College Football Preview: Charleston Southern's Giardina era gets underway

The Post and Courier

31 August 2023

College Football Preview: Charleston Southern's Giardina era gets underway

Gabe Giardina got his first paid college coaching job at Charleston Southern in 2008. This was after spending two years as a graduate assistant at Alabama.

He left CSU after the 2011 season to move to Delta State under Jamey Chadwell and then returned to CSU the following year when Chadwell was named the head coach.

The 2023 season marks Giardina’s third stint as a coach at Charleston Southern. Only this time, he is calling all the shots as the head coach in a career that has come full circle.

“I have a lot of past personal investment in this program,” said Giardina, who was hired at CSU after four successful seasons as the head coach at Albany State. “I am grateful for the opportunities that I had previously here and I am grateful for the opportunity that I have now.

"Things have changed a great deal here. The facilities are improved. There has been more investment into the program and into the kids. To see what it is now compared to when I was here in 2008, it’s totally different.”

Giardina’s Buccaneers take to the field on Aug. 31 for their season opener against North Greenville. Waiting a week later is a trip to Death Valley against the Clemson Tigers.

CSU’s roster has changed significantly since Giardina was hired. The coach counts 37 new players, including 27 freshmen. There are five additions that transferred with the coach from Albany State.

“It’s an inexperienced team overall. That’s been a big challenge,” he said. “We have to learn how to overcome adversity. It’s different when you are a freshman and have never played and you make a mistake. How are you going to respond? With a lot of players, we just don’t know yet.

“I have had to put a lot of stress on this team to see how we are going to respond. We can’t get frustrated with the process. It takes time. We are going to evolve through the process and they will be successful.”

One of those Albany State transfers, redshirt freshman quarterback Kaleb Jackson, will be Giardina’s starter in game one. The quarterback room, however, has depth. Backups Tony Bartalo and Isaiah Bess both saw action last season. Freshman Zolten Osborne is a former all-state performer and four-year starter at Fort Dorchester High School.

“The competition has been really good. All of them have done things to impress me with their skill set,” he said. “I feel like we have a really good group. Kaleb will take the first snap in game one and we will go from there. I know for sure who is going to start the first game. After that, we will see.

“All I want is for our quarterback to conduct the orchestra. Keep us on beat, manage the game, execute the offense.”

Giardina’s emphasis offensively be on running the football. Last season, Albany State averaged 5.1 yards per attempt and 180 yards per game on the ground. By contrast, CSU averaged 3.3 yards per rush and barely 100 yards rushing per game. To say the 2023 Buccaneers will have a different mindset is an understatement.

“We want to run the football and run it right at people,” the coach said. “It helps the defense play less plays. From what I was able to see, last year’s defense played way too much. I think we have the personnel to do what we want to do.”

JD Moore was CSU’s top rusher last season and entered the transfer portal in December. Giardina was able to bring him back with the promise of more opportunities. TJ Ruff also returns from last season, as does Roderick Hawkins. Pop Holland and Autavius Ison also have earned carries through preseason camp.

“I think all can play and do what we need them to do. They want the ball and they are going to have their opportunity,” Giardina said. “When I was here with Jamey, we had Christian Reyes, Mike Holloway and Darius Hammond all at the same time. All three were great, three of the best we’ve ever had. I think when I show our guys that, it inspires them.”

Of course, a successful run game starts up front and, frankly, the offensive line under-performed last season. Opposing defenses recorded 29 sacks, in addition to the poor run-game statistics. Giardina says fans can expect a different unit up front.

“When I first got here all I heard about was how bad the line was last year,” he said. “We started in day one of spring practice to change their entire attitude. Spring practice was like a pillow fight. These last two weeks of camp, the pads have been popping. We have stressed physicality, intensity, gritty, nasty play. They have gone from poodles to pit bulls in the last eight months. I can’t wait to see them play.”

Center Ben Moxley anchors the unit as a returning starter, along with Lee Mathews.

The back seven defensively will have a bevy of new starters, some with playing experience but few that were regular starters. The defensive front has a chance to be a strength with former Hanahan product Cooper Dawson, Darius Bell, Josh Hill and Ja’Courtney Snipes. Hill was a two-year starter at Albany State while Snipes missed last season with an injury. Dawson originally signed with Syracuse out of high school.

Middle linebacker Malik Barnes is new to CSU but was a three-year starter at Albany State. Freshman Omari Jenkins of Timberland High has earned a starting nod at linebacker as well.

Jamel Johnson, a sophomore, was a starter in the secondary last season.

CSU’s special teams could be special indeed with the return of Sam Babbush, a former Kentucky Wildcat, as the placekicker. Brian Cooey, a transfer from Maine, is the punter.

“We are ready to play, but we know its not going to be perfect,” Giardina said. “There will be things that happen during the games. The chemistry is not an issue. This is a very close football team. We are going to find out where we are, and win or lose, we are going to work each week to be better than we were the week before.

“Let’s go block, tackle, play hard, run hard. That’s what I want to see. We may play ugly at first but hopefully we will turn into a swan.”