The Marshall Thundering Herd and the UConn Huskies will face off in the Myrtle Beach Bowl. The lone bowl game of the day, the game will take place Dec. 19 at 2:30 p.m. ET on ESPN in the home of the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. 

How We Got Here: 

The Thundering Herd began the season like a dream, stunning the world by heading into South Bend and beating Notre Dame in front of the inviting arms of Touchdown Jesus. But the dream quickly turned into a nightmare, as they lost three of their next four games and veteran quarterback Henry Colombi was unable to finish consecutive contests due to injury.

But the defense was always sound in Huntington, and they came alive down the stretch. The Herd finished on a four-game winning streak highlighted by a shutout of Old Dominion and limiting Georgia Southern’s vaunted passing attack to 10 points. Troy’s Sun Belt-title winning defense deservedly received the lion’s share of publicity, but Marshall’s stop unit was just as strong as its more heralded conference peers. 

Offense was another story for Charles Huff’s outfit, however. For much of the year it was “Laborn or bust,” as former five-star running back Khalan Laborn carried the team and lived near the top of the NCAA rushing charts. But Laborn’s production decreased as the season progressed. Freshman Cam Fancher replaced Colombi at quarterback in October, which added an extra dimension to the rushing attack with his legs. Rasheen Ali — Marshall’s workhorse in the 2021 season — returned for the final two games of November after missing most of the season, and he returned to his previous vintage with 181 yards on 5.7 per tote.

UConn is 3-3 in bowl games, with its last bowl appearance coming in the 2015 St. Petersburg Bowl. That bowl is now known as the Gasparilla Bowl. Its opponent in that bowl game? Marshall, which won 16-10 over UConn. The school’s last bowl win was in the 2009 season in the PapaJohns.com Bowl, a Huskies season known for the team rallying together after the tragic death of cornerback Jasper Howard during the season. 

After retreading Randy Edsall, who brought them to a Fiesta Bowl in his first stint with the program but was nowhere near as successful in his second go around, UConn turned to Jim Mora. After a 1-4 start, with their only victory in that span against FCS Central Connecticut State, the Huskies turned it around to finish 5-2, clinching bowl eligibility in a thrilling 36-33 win over then No. 19 Liberty, who had just traveled to Fayetteville and beaten Arkansas.  

In the end, while UConn would of course want to win, the fact that it is in this bowl game at all is hopefully a major stepping stone to set this program up for more sustained success. For now, the Huskies will try to bring out the dog in them and bring home some postseason hardware beyond a New York Times National Championship.  

Keys to the Game: 

Marshall: It sounds simple, but: show up. Marshall is a better football team than UConn, as evidence by the double-digit spread and its 52-spot edge in Bill Connelly’s SP+ rankings. The Herd can’t afford to no-show like they did in mid-season losses to Bowling Green and Louisiana. If they arrive ready to compete and don’t turn the ball over, their defensive talent will deliver the win. 

UConn: Marshall might have a great defense, and UConn does not appear to be a particularly potent offense which should spell doom for the Huskies. But they actually rank 34th in rushing with 194.9 yards per game. As an underdog, there are two strategies that can eliminate a talent deficit. Either a team can try to just push the envelope and be hyper aggressive in their play calling, or they can go the UConn route of drawing out offensive drives, shortening the game and forcing the opponent to be more precise with their limited possessions. If UConn can effectively put up drives consisting of clock killing runs, anything could happen once the game gets into the fourth quarter. It will be a tall task against the Thundering Herd’s fifth-ranked rushing defense, but these Huskies will certainly be up to the challenge. 

Players to Watch: 

Marshall: 

EDGE Owen Porter – A porter is someone who makes everything run better, cleaner, smoother. Part janitor, part handyman, part customer service professional. Owen Porter serves the opposite role to opposing offenses: destroying backfields, wrecking running plays, taking the ball. He has tallied 9.5 sacks and 14 TFLs while forcing two fumbles, recovering another, and intercepting a pass. He should be in line for a game-changing play or two against a Connecticut offense that is 100th in FBS in Havoc rate allowed.

RB Khalan Laborn – The Sun Belt was host to excellent running back play this season – Frank Gore Jr., Percy Agyei-Obese, Nate Noel – but none stood taller than Laborn with 1,423 yards and 16 scores. The former five-star recruit who transferred in from Florida State was expected to be in a timeshare with Rasheen Ali, but he was pressed into workhorse responsibilities after Ali’s late-summer injury. Laborn stepped up, eclipsing the century mark in each of Marshall’s first seven games. He understandably slowed a bit as the season progressed, but Ali’s return in late November gave Laborn’s legs new life. He rushed for 170 yards in the two games with Ali at his side, including an 83-yard touchdown scamper in the finale against Georgia State. Both backs are outstanding, but Laborn has been the story of Marshall’s offense this season, and I expect him to cap his remarkable season with another big game. 

CBs Steven Gilmore and Micah Abraham – You recognize these names in the context of NFL defensive backs, don’t you? That’s Stephon’s brother and Donnie’s son. These two bloodline cornerbacks will soon be following the family tradition of playing on Sundays, and they are the anchors of a Marshall team that ranks 15th in the country in PFF’s coverage grading. The pair have combined to hold quarterbacks to a 48% completion percentage on 112 targets and have intercepted eight passes. They each picked off an Irish pass in their monumental win in South Bend, including Gilmore’s game-sealing pick six late in the fourth quarter. 

UConn: 

QB Zion Turner — Ta’Quan Roberson opened the season as the team’s starting quarterback but unfortunately was lost for the season due to an ACL injury. In stepped freshman Zion Turner, who did not exactly light up defenses but played well enough for the Huskies. He threw for 1,241 yards with a 9-to-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio. This season of getting reps under his belt should make this offseason in Storrs interesting as Turner and Robinson potentially battle for the QB1 spot. 

LB Jackson Mitchell — The leading tackler on the team by a wide margin, Jackson Mitchell has accomplished that feat in back-to-back seasons. He also is tied for first in forced fumbles, is first overall in fumbles recovered and is second on the team with 4.5 sacks. His name will be called multiple times throughout the bowl, and if he puts up a similar season next year, he could find himself well within the top 10 of career tacklers in UConn history.  

WRs Keelan Marion and Cam Ross — Keelan Marion caught Turner’s first career touchdown pass in the season opener but unfortunately broke his collarbone on the play. He returned in late October but injured his ankle. Meanwhile, Cam Ross has been managing a broken foot sustained in camp, only getting snaps on special teams in the last two regular season games. However, both players have had time to get back into game shape, and if Marion has been able to reestablish that connection with Turner in practice and if he can find his freshman form where he led the team in receptions and yards, this offense could add a little more spice through the air to help out their run-heavy offense. 

Score Predictions: 

Dan — Marshall’s defense dominates as it has all year, shutting down an overmatched Connecticut offense. Laborn and Ali each reach the end zone as the tandem salts the game away for the Herd. Marshall 24, UConn 10.

Josh — UConn’s season has been a great story, but not every tale ends on a happy note. But it will be for Marshall, who will cap off an up-and-down season with a dominant victory. A late touchdown grab by Ross will make the score look closer, but the Thundering Herd will cruise. Marshall 35, UConn 24.