Cam Fancher threw for two touchdowns and Marshall held off UConn's second-half rally to close the season with a fifth straight win, 28-14 in the Myrtle Beach Bowl on Monday.
The Thundering Herd (9-4) seemingly had things in hand, ahead 28-0 after Rasheen Ali's 2-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter.
But the Huskies rallied with TD runs of 14 and 24 yards by Victor Rosa and, after an interception, drove into Marshall territory with 10 minutes to play.
That was as close as UConn (6-7) could get in its first postseason appearance since 2015.
“What a thrill for all of us to feel all of this energy and excitement for UConn Nation,” coach Jim Mora Jr. told hundreds of fans greeting the team on a boardwalk in South Carolina over the weekend. “It is incredibly awesome just to have this type of support down in Myrtle Beach, where we’ve had a good couple of days.”
Mora spoke at a pep rally that was one of several events UConn put on for fans making the trip down to the beach from Connecticut. There were also gatherings at a bar and grill for football fans to watch men’s and women’s basketball games.
Meanwhile, back home in Connecticut, there were bowl game watch parties for UConn fans at Kinsmen Brewing Company on Canal Street in Milldale and at Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ on Front Street in Hartford.
This story contains information from the Associated Press. This story has been updated.
