Coastal Carolina hopes to break through in FCS playoffs

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Coastal Carolina has reached the NCAA playoff quarterfinals the past two seasons, only to fall to four-time defending FCS champion North Dakota State.

Chanticleers coach Joe Moglia has heard all too frequently how important it is for his team, which spent five weeks at No. 1 in the FCS, to break through that barrier and play for a championship.

Only he’s not buying into that. Moglia said unless he and his players concentrate on the week-to-week process, they’ll never make it out of the Big South Conference, no matter how well equipped Coastal Carolina might be to win it all.

The Chants return quarterback Alex Ross, the defending league offensive player of the year picked last month as the favorite to win the honor again this fall.