Coastal Carolina 27, SC State 20

Published Sep. 1, 2013 3:01 a.m. ET

foxsports

Quinn Backus' blocked field goal return for a touchdown and a defensive goal-line stand were the game-changers Saturday as Coastal Carolina beat SC State 27-20.

Backus scooped up a third-quarter field goal try that was blocked by LaDarius Hawthorne and raced 56 yards to score. Dalton Demos tied it at 20 with a 2-point conversion run and CCU's defense, largely manhandled in the first half, stepped up to shut down the Bulldogs' next drive with a goal-line stand.

CCU scored 15 unanswered points, including a game-winning 99-yard drive capped by a 1-yard run by Lorenzo Taliafero, who also scored in the first quarter on a 3-yard Alex Ross pass.

SC State led 13-12 at the half and Richard Cue threw a 74-yard score to Tyler McDonald for a 20-12 lead. The Bulldogs were threatening to pull away when Hawthorne blocked the kick.