JONESBORO -- A forgettable offensive performance plagued Arkansas State University for much of Saturday afternoon at Centennial Bank Stadium with bowl eligibility at stake.
An ASU defense that's been the team's kryptonite all season did it everything it could to keep the Red Wolves in it, but the unit started to buckle in the fourth quarter when two consecutive ASU turnovers yielded 14 points for a 27-21 Coastal Carolina lead with 2:31 left in the game.
That's when redshirt freshman quarterback Layne Hatcher calmly led ASU when it mattered most.
Hatcher found senior slot receiver Kirk Merritt over the middle for a game-tying 21-yard touchdown pass with 32 seconds left, then sophomore kicker Blake Grupe made the extra point as the Red Wolves escaped with a 28-27 victory.