2015 St. Petersburg Bowl

The 2015 St. Petersburg Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game between the Connecticut Huskies of the American Athletic Conference and the Marshall Thundering Herd of Conference USA, played on December 26, 2015 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. The game was the final contest of the 2015 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I-Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) football season for both teams.^[4]

Connecticut was selected to play in the 2015 St. Petersburg Bowl following a 6–6 regular season highlighted by a win over the otherwise-undefeated Houston Cougars to achieve bowl eligibility. The Huskies faced Marshall, who finished their regular season with a 9–3 record and for the first time since 2012 did not qualify for the Conference USA championship game.

Team selection

In 2015, the St. Petersburg Bowl selection committee had a contractual arrangement with the American and Conference USA that allowed the committee to pick one team from each conference.^{[Note 1]} The American has had a contractual bowl bid to the game since the game's inception in 2008.^{[Note 2]}

This game featured the Connecticut Huskies of the American Athletic Conference against the Marshall Thundering Herd of Conference USA in their first meeting against each other.

Connecticut

After finishing the regular season 6–6 (4–4 The American), the Huskies accepted an invitation to play in this game.^[6]

This was the Huskies' sixth bowl appearance and their first since the 2011 Fiesta Bowl where they lost to Oklahoma by a score of 48–20. This was their first bowl game in the state of Florida and their first against a team from Conference USA.

Marshall

After finishing the regular season 9–3 (6–2 C-USA), the Herd accepted an invitation to play in this game.^[7]

This was the Herd's twelfth bowl appearance and their second appearance in the St. Petersburg Bowl. They previously won the 2011 edition (then named the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl) against FIU by a score of 20–10. This was their first bowl against a team from the American Athletic Conference.

Game summary

First quarter

Connecticut received the opening kickoff to start the game. After running back Arkeel Newsome ran the ball on three straight plays but failed to gain the requisite ten yards required to earn a first down, UConn was forced to punt the ball to Marshall. After a running play by Hyleck Foster gained a single yard, the Thundering Herd achieved the first first down of the game on a 21-yard pass play from quarterback Chase Litton to wide receiver Deandre Reaves, moving the ball into the Huskies' side of the field. The Marshall drive stalled after two running plays and an incomplete pass, forcing a punt that pinned UConn at their own 9-yard line. The Huskies were again unable to earn a first down, punting the ball back to the Thundering Herd who returned it to the UConn 20-yard line, giving Marshall excellent field position. The Thundering Herd capitalized on their second play from scrimmage, a 16-yard touchdown pass from Litton to Ryan Yurachek. After Marshall successfully kicked the extra point, the score was 7–0.

The Huskies responded to the Marshall score on their next drive. Starting from the 25-yard line after a touchback on the kickoff, Connecticut earned five first downs off three runs and two passes by quarterback Bryant Shirreffs. The last first down, a 17-yard pass from Shirreffs to Newsome, gave UConn a first-and-goal from the Marshall 8-yard line. Huskies running back Ron Johnson scored on the next play, running the ball into the end zone. Following the extra point the score was tied 7–7.

Scoring summary

Source: ^[3]

Statistics

Notes

References

External links

• Official website