MYRTLE BEACH, SC – The Marshall Thundering Herd and UConn Huskies are set to meet in the third edition of the Myrtle Beach Bowl on Monday, Dec. 19 at 2:30 p.m. ET, on ESPN. The game will be played at Brooks Stadium on the campus of Coastal Carolina University in Conway, SC.

“We are thrilled to host the third annual Myrtle Beach Bowl,” said Rachel Quigley, executive director of Myrtle Beach Bowl. “After two successful contests, we are excited to once again welcome back the Grand Strand community and new fan bases to the Myrtle Beach area.”

“Visit Myrtle Beach is thrilled to once again partner with ESPN Events and Coastal Carolina University to welcome Marshall and UConn here for 2022 Myrtle Beach Bowl,” said Karen Riordan, President and CEO of Visit Myrtle Beach. “We know the teams and fans in town for the game will delight in all the activities our destination offers this time of year, especially our numerous holiday events, festive light displays and theatrical performances.”

“Coastal Carolina University is proud to serve as the host for the Myrtle Beach Bowl,” said Matt Hogue, Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics and University Recreation. “This traditional event is important to our partnership with the MB Chamber of Commerce and the entire sports tourism effort of our region. We look forward to welcoming two passionate fan bases to the beach and showcasing our wonderful community to those watching on national television.”

This will be the second-ever meeting between Marshall and UConn. Previously, the two teams met in the 2015 St. Petersburg Bowl at Tropicana Field, which resulted in a 16-10 Thundering Herd victory. Marshall enters the Myrtle Beach Bowl out of the Sun Belt Conference, completing their first season as a member. UConn has competed as an independent since the 2021 season.

Marshall (8-4, 5-3 SBC) brings a four-game winning streak to the Grand Strand. The Thundering Herd took down SBC opponents Old Dominion, Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, and Georgia State to conclude their regular season, finishing third in the East Division standings. Their defense topped the conference with just over 16 points allowed per

game and ranked second with under 293 yards allowed per game. Marshall competed in Conference USA from 2005-2021 and has secured a winning record in six consecutive seasons.

Head coach Charles Huff will be taking the Thundering Herd to their 6th straight bowl game appearance and second as the head coach, falling to Louisiana in last year’s New Orleans Bowl. Overall, Marshall will be making its 18th bowl game appearance, holding a 12-5 record. Huff was hired as the Marshall head coach in 2021 after serving two years as the associate head coach under Nick Saban at Alabama.

UConn (6-6) became bowl eligible for the first since 2015 with a win over No. 19 Liberty 36-33 on November 12th to complete a three-game winning streak after starting the season 3-5. The victory marked the Huskies’ first over a ranked team since 2015 and finished their home schedule with a record of 5-1, their most wins at home since 2010.

After finishing 1-11 in 2021, first-year head coach Jim Mora will be taking the Huskies to their seventh-overall bowl game appearance. UConn holds a 3-3 bowl game record, with their last win coming in the 2010 PapaJohns.com Bowl over South Carolina. Mora was hired in 2021 after a six-year reign as the head coach at UCLA, collecting a 46-30 overall record and two bowl game victories.

The Myrtle Beach Bowl is one of 17 college football bowl games owned and operated by ESPN Events.

ESPN Events

ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide. In 2022, the 32-event schedule includes three early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events, and a college softball event, which account for approximately 400 hours of live programming, while reaching nearly 64 million viewers and attracting over 800,000 annual attendees. With satellite offices in more than 10 cities across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.

« Back to News