By BJ Bennett
SouthernPigskin.com

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Grayson McCall’s record year helped lead the Chanticleers to a banner year of their own.

Coastal Carolina quarterback Grayson McCall just had one of the most impressive seasons in college football history.

McCall’s record year helped lead the Chanticleers to a banner year of their own, an undefeated regular season season, a spot in the top ten and a resume worthy of playoff consideration. McCall was remarkable along the way, completing 68.8% of his passes, averaging ten yards per attempt and throwing 26 touchdowns compared to only three interceptions. His 184.32 passer rating finished sixth in the country; it is the highest mark by a freshman since Jameis Winston in 2013 (184.85), the year he won the Heisman Trophy.

Of quarterbacks with at least 210 pass attempts in a season, McCall’s mark has him in exclusive company as he, Tua Tagovailoa, Mac Jones, Joe Burrow, Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield, Zach Wilson, Russell Wilson, Jalen Hurts, Robert Griffin III, Colt Brennan and Winston are the only signal callers with a passer rating of at least 184 this millennium. Add in McCall’s 569 yards rushing and the lone quarterbacks with those minimums are Murray, Griffin, Hurts and McCall. Murray, in 2019, and Griffin, in 2011, won Heismans. Hurts recently finished second.

The memories, from Coastal Carolina’s historic run, are many. McCall had two five touchdown showcases, including three passing and two rushing scores in his first start, a win at Big XII foe Kansas, three more four touchdown efforts, three 300-yard passing performances and eight outings with at least 40 yards rushing. His last game, an instant classic in the Cure Bowl with Liberty, came with 318 passing yards and three touchdowns and 96 rushing yards and a score. He and Tajh Boyd are the only players the last 20 years with that production in a bowl game.

As the Chanticleers made history, however, McCall was more than just money. He was magic.

With Coastal Carolina tied in an early season clash with nationally-ranked Louisiana, McCall and the Chanticleers got the football at their own 16-yard line with just over five minutes remaining. They responded with 11 plays and 61 yards and a Massimo Biscardi game-winning field goal with just four seconds left. Just over a month later, with traditional power Appalachian State leading Coastal Carolina 23-21 midway through the fourth, the Chanticleers went on a 10-play, 49-yard touchdown drive in 4:35 to retake the lead on a Reese White run. D’Jordan Strong followed with a pick-six to seal Coastal Carolina’s victory.

The most dramatic finish of the regular season came in the Chanticleers’ finale at Troy in a game where McCall scored twice in the game’s final 5:03. His last touchdown was more than just a game-winner, but a gut-check as well. After an interception led to the Trojans taking a late three-point lead, McCall got the football back with 1:20 play and history hanging in the balance. He responded by going 4-of-4 for 71 yards, adding a four yard rush, finding Jaivon Heiligh on a game-winning 23-yard strike. Coastal Carolina was 11-0.

Though production was hard to come by, McCall, with C.J. Marable taking the lead offensively, avoided the big mistake in a signature win over Wilson and top ten BYU.

In five games against teams with winning records, three of whom would go on to at least ten wins, McCall threw eleven touchdown passes compared to just one interception, adding five rushing scores, in compiling over 270 total yards per game. Coastal Carolina, as a team, scored an average of 34.2 points per game in those five matchups. McCall finished fourth nationally with a 174.49 passer rating against teams with winning records and ninth with a 159.61 mark in games against ranked foes.

Along with his talented teammates, eight of whom earned first-team All-Sun Belt recognition, including All-American and Defensive Player of the Year Tarron Jackson and Strong, the Newcomer of the Year, and coaches, with Jamey Newman earning multiple awards and defensive coordinator Chad Staggs being named a Broyles Award nominee, McCall helped Coastal Carolina become part of the national narrative. It goes without saying that the Chanticleers were one of the stories of the year in college football.

The Grand Strand became a grand stage.

With only a redshirt year prior to this season, McCall was one of the tone-setters for it all. History has officially been made. More may soon be coming.