It was all Marshall as the Thundering Herd beat UConn 28-14 in the 2022 Myrtle Beach Bowl. Second-year head coach Charles Huff led his Thundering Herd to victory against the UConn Huskies on Monday. Huff was able to get his first bowl game win as the Marshall head coach in a decisive fashion. Giving the Marshall faithful a glimpse into the future of the program.
Marshall Wins Myrtle Beach Bowl
The first half of the 2022 Myrtle Beach Bowl was all Marshall on Monday. The Thundering Herd scored 21 points to go up 21-0 entering the half. The Huskies attempted a comeback in the second half, scoring two touchdowns, but a third interception stopped UConn short. Giving the ball back to Marshall with just over two minutes remaining in the game. The Thundering Herd used their big offensive front and effective rushing attack to close the game out 28-14. With 10 seconds left on the clock, Marshall players came behind Coach Huff and poured the Gatorade container over the second-year coach. He immediately got a huge smile on his face and started jumping around with his players, despite the uncharacteristically chilly temperature.
All Thundering Herd
The new addition to the Sun Belt conference improved its record to 9-4 with a dominant win over UConn in the Myrtle Beach Bowl. The Huskies couldn’t overcome a three-turnover outing from Zion Turner. Turner couldn’t get in a rhythm against a strong showing by the Marshall defense despite throwing for 166 yards. The freshman quarterback threw two interceptions and added a fumble. One of those interceptions resulted in a big-man touchdown by Damion Barber. That touchdown by Barber resulted in a 14-0 start for the Thundering Herd.
Marshall’s quarterback had an interception himself on Monday. Cam Fancher finished the Myrtle Beach Bowl with 93 passing yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. The UConn defense was able to contain the passing game for the Thundering Herd but struggled to defend the run. Marshall racked up 210 rushing yards in the Myrtle Beach Bowl. Running backs Rasheen Ali and Khalan Laborn had equally big days. Ali rushed for 92 yards and one touchdown, averaging just over six yards per carry. The future in green and white is bright for Ali. Laborn was right behind his young counterpart, finishing the day with 90 rushing yards on 21 carries.
Positives For UConn
It wasn’t all bad for the Huskies in the Myrtle Beach Bowl. The offensive line allowed only one sack on Monday. However, Marshall was able to gather nine tackles for loss. Additionally, running back Victor Rosa finished the game with both touchdowns for UConn. The freshman had his fourth multi-touchdown game. Rosa was able to tally 75 rushing yards against a stout Marshall defensive front. He averaged just under five yards per carry with a long run of 24 yards.
The defense was able to limit Marshall through the air, keeping Fancher under 100 yards passing on the day. This was only the second time Fancher was held under 100 yards passing since taking over for injured starter Henry Colombi halfway through the season. In the six games leading up to the Myrtle Beach Bowl, Fancher was averaging 212 passing yards per game. Holding him to only 93 passing yards is definitely a positive heading into the off-season.
Main Image courtesy NBC-Sports, Connecticut
