Freshman quarterback Cam Fancher threw for two touchdowns Monday as Marshall established a 28-0 third-quarter lead and held off UConn 28-14 in the Myrtle Beach Bowl in Conway, S.C.
Rasheen Ali rushed for 92 yards and a score for the Thundering Herd, which finished with a 9-4 record that included a September win at Notre Dame and a season-ending five-game winning streak.
The Huskies (6-7) got 75 yards and two touchdowns from Victor Rosa on 16 carries, but they couldn’t consistently crack Marshall’s physical defense. Quarterback Zion Turner completed just 9 of 27 passes for 166 yards with three interceptions, including a game-sealer in the end zone by Micah Abraham with 5:09 left in the game that thwarted UConn’s last chance to rally.
Marshall melted the remaining time down with a running game that was its best source of offense. Fancher was 10 of 20 for just 93 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, but the Herd ran for 210 yards.
The Huskies actually outgained the Herd 316-303 but continually hurt themselves with mistakes. They committed four turnovers that led to 14 points and were flagged 10 times for 115 yards.
Marshall initiated scoring just 3:45 into the game, two plays after recovering a fumble on a bad option pitch. Fancher zipped a 9-yard touchdown pass to Corey Gammage on a slant.
The Herd’s defense made it 14-0 at the 3:23 mark of the first quarter when Damion Barber intercepted Turner and raced 34 yards for a touchdown. Fancher upped the cushion to 21-0 with 7:05 left in the half when he found Devin Miller on a 10-yard scoring strike.
Ali capped a 79-yard drive on Marshall’s first possession of the second half, plowing in from the 2 with 9:51 on the clock to increase the lead to 28-0.
At that point, the UConn offense finally displayed some life with consecutive touchdown drives of 75 and 40 yards. Rosa finished them off with runs of 14 and 24 yards, the latter coming on the final play of the third quarter.
–Field Level Media