Clayton Coppock Jr. returned to his hometown and delivered a career-best receiving performance as Coastal Carolina defeated Georgia State 31–20 in Atlanta on Saturday, October 31.
Coppock caught six passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Deuce Bailey completed 22 of 32 passes for 297 yards and three scores as the Chanticleers improved to 3–5 overall and 2–2 in Sun Belt play.
Georgia State opened the scoring with a field goal, but Coastal Carolina answered with 17 consecutive points in the second quarter. Bailey found Coppock for a 21-yard touchdown, Nico Cavanillas Alti kicked a 53-yard field goal and Zachary Courtney caught a 25-yard scoring pass before halftime.
Coastal added two touchdowns in the third quarter. Coppock scored again on a 31-yard reception, and Jaden Allen-Hendrix ran in from two yards to make the score 31–6.
Georgia State scored twice in the fourth quarter and cut the margin to 11 points with 7:38 remaining. Coastal’s defense then stopped the Panthers on downs and ended the game with a sack.
Courtney finished with four catches for 89 yards and a touchdown. Coastal totaled 375 yards of offense, while Georgia State had 360.
The result left Georgia State at 4–4 overall and 1–3 in conference play. The Panthers converted five of 15 third-down attempts, and Coastal recorded three sacks.
Coastal Carolina’s official report, its final box score and an independent Associated Press account agree on the final score and Bailey’s three-touchdown performance.
Sources Coastal Carolina Athletics — October 31 Game Report: https://goccusports.com/news/2026/10/31/football-coppocks-career-day-helps-coastal-carolina-defeat-georgia-state-31-20 Coastal Carolina Athletics — Official Final Box Score: https://goccusports.com/sports/football/stats/2026/georgia-state/boxscore/24168 Associated Press via Big Rapids News — October 31 Final Report: https://www.bigrapidsnews.com/sports/article/deuce-bailey-s-3-touchdown-passes-power-coastal-22504425.php