Bowl Grades For Every Team, Conference: How Did Everyone Do? – Page 11

Sun Belt Bowl Grades

Sun Belt Bowl Grade: B-

Sun Belt Straight Up: 3-4
Sun Belt Against The Spread: 3-4

The conference champ got it done with Troy slipping by UTSA, but North Texas couldn’t push through in a good fight with Boise State. Marshall and Southern Miss had no problems in their respective bowl games, but South Alabama was a strange no-show against WKU, and Georgia Southern was a shocking dud against Buffalo.

Coastal Carolina tried, but it was ready to move on from the 2022 season, and Louisiana put up a good fight but couldn’t hang on against Houston.

Coastal Carolina Bowl Grade: B-

TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl
Prediction: East Carolina 37, Coastal Carolina 26
Line: East Carolina -8, o/u: 62
Final Score: East Carolina 53, Coastal Carolina 29
What Happened, Player of the Game, Fun Stats, What it Means

To be very, very fair, Coastal Carolina did what it could. It gets a free pass with the coaching situation for this muddled, and with QB Grayson McCall getting hurt. The defense didn’t have a prayer – it gave up 29 points in the second half as the game got out of hand – but the Chanticleers had a lead midway through the second quarter before it all went wrong.

Georgia Southern Bowl Grade: C

Camellia Bowl
Prediction: Georgia Southern 38, Buffalo 27
Line: Georgia Southern -3.5, o/u: 66.5
Final Score: Buffalo 23, Georgia Southern 21
What Happened, Player of the Game, Fun Stats, What it Means

Georgia Southern and former Buffalo QB Kyle Vantrease should’ve rolled. The offense that was so explosive and so good at times shouldn’t have had a problem – Vantrease did throw for 352 yards. It was too late. The offense never took control, UB always had the ball, and the team couldn’t come through with a late rally. The team was better than a losing record, but that’s what it finished with.

Louisiana Bowl Grade: B-

Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
Prediction: Houston 41, Louisiana 27
Line: Houston -6.5, o/u: 56.5
Final Score: Houston 23, Louisiana 16
What Happened, Player of the Game, Fun Stats, What it Means

Louisiana lost, but it wasn’t supposed to be make this all that close. Forget that the spread was less than a touchdown – that was more about Houston’s flakiness than what the Ragin’ Cajuns could do. It was a good fight getting up 16-6 in the first half, but tied at 16, the D couldn’t hang on as it gave up a 92-yard scoring drive to lose it. The -3 turnover margin was a killer.

Marshall Bowl Grade: B+

Myrtle Beach Bowl
Prediction: Marshall 30, UConn 16
Line: Marshall -12.5, o/u: 41
Final Score: Marshall 28, UConn 14
What Happened, Player of the Game, Fun Stats, What it Means

No drama, no worrying, no problems – sort of. It was hardly a perfect overall performance, and there was a moment in the second half when it looked like the Herd were about to let it all slip away, but the clamps game down and the team got out with a two touchdown win. It was more workmanlike than sensational, but the team did what it had to do.

South Alabama Bowl Grade: D

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Prediction: South Alabama 35, WKU 30
Line: South Alabama -4, o/u: 57.5
Final Score: WKU 44, South Alabama 23
What Happened, Player of the Game, Fun Stats, What it Means

This is being very, very kind. South Alabama came this close to being undefeated and off to the Sun Belt Championship and then the Cotton Bowl – that’s assuming a wee bit, but not really. It was terrific all year, it was great on both sides of the ball throughout, and it got down 31-3 to WKU and was never, ever in it. Turnovers weren’t a problem, and the offense wasn’t awful – the D never came close.

Southern Miss Bowl Grade: B+

LendingTree Bowl
Prediction: Southern Miss 26, Rice 20
Line: Southern Miss -6.5, o/u: 45.5
Final Score: Southern Miss 38, Rice 24
What Happened, Player of the Game, Fun Stats, What it Means

329 yards. No one has ever run for more yards in a bowl game than Frank Gore Jr., who set the mark with a terrific performance to push past Rice. So how come the grade isn’t higher? The three turnovers were bad, being down 24-17 late in the third was worse, and the defense melting down for a bit after halftime was a problem. But it was a 14-point bowl victory … against the team that got in with five wins.

Troy Bowl Grade: A

Duluth Trading Cure Bowl
Prediction: UTSA 30, Troy 27
Line: UTSA -2.5, o/u: 56.5
Final Score: Troy 18, UTSA 12
What Happened, Player of the Game, Fun Stats, What it Means

And THAT’S how Troy became the Sun Belt champion. The defense that was great all year came up with takeaway after takeaway – five in all – and held firm after getting down 12-0 to the high-powered Conference USA champ. The offense got its two touchdowns off of takeaways and generated its one good drive of the day for a field goal. 12 wins, signature bowl victory, boom.

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