| Mormons vs. Mullets | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Non-conference game | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | December 5, 2020 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 2020 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Brooks Stadium | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Conway, South Carolina | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | BYU by 10[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Kyle Olson (Sun Belt)[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 5,000 (limited capacity due to COVID-19) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United States TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Network | ESPNU | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Bill Roth and Dustin Fox | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 2020 BYU vs. Coastal Carolina football game, popularly known as Mormons vs. Mullets, was a regular-season college football game played on December 5, 2020, at Brooks Stadium in Conway, South Carolina. The matchup, played as a part of the 2020 FBS football season, featured the BYU Cougars, an FBS independent, and Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, representing the Sun Belt Conference. Both teams entered the game ranked, with BYU at No. 13 and Coastal Carolina at No. 18 in the College Football Playoff rankings, and undefeated, both at nine wins and no losses. The game was scheduled as a 5:30 p.m. ET kickoff broadcast on ESPNU.
The game was scheduled at short notice after Liberty, Coastal Carolina's original opponent, had to withdraw due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Both Coastal Carolina and BYU entered the game as contenders for a spot in a New Year's Six bowl game, though they were not candidates for the College Football Playoff. The ESPN pregame show College GameDay traveled to Conway for the contest, which was nicknamed "Mormons vs. Mullets", a play on the 1988 "Catholics vs. Convicts" game played between Notre Dame and Miami. The "Mormons" portion referred to Brigham Young University's affiliation with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the "Mullets" portion was a reference to the mullet haircuts worn by many Coastal Carolina players.
The game was scoreless until the last ten seconds of the first quarter, when Coastal’s C. J. Marable scored a six-yard touchdown rush at the conclusion of a 17-play drive that spanned 94 yards and over nine minutes. The teams traded three touchdowns in the second quarter, with BYU scoring two and Coastal Carolina scoring one. BYU quarterback Zach Wilson gave his team the lead with a 41-yard touchdown pass, and BYU led 14–13 at halftime. BYU increased their lead with a field goal on their first drive of the second half, but fumbled the ball back to Coastal on their next drive, resulting in a quick field goal for the Chanticleers. Coastal Carolina captured the lead with a touchdown rush, though a failed two-point conversion kept their lead to five points. Each of the next two drives for both teams resulted in punts, and BYU got the ball back for a potential game-winning drive. On the game's last play, BYU wide receiver Dax Milne came up one yard short of the goal line, securing a 22–17 win for Coastal Carolina.