Ohio touchdown features jump pass, one-hand catch in Myrtle Beach Bowl

The Ohio Bobcats with a highlight-reel TD in the Myrtle Beach Bowl

It is extremely early in bowl season but the Ohio Bobcats provided a quick highlight.

In the Myrtle Beach Bowl on Saturday against Georgia Southern, Ohio went with the Tim Tebow-style jump pass.

It worked to perfection thanks to Rickey Hunt making a one-hand catch of the pass from Parker Navarro.

Ohio was up 27-0, early in the third quarter and Hunt had three touchdowns.

Marshall 28, UConn 14 Myrtle Beach Bowl What Happened, What It All Means

Marshall 28, UConn 14: Myrtle Beach Bowl what happened, player of the game, and what it all means

Marshall beat UConn 28-14 to win the Myrtle Beach Bowl. What happened, who was the player of the game, and what does it all mean?


Marshall 28, UConn 14 Myrtle Beach Bowl What Happened, Player of the Game, What It All Means

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Myrtle Beach Bowl What Happened

In a tale of two halves, Marshall took advantage of big mistakes and got the running game going on the way to a 21-0 halftime lead and a 28-0 advantage. UConn found its groove, scored 14 points on two Victor Rosa runs, and made it interesting in the fourth quarter. UConn drives stalled, Marshall’s D held up, and the was able to grind down the clock to close.

Marshall QB Cam Fancher threw two short touchdown passes, but again, it was the D that took over early. Damion Barber came up with a pick six, there were four takeaways in all, and the line – outside of the two Rosa touchdowns – held up great against the run.

This wasn’t pretty. It seemed like every other play was marred by a flag, that’s because that’s basically what happened. The two combined for 21 penalties for 227 yards and six turnovers.

Myrtle Beach Bowl Player of the Game

Eli Neal, LB Marshall
The junior was all over the place tying for a game-high ten tackles with seven solo stops with 1.5 tackles for loss and a broken up pass.

CFN Experts Picks Dec 20-27 | CFP NY6, Dec 28-Jan 2

Myrtle Beach Bowl Fun Stats

– Marshall RBs Rasheen Ali and Khalan Laborn combined for 182 rushing yards and an Ali touchdown on 36 carries.

– UConn QB Zion Turner ran for 25 yards, but he only completed 9-of-27 passes for 166 yards and three interceptions.

– Third down conversions: Marshall 7-of-15 – UConn 3-of-12

100 Best Bowl Players | Ranking How Good the Bowls Were

Myrtle Beach Bowl What It All Means

UConn lost, but it played well in the second half, had the effort and energy, and it was okay despite the 14 point loss. But start with this … who cares that it couldn’t pull it off? UConn was in a bowl game for the first time since 2015 and the second time since 2010.  It was a fantastic season under Jim Mora Jr. as he turned around a program that wasn’t going anywhere.

UConn won six games from 2017 to 2021 and won six this year – it was playing with house money in Conway. However, this was a shot at the first winning season since 2010 and the first bowl win since 2009.

It was a strange nine-win season for Marshall, but with a win over Notre Dame early, and closing out with a bowl victory, 9-4 looks very, very good for second-year head coach Charles Huff.

For years, Marshall was a give for a bowl win under Doc Holliday, but the program lsat three in a row including last year’s New Orleans under Huff. This wasn’t a complete game – the team lost its edge in the second half, but it won by two touchdowns and got that ninth win. It’s a great way to go into the offseason.

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2022-2023 Bowl Schedule, Predictions

Myrtle Beach Bowl: Marshall vs. UConn live stream, preview, TV channel, time, how to watch

The Marshall Thundering Herd will meet the UConn Huskies in the Myrtle Beach Bowl on Monday afternoon from Brooks Stadium in South Carolina.

The Marshall Thundering Herd will meet the UConn Huskies in the Myrtle Beach Bowl on Monday afternoon from Brooks Stadium in South Carolina.

Marshall finished up the season with an 8-4 record after finishing the year with a 28-23 win over Georgia State. As for UConn, they went 6-6 and will be looking to rebound after a tough loss to Army to finish off the season. Jim Mora has done wonders with this program and would expect them to be ready this afternoon.

This will be a great start to bowl season, here is everything you need to know to watch and stream the action today.

Marshall vs. UConn

  • When: Monday, December 19
  • Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: ESPN
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

NCAA Football Odds and Betting Lines

NCAA odds courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook. Odds were updated at 10:30 a.m. ET on Monday.

Marshall (-12) vs. UConn

O/U: 41

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Marshall vs UConn Myrtle Beach Bowl Prediction Game Preview

Marshall vs UConn game preview, prediction, and breakdown for the Myrtle Beach Bowl on Monday, December 19

Marshall vs UConn prediction, game preview, odds, how to watch. Myrtle Beach Bowl, Monday, December 19


Marshall vs UConn Myrtle Beach Bowl Prediction Game Preview

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Marshall vs UConn How To Watch

Date: Monday, December 19
Game Time: 2:30 ET
Venue: Brooks Stadium, Conway, SC
How To Watch: ESPN
Record: Marshall (8-4), UConn (6-6)
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Marshall vs UConn Myrtle Beach Bowl 5 Things To Know

Myrtle Beach Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History

How did Jim Mora Jr. not make every Coach of the Year list? Before 2022, UConn won exactly ten games since 2015, hadn’t had a winning season since 2010, didn’t play in 2020, and a 2019 victory over UMass was the lone win against an FBS team since the middle of the 2017 season. Mora’s team shocked Fresno State as it went on a 5-1 run to get bowl eligible before dropping the regular season finale. This has been a wildly successful year no matter what happens here.

It’s been a crazy season for Marshall. It made a massive splash with a shocking win over Notre Dame, and then it promptly followed it up with a loss to Bowling Green as part of a rough 2-4 run with a tough November looming. The switch was flipped, the defense took things up a notch, and the Herd closed out 4-0.

For years Marshall was a bowl season given. It lost its first two, and then from 1998 to 2018 it went 12-1, with the only loss coming to Cincinnati in the 2004 Fort Worth. Along that ride was a 16-10 win over UConn in the 2015 St. Petersburg. Now it’s on a three-bowl losing streak including a 36-21 rocking from Louisiana in last year’s New Orleans Bowl.

It’s just the seventh bowl appearance in the history of UConn football. It’s 3-3 with the last win coming over South Carolina in the 2009 PapaJohn.com Bowl. The only bowl between this and the 2010 Fiesta loss to Oklahoma was that loss to Marshall. Yeah, this game means something.

The Myrtle Beach Bowl is only in its third season, but the first two games at least were interesting. It’s become a landing place for good Group of Five programs, and it’s got the college football day all to itself on a Monday afternoon. Appalachian State ran wild in a 56-28 win over North Texas in the inaugural game, and Tulsa’s 30-17 win over Old Dominion last year was more entertaining than the final score.

CFN Bowl Expert Picks: Dec 16-19 | Dec 20-27

Why Marshall Will Win The Myrtle Beach Bowl

It’s a nice UConn team, but it’s about to run into a brick wall – not literally, but almost.

Marshall might not have a high-powered offense, but the run defense has been tremendous all year long, finishing fifth in the nation allowing just 88 yards per game. No one was able to get to 200 on this bunch – not Notre Dame, not Appalachian State, not Coastal Carolina – and UConn has to run well to win.

The Huskies were able to pull off a few wins when the ground game wasn’t flying, but the O line allows way too many plays behind the line, third downs are almost impossible to convert, and the passing attack does nothing down the field – UConn is dead last in the nation in yards per completion.

On the other side, Marshall is 6-0 when running for 200 yards or more. UConn is 1-6 when allowing more than 155 yards, but ….

Why UConn Will Win The Myrtle Beach Bowl

The running game really could work.

Granted, it cranked up the big yards against some of the worst run defenses in America, but with time to prepare and get everyone healthy again, the offense is about to hit Marshall with a wave of young backs.

Zion Turner is a dangerous young quarterback who can get on the move, the running backs should push for close to five yards per carry, and it should be able to slow the game down a bit.

The UConn defense doesn’t do too much to get behind the line, but it doesn’t take much to disrupt the Marshall attack. The passing game isn’t great, the O is miserable at converting drives into points, and the line is way too leaky.

However …

Myrtle Beach Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History

NEXT: What’s Going To Happen, Marshall vs UConn Prediction, Myrtle Beach Bowl History

Best bets for every bowl game, Pt. 1 (pre-Christmas Day bowls)

Part 1 of our picks for all 43 bowl games.

Bowl season is officially upon us, and there is something for everybody. In fact, some might say there are too many bowls — or so many that most end up being just exhibitions.

I’m not going to sit here and disagree. But if you can’t find something to enjoy from any of these games, college football just might not be your thing.

An alternative way to get invested is through a little betting action. And because most people don’t have time to research 43 different games, I did it for you.

Starting with every bowl before Christmas, these are my best bets for each game. Check back later for the remaining bowls.

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Tulsa vs Old Dominion: Bowl Prediction, Game Preview

Tulsa vs Old Dominion: Myrtle Beach Bowl prediction, game preview, how to watch, lines, and why each team might or might not win.

Tulsa vs Old Dominion: Myrtle Beach Bowl prediction, game preview, how to watch, lines: Monday, December 20


Tulsa vs Old Dominion: Myrtle Beach Bowl How To Watch

Date: Monday, December 20
Game Time: 2:30 pm ET
Venue: Brooks Stadium, Conway, SC
How To Watch: ESPN
, Live stream on ESPN+
Records: Old Dominion (6-6), Tulsa (6-6)

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Tulsa vs Old Dominion Myrtle Beach Bowl Preview

6-6 teams that had to win out to get to a bowl game tend to try harder.

There’s no lack of fight in a Tulsa squad that came this close to knocking Cincinnati out of the College Football Playoff picture, and then won its last three games to get here.

There’s nothing fancy about what the Golden Hurricane like to do. They want to run if possible, hit a few deep shots down the field to take a few chances, and then hope for the defense to take the ball away to make up for all the turnovers.

Tulsa has enough offensive firepower and balance to keep up any pace, but the attack was among the worst in the nation at turning the ball over. However, Old Dominion made almost as many mistakes.

This is a fun Monarch team that roared through the second half of the season with five straight wins after a 1-6 start to make this a wonderful first run – after not being able to play in 2020 – under head coach Ricky Rahne.

Turnovers are a big, big problem for Old Dominion – more on that later – but the downfield passing game is great, the special teams came up with a whole lot of big plays, and now the team is playing with house money.

Why Tulsa, Old Dominion Will Win
Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History
Myrtle Beach Bowl Top Players To Know

NEXT: Why Tulsa Will Win, Why Old Dominion Will Win, Myrtle Beach Bowl Prediction

Myrtle Beach Bowl 10 Things To Know: Appalachian State 56, North Texas 28

The 10 ten things you need to know about Appalachian State win over North Texas in the Myrtle Beach Bowl.

The 10 ten things you need to know about Appalachian State win over North Texas in the Myrtle Beach Bowl.


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Myrtle Beach Bowl: Appalachian State 56, Tulane 28

10. North Texas QB Austin Aune was out due to COVID concerns. It was a late scratch, but Jason Bean is experienced enough to step in and be fine, but he got banged up early. He ended up completing 21-of-36 passes for 251 yards and two touchdowns with a pick – he did what he could.

9. Appalachian State senior QB Zac Thomas went out in style. He only had to throw 16 times, he threw a touchdown pass and he ran for 35 yards. This game was all about the Mountaineer running game, but Thomas took advantage when he had his chances.

8. It also helped that the trick/funky things Appalachian State worked on, worked. Getting out to a 14-0 lead helped make everything else happen on the way to a 35-7 lead as big run after big run kicked in. The North Texas defense held up as well as it could, and then the dam broke.

 

7. The Mountaineer linebacking corps wasn’t perfect, but it came up with a whole lot of big plays. Nick Hampton and D’Marco Jackson combined for 19 tackles with two sacks and five tackles for loss, but …

6. North Texas still had its moments. The offense came up with almost 500 yards, there was and good balance to the attack, and the team kept things moving. It controlled the clock, Tre Siggers ran for 120 yards, Oscar Adaway ran for 97 yards, and the receiving corps and passing game wasn’t bad, but …

5. Not having Jaelon Darden didn’t help. The Mean Green was missing a 74-catch, 19-touchdown target after he chose to opt-out on the bowl game after declaring himself eligible for the NFL Draft. Austin Ogunmakin caught seven passes for 131 yards and a touchdown, but the UNT offense could’ve used a superstar playmaker to keep up the fight.

4. Speaking of fight, after a hit on QB Jason Bean as he was awkwardly sliding, the two teams got into a bit of a rumble. The two teams pushed and shoved as Bean was down, but nothing much came of it. It cranked up the intensity for a bit, but it didn’t help the North Texas defense against the run.

3. The North Texas defense came into the game with a whole slew of problems against the run, and they didn’t get any better. After allowing 927 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns over the previous three games, it got hit for 502 yards and six scores because …

2. The Appalachian State offensive line was dominant. The scheme worked, the backs got in space, and the coaching staff kept rolling with the same plays on both sides until North Texas could prove it could stop it – and it couldn’t. The backs were at the second and third level, made a guy miss, and then boom. Marcus Williams ran six times for 101 yards and a score, and …

1. It was the Camrun Peoples show. The entire Appalachian State running game worked, but it was Peoples who came up took over with bowl-record 319 yards and five touchdowns on 22 carries. Before this, he led the team with 807 yards and seven touchdowns on the year, but it wasn’t all him. That offensive line gave him big holes to rumble through.

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Myrtle Beach Bowl: 2021 NFL Draft prospect preview

Dion Novil is worth the watch for the Browns

We have finally made it to college football bowl season and we have a great one to kick it off in a match-up between the Conference USA and Sun Belt in the Myrtle Beach Bowl. This may not be the most prestigious bowl, but there is plenty of NFL talent to watch for between the North Texas and Appalachian State rosters.

North Texas Mean Green:

Dion Novil, DT, 6-4, 315 pounds, Sr.:

Novil has been a steady presence at the nose in the North Texas 3-3-5 defense the past two seasons and was named to the C-USA All Academic team earlier this week. What really makes Novil an intriguing prospect is his ability against the run as evidenced by his dominating performance against Rice that led to the only perfect PFF run defense grade during week 12.

Ethan Mooney, K, 6-0, 211 pounds, Jr.:

Mooney is an extremely reliable kicker as he has nailed 16 of 19 the last two years from inside the forty. This season Mooney has been perfect on extra points and his long sits at 49 yards. Mooney is only a junior, but should be a prospect to monitor in 2021.

Appalachian State Mountaineers

Corey Sutton, WR, 6-3, 200 pounds, Sr.:

Sutton opted out before the 2020 season, but he is so good I have to mention him here. The big play wideout was electric in 2019 with 41 receptions for 601 yards and seven touchdowns and that was accumulated in nine games as his season was shortened due to an ACL tear.

Shaun Jolly, CB, 5-9, 175 pounds, Jr.:

Jolly has erased opposing wide receivers the past two seasons and will likely have another season to continue his rise up draft boards. He has been the leader of one of the more impressive defensive backfields in the country. Jolly has the makings of an extremely effective slot corner at the next level and may enter early round conversation.

Zac Thomas, QB, 6-1, 210 pounds, Sr.:

Thomas is a three-year starter for the Mountaineers and has been extremely efficient throughout his career. Despite Appalachian State relying more on the run this season compared to last, Thomas has found a way to elevate his game as evidenced by his 19 touchdowns on just 275 attempts.

 

 

Myrtle Beach Bowl: North Texas vs Appalachian State Prediction, Game Preview

North Texas vs Appalachian State: Myrtle Beach Bowl prediction and game preview.

North Texas vs Appalachian State: Myrtle Beach Bowl prediction and game preview.


North Texas vs Appalachian State: Myrtle Beach Bowl Broadcast

Date: Monday, December 21
Game Time: 2:30 pm
Venue: Brooks Stadium, Conway, SC
Network: ESPN

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All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

North Texas (4-5) vs Appalachian State (8-3) Game Preview

For latest lines and to bet on the NFL, go to BetMGM 


Three Reasons Why You Should Watch The Myrtle Beach Bowl

It might not be exactly how the people who put together the Myrtle Beach Bowl thought this whole thing would start, but this kicks off a speed-round bowl season with an interesting afternoon game that should have a whole lot of high-powered offense.

In a bowl like this, you want lots of O, minimal D – at least that should come from one side – and two teams fired up to be in it. Here you go with the inaugural game.

Appalachian State might not be the powerhouse of previous seasons, but it’s still strong. Its losses? Coastal Carolina, Louisiana, and Marshall – back before Marshall lost its mojo. That’s not bad.

The program has won five straight bowl games since moving up to the FBS world – the last bowl loss was 1955 – and the last three have been relative walks in park. Focus hasn’t been an issue for a program that expects to win these things.

Let’s put it this way – North Texas couldn’t be any worse than it’s been in the three bowl appearances so far under head coach Seth Littrell. The Mean Green was annihilated by Utah State in 2018 New Mexico and lost by 20 in the 2017 New Orleans, and at the very least, you’re going to see points one way or another when they take the field.

Why North Texas, Appalachian State Will Win
What’s Going to Happen, Prediction, History

NEXT: Why North Texas Will Win, Why Appalachian State Will Win, North Texas vs Appalachian State Prediction