| 2020 Myrtle Beach Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||
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| 1st Myrtle Beach Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | December 21, 2020 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 2020 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Brooks Stadium | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Conway, South Carolina | ||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Appalachian State RB Camerun Peoples[1] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | Appalachian State by 21.5[2] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Luke Richmond (The American)[3] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 5,000 | ||||||||||||||||||
| United States TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | ESPN[2] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Courtney Lyle (play-by-play) Eric Mac Lain (analyst) Marty Smith and Ryan McGee (sidelines)[2] | ||||||||||||||||||
| International TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | ESPN Deportes | ||||||||||||||||||
The 2020 Myrtle Beach Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 21, 2020, with kickoff at 2:30 p.m. EST on ESPN.[4] It was the inaugural edition of the Myrtle Beach Bowl and the first bowl game of the 2020–21 bowl games concluding the 2020 FBS football season.[a] The game was the first NCAA bowl game to be played in the state of South Carolina[6] and the first bowl to be played in the state since the 1947 Pecan Bowl.[7]
Background and team selection[edit]
The 2021 Myrtle Beach Bowl was the inaugural edition of the bowl game and the first one to be held in the state of South Carolina since the 1947 Pecan Bowl. For years, attempts had been made to bring a bowl game to the state. However, under National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rules, bowl games were banned from being held in the state due to its display of the Confederate battle flag on State House grounds. In the aftermath of the Charleston church shooting in June 2015, the state made the decision to remove the flag from State House grounds, making the state eligible for bowl games.[8] Organizers for the Medal of Honor Bowl, an all-star game, announced their intent to apply for NCAA sanctioning as a traditional postseason bowl game featuring FBS college teams, with a tentative game date of December 18, 2016.[9] However, in April 2016, the NCAA announced a three-year moratorium on new bowl games.[10]
In June 2018, the NCAA indicated that the Grand Strand area was approved for a bowl game.[8] The Myrtle Beach Bowl was subsequently announced on November 13, 2018, by ESPN Events,[11] with tie-ins to three conferences: the Sun Belt Conference, Conference USA (C-USA), and the Mid-American Conference (MAC).[12]
The bowl made its debut as part of the 2020–21 bowl season, matching North Texas of C-USA and Appalachian State of the Sun Belt.[13]
Appalachian State Mountaineers[edit]
In 2019, the Appalachian State Mountaineers finished the regular season 11-1.[14] Led by first-year coach Eli Drinkwitz, the team had recored upset victories over two Power Five teams (34–31 over North Carolina and 20–15 over South Carolina), losing only to rival Georgia Southern.[15] After defeating Louisiana 45-38 in the Sun Belt Championship Game, Drinkwitz resigned as coach to accept the head coaching position at Missouri Tigers football. In his place, offensive line coach Shawn Clark, a graduate of the school, was appointed interim coach for the New Orleans Bowl. After a brief coaching search, Clark was named the permanent head coach.[16] The Mountaineers won the New Orleans bowl 31-17 over UAB and finished the season 13-1, ranked No. 18 in the Coaches Poll and No. 19 in the AP Poll.[17]
Entering his first season as head coach, Clark oversaw a team. Prior to the start of the season, all four of Appalachian State's non-conference opponents (FCS opponent Morgan State and FBS opponents UMass, Wake Forest, and Wisconsin) cancelled their games. The Mountaineers scheduled new games against Campbell of the FCS and Charlotte and Marshall of the FBS. After defeating Charlotte, the Mountaineers were ranked at No. 23 in the AP poll, but dropped off after losing 7-17 to Marshall. A 52-21 win over Campbell on September 26 would be the last game the Mountaineers would play for nearly a month due to game delays caused by COVID-19. The Mountaineers would win six of their last eight games, losing only to No. 15 Coastal Carolina (23-34) and No. 25 Louisiana (21-24) - the eventual co-champions of the Sun Belt. The Mountaineers finished the regular season with an 8-3 record (6-2 in the Sun Belt), good for second in the East Division and third in the conference overall.[18]
Appalachian State's offense was powered by a strong rushing attack; with an average of 243 rushing yards per game, they ranked second in the Sun Belt and ninth nationally. Camerun Peoples entered the game with the team lead in rushing yards with 807, followed by Daetrich Harrington at 595. Senior Marcus Williams Jr. and freshman Nate Noel led the team in yards per carry with an average of 6.5 and 6.1, respectively.[19] The team's passing attack was led by senior quarterback Zac Thomas, who had thrown for 2,075 yards and 19 touchdowns, along with 11 interceptions. Thomas Hennigan (45 receptions for 571 yards) and Malik Williams (41 receptions for 536 yards) led the team in receiving yards.[19] On defense, the team ranked 11th-best in the nation in yards allowed (314 per game).[19]
North Texas Mean Green[edit]
Game summary[edit]
Broadcast and game notes[edit]
First quarter[edit]
Second quarter[edit]
Third quarter[edit]
Fourth quarter[edit]
Scoring summary[edit]
Statistical summary[edit]
| Appalachian State | North Texas | |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Downs | 22 | 30 |
| Total Yards | 636 | 497 |
| Passing Yards | 136 | 267 |
| Rushing Yards | 500 | 230 |
| Penalties | 12–116 | 9–91 |
| 3rd Down Conversions | 4–9 | 7–18 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 1 |
| Time of Possession | 28:06 | 31:54 |
Appalachian State running back Camerun Peoples was awarded the most valuable player award. Peoples recorded 319 rushing yards on 22 carries, an all-time bowl record; the previous record had been set by Georgia Tech running back P. J. Daniels in the 2004 Humanitarian Bowl. Peoples also tied the all-time bowl record with five rushing touchdowns, a mark held by seven other players in NCAA history. Peoples's rushing yards were also the most in a single game in school history.[21]
Fellow Appalachian State running back Marcus Williams Jr. recorded 101 yards on six carries. In addition to 35 yards rushing on four carries, Mountaineers quarterback Zac Thomas completed eight of 17 passing attempts for 114 yards and a touchdown; wide receiver Malik Williams also threw a touchdown pass on a trick play. Henry Pearson led the Mountaineers in receiving with three receptions for 47 yards and two touchdowns. On defense, Kaiden Smith led the Mountaineers with 13 tackles; three players on the team recored sacks. Steven Jones recorded the game's only turnover, an interception returned for 63 yards.[20]
Mean Green quarterback Jason Bean completed 21 of 36 passes for 251 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception. Quarterback Kason Martin completed his only passing attempt for a 16-yard touchdown. Tre Siggers led the team with 121 yards rushing on 17 attempts, and Oscar Adaway added an additional 100 yards rushing and a touchdown on 26 attempts. Austin Ogumakin caught seven passes for 131 yards and a touchdown, and Loronzo Thompson caught five passes for 45 yards and two touchdowns. North Texas's leading tacklers were Makyle Sanders and Cam Johnson, who both recorded eight tackles; no players on the team recorded sacks or interceptions.[20]
Aftermath[edit]
Teams[edit]
The 2020 Myrtle Beach Bowl was contested by the Appalachian State Mountaineers, from the Sun Belt Conference, and the North Texas Mean Green, from Conference USA. The game was the first matchup between the two teams.[13]
Appalachian State[edit]
Appalachian State of the Sun Belt accepted their bid on December 13, 2020.[22] The Mountaineers entered the bowl with an overall record of 8–3 (6–2 in conference play); they were ranked at number 24 in the AP Poll early in the season.
North Texas[edit]
North Texas of C-USA accepted their bid on December 13, 2020.[22] The Mean Green entered the bowl with an overall record of 4–5 (3–4 in conference play). This marked the third time in program history that North Texas entered a bowl game with a losing record (the prior instances being the 2001 New Orleans Bowl and the 2016 Heart of Dallas Bowl).
Game summary[edit]
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian State | 14 | 21 | 7 | 14 | 56 |
| North Texas | 0 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
at Brooks Stadium • Conway, South Carolina
- Date: Monday, December 21, 2020
- Game time: 2:30 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Fair • Temperature: 56 °F (13 °C) • Wind: WSW 5 mph
- Referee: Luke Richmond (The American)
- TV announcers (ESPN): Courtney Lyle (play-by-play), Eric Mac Lain (analyst), Marty Smith and Ryan McGee (sidelines)
- ESPN game summary
| Game information |
|---|
|
Statistics[edit]
| Statistics | APP | UNT |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 22 | 30 |
| Plays–yards | 58–638 | 96–509 |
| Rushes–yards | 40–502 | 59–242 |
| Passing yards | 136 | 267 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 9–18–0 | 22–37–1 |
| Time of possession | 24:53 | 35:07 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian State | Passing | Zac Thomas | 8/17, 114 yards, 1 TD |
| Rushing | Camerun Peoples | 23 carries, 319 yards, 5 TD | |
| Receiving | Henry Pearson | 3 receptions, 47 yards, 2 TD | |
| North Texas | Passing | Jason Bean | 21/36, 251 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Tre Siggers | 17 carries, 120 yards | |
| Receiving | Austin Ogunmakin | 7 receptions, 131 yards, 1 TD |
Notes[edit]
- ^ The Frisco Bowl had been scheduled for December 19, but it was cancelled due to COVID-19.[5]
References[edit]
- ^ "App State's Peoples has historic day in Inaugural Myrtle Beach Bowl". WCSC-TV. AP. December 21, 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
- ^ a b c "ESPN Game Summary - Appalachian State vs. North Texas - December 21, 2020". ESPN. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
- ^ Austro, Ben (December 23, 2020). "2020-21 bowl officiating assignments". footballzebras.com. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
- ^ "College Football Bowl Schedule | 2020". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
- ^ Wilson, Dave (December 15, 2020). "Frisco Bowl canceled amid SMU virus concerns". ESPN. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
- ^ Crawford, Lauren (December 21, 2020). "First ever Myrtle Beach Bowl kicks off at CCU, marks first NCAA bowl game in South Carolina". WBTW. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
- ^ "Special Regular- and Postseason Games" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. p. 108. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
- ^ a b Asberry, Derrek (November 13, 2018). "Myrtle Beach Bowl to become first college football bowl game played in South Carolina". Post and Courier. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
- ^ Hartsell, Jeff (August 26, 2015). "Medal of Honor Bowl now a 'traditional' bowl game". The Post and Courier. Charleston, South Carolina. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
- ^ McMurphy, Brett (April 11, 2016). "NCAA approves three-year halt to new bowl games". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
- ^ Taylor, John (November 13, 2018). "ESPN-owned Myrtle Beach Bowl to debut in 2020". CollegeFootballTalk. NBC Sports. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
- ^ "ESPN Events Announces Creation of Myrtle Beach Bowl Beginning in 2020". myrtlebeachbowlgame.com. November 13, 2018. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
- ^ a b "Myrtle Beach Bowl Preview: App State vs. North Texas". App State Athletics. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
- ^ Heim, Mark (December 10, 2019). "Eli Drinkwitz botches conference Missouri plays in". The Birmingham News. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
- ^ Friedlander, Brett (December 4, 2019). "App State eyes Sun Belt title, Drinkwitz's coaching future". North State Journal. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
- ^ Joyce, Ethan (December 22, 2019). "Shawn Clark believed in his guys and took chances. Because of that, No. 20 App State wins yet again". Winston-Salem Journal. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
- ^ Al-Khateeb, Zac. "College football updated polls: Final AP Top 25, Coaches Poll rankings after bowl season". Sporting News. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
- ^ "2020 Appalachian State Mountaineers Schedule". ESPN. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
- ^ a b c Allen, Nicholas Ian (December 20, 2020). "Myrtle Beach Bowl Prediction and Preview: Appalachian State vs. North Texas". Athlon Sports. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Scoring Summary (Final)" (PDF). Myrtle Beach Bowl. December 21, 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
- ^ Kelly, Danny (December 21, 2020). "App State crushes North Texas, 56-28, in inaugural Myrtle Beach Bowl". The Post and Courier. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
- ^ a b "App State bound for the Myrtle Beach Bowl, will play North Texas". Winston-Salem Journal. 13 December 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
External links[edit]
- Official website
- Game statistics at statbroadcast.com
Myrtle Beach Bowl Category:Myrtle Beach Bowl Myrtle Beach Bowl Myrtle Beach Bowl Category:Appalachian State Mountaineers football bowl games Category:North Texas Mean Green football bowl games