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First Half Recap: Marshall Leads UConn, 13-7
END 1st Half: Marshall leads #UConn 13-7. Thundering Herd will get the ball to start 2H https://t.co/bbAVk6kTGv pic.twitter.com/gGNVjFMm8y
— TheUConnBlog (@TheUConnBlog) December 26, 2015
The second quarter was slightly less eventful than the first. Marshall took a long drive deep into UConn territory which ended in a field goal to go up 10-7. The Huskies were on their way to answering back, and had the offense on the field for a 4th and inches play, but an Andreas Knappe false start forced UConn to send the punt team out.
Marshall held onto the ball for the final five minutes, driving down for another field goal to push the lead to six. The Thundering Herd will also get the ball to start the second half.
First Quarter Recap: Game tied 7-7, UConn has the ball
Things got off to a slow and ugly start for both teams, but picked up quickly with each side getting into the end zone. Marshall struck first after doing a nice job of pinning UConn deep in its own zone and forcing a punt. UConn punted after going three-and-out and Marshall returned the ball to the UConn 20. Just a few plays later Marshall QB Chase Litton hit tight end Ryan Yurachek for the first score of the game.
UConn answered back with a very nice 13-play, 75-yard touchdown drive capped off by an 8-yard touchdown run by Ron Johnson. The Huskies ran the ball well on that play with Bryant Shirreffs gaining 30 yards on the ground.
UConn is fighting well in this one, and will have the ball to open the 2nd quarter on its own 24 at 2nd & 6.
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UConn Football is about to kick off in its first bowl game since a Fiesta Bowl appearance in 2011 that most fans would like to forget. It has been a long and gruesome path to make it back into a bowl game here in 2015, but the UConn Huskies have done it in the second year of Bob Diaco's tenure.
The Marshall Thundering Herd are 3.5-point favorites according to the sportsbooks after opening at 4.5, per Vegas Insider.
An already unstable Husky offense will be further hampered by the injuries to tight ends Tommy Myers and Zordan Holman. We're going to see multiple players filling the various roles Myers was able to play on the field, and Holman is someone who would have been one of those players if he also wasn't injured.
The senior-laden defense will be leading the way for the Huskies, who will have their hands full with an explosive pair of Marshall receivers and a talented quarterback in Chase Litton, a Tampa native who will want to show out in front of his hometown crowd. Diaco's defense has gotten the Huskies this far, hopefully it has one more stellar performance in store.
I would expect a low-scoring affair, but anything can happen in bowl season. Let's just enjoy seeing the Huskies in a bowl game and stay excited for the future- no matter what happens today.
We'll be doing a halftime update here and may throw some other fun stuff in as well during the game. Be sure to stick around. Feel free to share your pregame thoughts and predictions as well!