At Last Word, we hope all Christmas planning has been executed and it’s time just to enjoy the week. Might we offer a reason not even to bother logging into work on Monday, December 23rd? How about a Myrtle Beach Bowl featuring two 6–6 teams that gave up 30 points per game with an 11 a.m. EST kickoff? Last Word correctly identified that Coastal would not travel far for their bowl game before the official announcement dropped. In addition, this will be the first-ever meeting between the Chanticleers and the Road Runners. Mix in some portal madness for the “home” team, and this game is bound to be a party that would make Conway/Myrtle Beach proud.
Myrtle Beach Bowl: Coastal Carolina and UTSA Ball at the Beach
Depleted Chanticleers Look To Defend Their Teal Turf
Any Coastal Carolina season ticket holders are going to see a very different team when the Myrtle Beach Bowl kicks off. Starting on offense, starting quarterback Ethan Vasko and QB2 Noah Kim have entered the transfer portal. The Chanticleer offense was a boom-or-bust unit all season. Tim Beck’s team has scored 40 or more points five times and fewer than 20 three times in 2024. With a depleted quarterback room, Beck will likely turn the offense over to Tad Hudson with Alex Walker serving as the backup. Hudson, a four-star recruit out of high school, redshirted his freshman year at North Carolina before transferring to Coastal Carolina. Hudson will get his first-ever collegiate snaps in the Myrtle Beach Bowl. Expect the Chants to lean heavily on running back Braydon Bennett.
The senior from Greenville, SC was one of the most explosive running backs in the Sun Belt this season. The two-sport start for Coastal (who also runs the hurdles for the track team) averages 6.5 yards per carry and among his 112 rushes are gains of 67, 49, 37, and 25 yards (plus receptions of 37 and 25 yards). If Coastal is going to win the game, the offense must be clicking. The Coastal defense was not one of the best in the Sun Belt this season. They allowed an average of 419 yards of offense and 30 points per game, both were fourth worst in the conference. That was with both Matthew McDoom and Clev Lubin, both who earned All-Sun Belt First team selections. McDoom recently committed to Cincinnati while Lubin is still in the transfer portal.
Roadrunners Speeding To Bowl Game With Offense
The defensive challenge for the Chanticleers only becomes more daunting with a surging UTSA offense coming to Conway. Jeff Traylor’s team got off to a disappointing 2-4 start. But in the second half of the season, they finished with a 4-2 clip thanks to the offense rounding into form. They scored at least 38 points in five of its past six games. The catalyst for the offense explosion has been quarterback Owen McCown. In his last six games, he is averaging 310 passing yards per game. He was also has been spreading the ball around as five players caught between 13-24 passes in those games. In addition to throwing the ball well, McCown also has been averaging over 50 rushing yards per game (not including sacks).
However, the defense has struggled for much of the year. The Roadrunner defense allowed an average of 31.4 points and 383 yards of offense per game. But unlike the Chanticleers, it appears their two best defensive players will be suiting up for the Myrtle Beach Bowl. Senior linebacker Jimmori Robinson was selected as the 2024 American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He totaled 43 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, eight quarterback hurries, two pass breakups, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and a blocked kick this season. He was also joined by defensive back Zah Frazier on the AAC first-team defense.
Myrtle Beach Bowl Predictions
Here is an interesting factoid: UTSA was undefeated at home this season and flat-out defeated (0–6) on the road. So while Coastal Carolina is officially listed as the road team, let’s make no mistake about this: this is a true road game for the Road Runners. Both teams are sketchy defensively with one of the units being void of a few starters. However, UTSA is the more turnover-prone of the two as they ranked tied for 97th in turnovers lost this season coughing up the football 20 times. As leaky as the Coastal defense has been, they do a great job of creating turnovers. They finished tied 26th nationally in turnovers gained with 21. Expect the playbook to be emptied on both sides with a ton of scoring in this one. But a late turnover by the Roadrunners sets up the Chanticleers to kick a game-winning field goal as the “road team” gives the home fans an early Christmas gift.
Coastal Carolina 45, UTSA 42
The post Myrtle Beach Bowl: Coastal Carolina and UTSA Ball at the Beach appeared first on Last Word on College Football.