After a bizarre sequence that saw the Connecticut Huskies leave the Big East for independent status in football and then miss 2020 altogether, because as an independent, they could not find anyone to play them in the COVID-19 shutdown year, the Huskies (6-6) have righted the ship, somewhat, and are bowl eligible for the first time in seven years. They face a Marshall (8-4) Thundering Herd team that has the highlight of having beaten Notre Dame in the shadow of Touchdown Jesus as well as the lowlight of losing four other games this season. The Huskies are playing in their seventh straight bowl game after taking on Louisiana in the R+L Carriers Bowl. The last time Connecticut was in a bowl game, they also faced Marshall in the St. Petersburg Bowl back in 2015. Which team will prevail this time? Don’t miss our College Football betting preview.
NCAA Preview: Myrtle Beach Bowl (Monday, December 19)
When: Monday, December 19, 2022, 2:30 pm ET
Where: Brooks Stadium, Conway, SC
TV: ESPN
Radio: ESPN Radio
Live Stream: Sling TV
NCAA Odds: Marshall -10 / O/U 41 // Marshall -385 / Connecticut +300
→ Why should you bet on the Huskies?
The Huskies were one of the worst teams in the nation last year, but veteran head coach Jim Mora has revamped things. Injuries took a toll early, especially with the loss of starting quarterback Ta’Quan Robinson for the year with an ACL tear. Zion Turner came on and has 1,241 passing yards and nine scores through the air. Tailback Nathan Carter had 405 yards and a score on the ground to start the season before going down for the year.
Even after losing Carter, Connecticut remained a run-first offense, as tailback Victor Rosa came on with 561 yards and nine scores. Devontae Houston also contributed 538 yards on the ground and three touchdowns. Connecticut beat Fresno State, Liberty and Boston College en route to a 6-6 season. If you like Connecticut, you probably see Marshall taking this game a bit lightly while the Huskies prepare to pound the ball all day long.
→ Why should you put your money on the Thundering Herd?
The year began with big wins over Norfolk State and the Fighting Irish. However, things fell off the table a bit as Marshall dropped four of their next six contests. However, they would rebound during Sun Belt play and win their last four. Freshman quarterback Cam Fancher took over as the starter in the middle of the season, and he has thrown for just 1,465 yards and eight scores. The Marshall defense has gotten a lot of rave reviews, permitting just 18.4 points per game, which ranks them in the nation’s top ten.
On offense, Marshall leads with the running game, with the tandem of Rasheen Ali and Khalan Laborn stacking up the yards. Laborn transferred in from Florida State and now ranks 11th in the nation with more than 1,400 yards on the ground and 16 touchdowns. Ali has had to miss time due to injury, so Laborn has gotten the bulk of the work, but Ali returned a couple of weeks ago to face Georgia Southern and bolted for more than 100 yards, and he also stacked up 79 yards in the regular season finale against Georgia State. In 2021, Ali was the FBS leader in rushing touchdowns, so he can find the end zone.
→ Final Score and Prediction
The key to this game will be defense; Marshall has a stout unit, and both sides will struggle a bit in the early going to establish offensive rhythm. I see the Herd taking a while to take control of the game before they enforce their will and grind out a 23-16 win.
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