Coastal Carolina Chanticleers vs. Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners Pick & Prediction DECEMBER 23rd 2024

Preview and Prediction

Coastal Carolina will have an additional home game when they take on UTSA in the Myrtle Beach Bowl on Monday in Conway, South Carolina. This will be the Chanticleers' (6-6) first time participating in the bowl game held on their own campus. However, they will be without their top two quarterbacks, Ethan Vasko and Noah Kim, who have both entered the transfer portal.

Head coach Tim Beck stated that redshirt freshman Tad Hudson will most likely be the starting quarterback, as he has not played in any games this season. Beck also mentioned that they have Alex Walker as an option and joked about holding tryouts for the position after the press conference.

Beck used this opportunity to express his frustration with the current state of college football, referring to it as "free agency" and stating that it makes it difficult to build a successful program. He added that there was a lot of excitement at practice among players who haven't had much playing time, as they now have the chance to showcase their skills.

With Hudson leading the offense, the Chanticleers may rely heavily on their rushing game, which ranked 46th in the nation with an average of 178.7 yards per game. Braydon Bennett and Christian Washington will be key players in the running game, with 727 and 537 rushing yards respectively.

On the other side, UTSA (6-6) has fewer obstacles to overcome as they prepare for the bowl game. Head coach Jeff Traylor stated that their players are committed to playing and he hopes that they will all pass their classes, stay healthy, and choose to participate in the bowl game.

After a slow start to the season, the Roadrunners won three consecutive home conference games in November to become bowl-eligible. Traylor expressed his pride in his team's focus on winning bowl games rather than seeking attention and offers on social media.

Quarterback Owen McCown has been a key player for UTSA, throwing for 3,170 yards and 24 touchdowns with a 62% completion rate. The offense has also been supported by a variety of receivers, with 11 different players catching a touchdown this season.

On the defensive end, Brandon Brown has been a standout player for UTSA. Despite declaring for the NFL draft, he has chosen to play in the bowl game and stated that he wants to finish his college career with his teammates. Brown has recorded 24 tackles and two sacks this season, while Jimmori Robinson leads the team with 10.5 sacks.

Both Coastal Carolina and UTSA have been making regular bowl appearances since transitioning to the FBS level in the 2010s. UTSA has a record of 1-4 in bowl games, with their first win coming in last year's Frisco Bowl. Coastal Carolina has a record of 2-2 in bowl games. This will be the first meeting between the two programs.

PREDICTION

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers

Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners