s lone touchdown came with just 18 seconds to go in the final quarter of a matchup that saw plenty of give and take.
Field goals from VMI’s Barrett Way and Coastal’s Josh Hoke tied the teams 3-3 early in the game.
Sean Mizzer scored on a 22-yard pass from Kyle Hughes— 8 for 13 with one interception—and Way kicked a 32-yard field goal to pull the Keydets (1-6, 0-1 Big South) ahead 13-3 at the half.
The Chanticleers (5-2, 1-0) rallied in the third as Mike Tolbert ran for 110 yards and scored two touchdowns. A 32-yard score by Tyler Thigpen—19 for 27, with one interception—helped put Coastal ahead 24-20 entering the final quarter.
A three-yard run by Sean Mizzer regained VMI’s lead. With the score at 24-27, Thigpen connected a pass to Simpson, sealing the victory for Coastal.
VMI’s Kyle Hughes was 8 for 13, with one interception.
The Keydets have dropped six in a row.
Head to Head - Week 7
| Team | Total Yds | Pass Yds | Rush Yds | First Downs | 3rdD% | Pen./Yds | Turnovers | Time of Poss. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coastal Carolina | 555 | 225 | 330 | 19 | 50.0% | 6/59 | 3 | 25:52 |
| Virginia Military | 388 | 110 | 278 | 19 | 28.6% | 4/35 | 1 | 34:08 |