Looking like we will be in St. Pete vs. UConn

[RhinoD]

The twitterverse is abuzz noting that an announcement will likely come tomorrow that Marshall will play UConn in the St. Petersburg Bowl... Apparently the leagues were just waiting until after the championship games were played to announce it.

A little about UConn...

6-6 in the AAC... Best quality win was 20-17 over Houston... Worst loss was 27-3 to Temple.
Huskies have statistically the second best defense in the AAC and are ranked in the top 20 nationally in defense. However, with the exception of 40 points against UCF (which was a glorified middle school team this year) the Huskies have very little offense. In their losses they scored 3, 6, 13, 13, 18 and 20.

In most years I would say that this not a matchup most of our fanbase would be happy with, but this year I kind of like it. A beatable opponent, that to my knowledge we have never played before, in a key recruiting territory.

 

[HerdFan73]

Sorry I'm not blown away that we play a G5 team that doesn't even have a winning record in our bowl.

 

[dshoe123]

That's what happens when you lose 2 out of your last 3 in a league like ours and play a schedule that gets little respect. Let's be honest..... this is a bowl that Doc likes in an area that he wants to be in...... It's winnable against a University that everyone recognizes.........It could definitely be worse.

 

[IslandHerd1]

It's a lose lose....no way you can pump up UCONN, they are the school who fictionalized a rivalry that turned into a joke with UCF.

6-6. I don't need to look it up, someone else can, but they lost to Stony Brook in recent years I believe.

A loss here is a huge black eye and destroys all momentum the program had gained.

A win and nobody will give a darn.

I'd be begging to play any other team, how do we not get Temple? A 9-3 CUSA team vs. a 6-6 AAC team is bullshit.

 

[mubaseballking]

I agree Islandherd. A matchup against UConn is more disappointing than NIU last year. I'm sure Doc and MH will tell us that a matchup against UConn is the best thing since sliced bread.

If UConn is getting the St. Pete Bowl, where does Memphis, Temple and USF land? Only one can go to the Miami Beach Bowl and since Memphis played in that Bowl last year you would think the Tigers are going elsewhere. Would those 3 rather go to the Boca Raton Bowl to play a MAC team?

UConn should be going to the Cure or Birmingham Bowl.

 

[IslandHerd1]

7th place team in AAC standings, GTFO.

 

[Penn2moss]

Temple, Houston, Memphis, USF would all beat us badly IMO.

This is a team we can beat.

This team is not ready to play a top 25 caliber opponent.

 

[Trebel06]

Memphis will be in B-Ham vs Georgia is my guess

 

[IslandHerd1]

Temple, Houston, Memphis, USF would all beat us badly IMO.

This is a team we can beat.

This team is not ready to play a top 25 caliber opponent.

And nothing has shown that any of those teams are Top 25 caliber, opinions ran wild this year for the AAC....

2015 Houston is a less talented version of the 2014 Herd, with as bad of a schedule.

 

[Marine03]

A bowl is a bowl, it's still a chance of a 10 win season and a win against the AAC is good for conference exposure. I'm not happy it's UCONN but it is what it is.

 

[RhinoD]

I know we would all much rather be playing Alabama or Notre Dame but apparently that isn't realistic... I get it, last year we got boned having to play NIU. This year we have to take what we can get. Two league losses and a loss to an average Ohio team puts us in the CUSAs fourth best bowl game. #fact

 

[mubaseballking]

Since the St. Pete Bowl is the day after Christmas fans may choose family/friends time over the game and attendance could be lower than expected.

 

[andy4theherd]

Temple, Houston, Memphis, USF would all beat us badly IMO.

This is a team we can beat.

This team is not ready to play a top 25 caliber opponent.

we already have a yearly schedule with "teams we can beat" every single week... but hey, who needs a challenge or respect or a pair of BALLS.....

 

[redsfan5590]

we already have a yearly schedule with "teams we can beat" every single week... but hey, who needs a challenge or respect or a pair of BALLS.....

Dude... Last year I would 100% agree wth you. But this year? We are in 4th in the conference. We lost 3 games. I really don't think Hamrick or Doc are turning down a game against a better team. Please, feel free to expound on how you think we are dodging playing a good team this year.

 

[Herd Insider]

You are who you play

 

[Herd Insider]

Just look at the bowl conference tie-ins and it answers the eternal message board question of which is the best G5 team. I'll make it easy for you...AAC.

 

[JC102]

Agree x100. This year we just need to get to 10W and move on to 2016. I have 0 confidence going into a bowl against Temple/Memphis/USF... This team isn't ready for that. UConn is just fine for this year. Next year we will be set up for something special. Hopefully.

 

[andy4theherd]

Dude... Last year I would 100% agree wth you. But this year? We are in 4th in the conference. We lost 3 games. I really don't think Hamrick or Doc are turning down a game against a better team. Please, feel free to expound on how you think we are dodging playing a good team this year.

re-read my post and the one i quoted...

i never said anything about Hamrick or Doc "dodging". Penn said, "This team is not ready to play a top 25 caliber opponent." and implied we should play a winnable game. i'm sorry, but that line of thinking is horseshit...

 

[andy4theherd]

so you guys think getting to the magical "10" win number over a 6-6 G5 school in a bowl will make some kind of miraculous impact on this team/program/fan base?

please explain how?

we were 13-1 last year and all but forgotten... understanding that we have limited options and will likely get stuck playing a crap team is one thing. sitting here hoping we play a "beatable" team is f'g ridiculous...

should we turn down a game against a top 10 team because we probably wouldn't win? should we turn down the access bowl if we are ever offered because we might not win?

 

[JC102]

10 wins will make a bigger impact than losing to another G5 team this season. How does it help us to take on a top 10-25 team if we are in no way prepared to compete with them?

 

[i am herdman]

Getting to 10 wins allows Hamrick and Doc and the friendly Huntington press to talk about our outstanding season.

 

[IslandHerd1]

Hey sunshine pumpers, no spin is possible, a bowl vs. UCONN has NO UPSIDE FOR OUR PROGRAM. We gain nothing from it. It would be the least meaningful bowl game we have ever had, and weakest bowl opponent.

 

[andy4theherd]

lots "participation trophy" proponents on here anymore......

 

[JC102]

Lets get thumped 28-49 again then. Sign us up!

 

[Herd Insider]

Actually, last year's bowl game against Northern Illinois was the least meaningless bowl we ever played.

 

[WV_Celt]

Some people just hate prosperity. I'm noticing a lot of that here in Huntington.

 

[W-S HerdFan]

Hey sunshine pumpers, no spin is possible, a bowl vs. UCONN has NO UPSIDE FOR OUR PROGRAM. We gain nothing from it. It would be the least meaningful bowl game we have ever had, and weakest bowl opponent.

...........uhhhhhh, hey Island: Didn't realize you had so much respect for FIU (#Sunbelt).

 

[redsfan5590]

Im not a participation trophy proponent at all. Im fine with us playing UCONN because that's probably the only option we have. "Beating UCONN would be the most meaningless bowl game..." You act like we are turning down the national champhionship. There are literally no alternatives. Playing Houston, USF, and Temple would in no way help us more than playing UCONN. But those aren't options. We have to play who we played. And I'm fine with 10-3 with this team.

If any of you remember last year I was one of the most outspoken critics of our bowl choice. And I stand by that. But this year is totally different.

 

[Greenis Envy]

Ugh...

 

[oldeherd]

Since the St. Pete Bowl is the day after Christmas fans may choose family/friends time over the game and attendance could be lower than expected.

Which means if you are a season ticket holder, Big Green member, etc., get ready for a stream of e-mails, maybe telephone calls, from the athletic ticket office, Big Green officials, and even Mike Hamrick himself asking, begging, cajoling, pleading "true" Herd fans to buy bowl tickets, which is absolutely essential to the department's financial health, a key to possible future bowl destinations, etc., etc.

 

[IslandHerd1]

...........uhhhhhh, hey Island: Didn't realize you had so much respect for FIU (#Sunbelt).

uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

FIU was 8-4 (8-5 after we beat them) and had wins over Louisville, UCF, MTSU etc. That FIU team would kick UCONN's ass.

 

[HerditAllBefore]

First I think we are overlooking the ridiculous amount of bowl games in which we can't even fill with winning teams. I'm hoping that the market will self correct and NCAA will limit teams . Second I would almost like to have Marshall pay a million or so to play a team in temple or buy our way into another bowl if possible. Third it's hard to complain about fans who already support the program that gets a bowl game against mediocre team that has little tradition in football. I hope the new president of. Cusa addresses are bowl tie ins when negotiations take place

 

[Marine03]

Ill watch the game and will root for us to win. Considering we are 9-3 from CUSA against a .500 AAC team I think it's important we step up and win this game. I get the reasons for not liking the matchup, kind of a no win situation but we have no control over that. If we wanted a better bowl and better opponent we should've won the conference, but we didn't so we can't bitch about it because we took the control away on our own account.

 

[dshoe123]

I agree Islandherd. A matchup against UConn is more disappointing than NIU last year. I'm sure Doc and MH will tell us that a matchup against UConn is the best thing since sliced bread.

If UConn is getting the St. Pete Bowl, where does Memphis, Temple and USF land? Only one can go to the Miami Beach Bowl and since Memphis played in that Bowl last year you would think the Tigers are going elsewhere. Would those 3 rather go to the Boca Raton Bowl to play a MAC team?

UConn should be going to the Cure or Birmingham Bowl.

Birmingham!!! we would kill to have Birmingham as CUSA Bowl vs. SEC. You don't do yourself credit by including B'ham in your rant

 

[HerdFan73]

If we are happy we dodged any AAC team with a heartbeat so that we could get a game we could actually win, and get to 10 wins to preserve our 'good' season.... maybe the season wasn't that good after all...

Edit: and by dodge I dont mean to imply anybody intentionally dodged a better opponent.

 

[dshoe123]

And nothing has shown that any of those teams are Top 25 caliber, opinions ran wild this year for the AAC....

2015 Houston is a less talented version of the 2014 Herd, with as bad of a schedule.

Do you really believe what you wrote here? Houston is a less talented version of 2014 Herd? with as bad a schedule??? They beat a very good Navy team, a good Temple team, Louisville, Vandy, etc. Drop the green colored glasses and compare the schedules. We were very good in 2014 but to say Houston played as poor a schedule as we did in 2014, come on!!!!!!

 

[dshoe123]

I know we would all much rather be playing Alabama or Notre Dame but apparently that isn't realistic... I get it, last year we got boned having to play NIU. This year we have to take what we can get. Two league losses and a loss to an average Ohio team puts us in the CUSAs fourth best bowl game. #fact

Got boned???? We chose that game, could have played a Big 10 opponent, but CHOSE to play NIU....... had we beaten WKU would have been even better..........boned???

 

[BETtheHERD]

We finishd third in our division in one of the bottom conferences in FBS. We have no room to complain about our bowl match up.

 

[portico]

UCONN has a big Dline , length at corner and good lb's. Their problem has been scoring points. This should actually be a good game and imo will come down to how well Marshall handles the defensive pressure UCONN delivers and how well the Marshall wr's can find space against the Uconn secondary.

 

[mubaseballking]

Oldeherd, if I do get those phone calls and emails and if the bowl matchup is against UConn I'll let the athletic department know about my disappointed in the bowl matchup.