For the first time in four years, the Connecticut Huskies are going bowling. It might not be too much fun for UConn, though, as it faces a feisty Marshall Thundering Herd team, which is making a third straight bowl game appearance.
For more 2015 bowl game previews, you can check out our breakdown of the Marmot Boca Raton Bowl, featuring Toledo and Temple.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]St. Petersburg Bowl Preview
Where: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg
When: Saturday, December 26, 11:30 AM ET
Line: Connecticut Huskies (+4.5) vs. Marshall Thundering Herd (-4.5) total: 44.5 – view all NCAA Football lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Connecticut Huskies (6-6, 4-4 AAC)
[sc:NCAA240banner ]The Huskies beat just one team with a winning record, yet they got their tickets for this year’s bowl season. They’ll take it anyway, though, and they’ll bring their vaunted defense down to St. Petersburg, where they’ll be up against C-USA’s Marshall.
For most of the season, the Huskies mostly depended on their defense to win games. In fact, they’ll enter the St. Petersburg Bowl 17th in the nation in scoring defense (19.8 points allowed per game) and 34th in total defense (352.3). It is important for the Huskies to have their defense click against Marshall, as they don’t have the type of explosive offense that can deal heavy damage on thick defenses such as that of the Thundering Herd’s.
Considering that Marshall isn’t that much of a defensive juggernaut, UConn’s secondary pieces like corner Jamar Summers could be the difference makers for the Huskies. Summers has an AAC-best seven interceptions. Overall, the Huskies have 17 interceptions, tied for 10th in the FBS.
That was apparent in the Huskies’ 27-3 loss to No. 25 Temple on November 28, when they were massively outgained on offense with the Owls picking up 321 yards as against UConn’s paltry 121. In fairness to the Huskies, didn’t have starting quarterback Bryant Shirreffs, who was out with a concussion.
Shirreffs, however, is now healthy and will be back under center come Saturday. Shirreffs finished the season with 1,992 passing yards and nine touchdowns with seven interceptions.
The under is 8-2 in UConn’s last 10 games overall.
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Betting on the Marshall Thundering Herd (6-2, 9-3 C-USA)
Like UConn, the Thundering Herd possess a tough defense that can stall any team’s offense. But what differentiates them from their St. Petersburg Bowl rivals is their much better ability to move the chains.
Marshall is 14th in the nation in scoring defense with only 18.4 points allowed per game, and is 46th in scoring offense with 32.6 points per contest.
That said, the Thundering Herd march to this bowl game without leading rusher Devon Johnson, who suffered a season-ending injury way back in October. In Johnson’s lieu, Marshall would rely on a committee of running backs, which includes Hyleck Foster, Remi Watson, and Tony Pittman, who’ve all combined for 1,134 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on the year.
Under center, Marshall will have true freshman Chase Litton, who finished the season with 2,387 passing yards and 22 scoring passes with seven interceptions.
While Marshall is the superior team offensively compared to the Huskies, the Thundering Herd saw their attack falter in their previous game, a 49-28 loss to Western Kentucky on November 27. Their backfield was particularly bad against the Hilltoppers, as the Thundering Herd finished the game with only 31 yards on the ground.
On the other side of the ball, Marshall is poised to have a field day getting by the Huskies’ porous offensive line that has allowed 35.0 sacks this year, third most in the AAC. Conversely, the Thundering Herd are 43rd in the nation with 28.0 sacks.
Marshall is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games as a chalk.
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Writer’s Prediction
Marshall (-4.5) wins, 28-17.
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