2021 Myrtle Beach Bowl

Edit links
This is a good article. Click here for more information.
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

2021 Myrtle Beach Bowl presented by TaxAct
2nd Myrtle Beach Bowl
Tulsa and Old Dominion lined up for the opening kickoff
Tulsa and Old Dominion lined up for the opening kickoff
Old Dominion Monarchs Tulsa Golden Hurricane
(6–6) (6–6)
C–USA AAC
17 30
Head coach: 
Ricky Rahne		 Head coach: 
Philip Montgomery
1234 Total
Old Dominion 7307 17
Tulsa 14367 30
DateDecember 20, 2021
Season
ESPN Brazil
AnnouncersMatheus Pinheiro (play-by-play) and Weinny Eirado (analyst)
Myrtle Beach Bowl
 < 2020  2022 > 

The 2021 Myrtle Beach Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 20, 2021, at Brooks Stadium in Conway, South Carolina. The second edition of the Myrtle Beach Bowl, the game featured the Old Dominion Monarchs of Conference USA and the Tulsa Golden Hurricane of the American Athletic Conference. The game began at 2:30 p.m. EST and was televised on ESPN.[2] It was one of the 2021–22 bowl games concluding the 2021 FBS football season. Tax preparation software company TaxAct served as the game's presenting sponsor; the game was officially known as the Myrtle Beach Bowl presented by TaxAct.

Both teams entered the contest with identical records of 6–6 overall and 5–3 in their respective conferences, and both entered on winning streaks of multiple games. Old Dominion won the final five games of their regular season, while Tulsa finished their regular season on a three-game winning streak; both programs achieved bowl eligibility with wins in their final regular season game. Tulsa was favored to win the game, as they entered the game favored to win by 7.5 points. The game was expected to see a close matchup between Tulsa's rushing offense and Old Dominion's rushing defense, both of which finished third in their conferences.

The game started quickly, as LaMareon James returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown; Tulsa responded with two scores of their own in the first quarter, which also saw Old Dominion miss a field goal. Both offenses saw fewer success in the game's second and third quarters; each team scored a field goal from similar distance in the second quarter – Tulsa led by seven points at halftime – while Tulsa added two additional field goals in the third quarter. The Golden Hurricane lead grew to as much as twenty points in the fourth quarter after a 4-yard passing touchdown, though Old Dominion scored the game's final touchdown with just over seven minutes to play. Tulsa was able to run the final minutes off the clock and secure a 30–17 win, the eleventh bowl win in their program's history.

Teams

Refer to caption
The referees and captains of each team in the middle of the field for the pre-game coin toss

Consistent with the bowl game's conference tie-ins, the contest featured the Tulsa Golden Hurricane from the American Athletic Conference. Despite the other tie-ins being with the Mid-American Conference and the Sun Belt Conference, Tulsa's opponent was selected to be the Old Dominion Monarchs from Conference USA. This was the first-ever meeting between the two teams.[3] Both teams made their first appearances in the Myrtle Beach Bowl, which was in just its second year.[4] Old Dominion made their second bowl game appearance in program history, following their win in the 2016 Bahamas Bowl,[5] while Tulsa made their 23rd bowl game appearance, with their last appearance coming in a loss in the 2020 Armed Forces Bowl.[6]

Old Dominion Monarchs

Main article: 2021 Old Dominion Monarchs football team

Old Dominion started their season with a pair of blowout games, one in their favor and one against; the Monarchs' first game was a road loss to Wake Forest,[7] but they followed this up with a win in their home opener against Hampton.[8] The Monarchs then began a rough patch in their season that saw them lose five consecutive games, beginning with a road loss to Liberty.[9] The first close game of the season saw the Monarchs fall to Buffalo by one point to finish September.[10] ODU began conference play in the following weeks with a pair of road games against UTEP and Marshall; both games were one-touchdown losses for Old Dominion, the latter in overtime.[11][12] The Monarchs' next game was their homecoming game, and they fell to Western Kentucky.[13] Following a bye week, ODU's fortunes turned; with a record of 1–6, the Monarchs won each of their remaining five regular season games. Old Dominion earned their first conference victory against Louisiana Tech, and followed that up with their first conference win on the road against FIU to begin November.[14][15] They then defeated Florida Atlantic and Middle Tennessee to improve to 5–6.[16][17] Facing Charlotte, also 5–6, in their final regular season game, the Monarchs won by three possessions to secure bowl eligibility.[18][19] They entered the game with a 6–6 overall record and a 5–3 record in conference.[20]

Tulsa Golden Hurricane

Main article: 2021 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team

The Tulsa Golden Hurricane began their season with a rough loss, in a home game against FCS-ranked UC Davis.[21] A pair of road losses then dropped the Golden Hurricane to 0–3; Tulsa fell to Oklahoma State and No. 9 Ohio State in successive weeks.[22][23] Their first win came the following week against Arkansas State,[24] but they dropped their conference opener the next week against Houston.[25] The next game saw Tulsa defeat Memphis by six points;[26] the Golden Hurricane's first road victory came the following week when they defeated South Florida by one.[27] This put Tulsa's record at 3–4 heading into their bye week, and afterwards, they returned home to face Navy; the Midshipmen came away with a three-point victory.[28] To begin the month of November, Tulsa traveled to take on No. 6 Cincinnati in a game that hosted College GameDay[29] and saw Cincinnati pull an eight-point victory.[30] Needing three wins in their final three regular season games, the Tulsa team achieved just that; they defeated Tulane in overtime on the road,[31] returned home to beat Temple in convincing fashion,[32] and squeaked by SMU by a field goal on the road to achieve bowl eligibility.[33][34] Tulsa entered the contest with a record of 6–6 and a 5–3 mark in conference play.[20]

Game summary

Pre-game

Entering the game, Tulsa was broadly expected to win; the points spread opened with Tulsa favored by 9.5 points but narrowed to 7.5 points by the time of kickoff.[35][36] Tulsa's rushing offense was viewed as an asset, but was expected to match up well with Old Dominion's defensive line; while Tulsa finished third in their conference in rushing offense, Old Dominion similarly finished third in their conference in rushing defense.[35] The rushing game was expected to be Tulsa's most effective method of moving the ball, as quarterback Davis Brin entered the game having thrown an equal number of touchdowns and interceptions.[35] Both teams entered the game among the most turnover-prone and penalized teams in the nation, which led to predictions that the more disciplined team in both regards would have a sizable advantage.[37]

The weather at kickoff was sunny with a temperature of 47 °F (8 °C).[38] The crew of officials, representing the Mountain West Conference, was led by referee Cal McNeill.[38]

First half

The teams at the line of scrimmage in the second quarter, with Tulsa on offense and Old Dominion on defense
The teams at the line of scrimmage in the second quarter, with Tulsa (blue) on offense and Old Dominion (white) on defense

Scheduled for a 2:30 p.m.

three-and-out of the contest came on Old Dominion's next possession; after LaMareon James' kickoff return reached the Monarchs' 18-yard-line, and a false start penalty moved them back before they were able to snap the ball for the first time, they were only able to make it back to their own 16-yard-line before punting on 4th & 12. The punt was fair caught at the Tulsa 45-yard-line, giving the Golden Hurricane offense excellent field position, but after failing to convert 3rd & 1 at the Old Dominion 46-yard-line, Tulsa head coach Philip Montgomery elected to keep his offense on the field and go for it, a decision which backfired when Braylon Braxton was tackled behind the line of scrimmage for a loss of 2 yards. Now receiving great field position of their own, the Old Dominion offense was able to advance to the Tulsa 33-yard-line before the end of the game's first quarter.[39]

Now with momentum, the Monarchs' offense made its way to the Tulsa 14-yard-line before they were stopped on 3rd & 6, forcing them to attempt their second field goal of the game. Unlike the first, this one was successful, with Nick Rice's 32-yard attempt narrowing Tulsa's lead to four points. Tulsa's first three-and-out came on their first drive of the second quarter; a

personal foul set them back to second-and-long, eventually leading to a punt. Tulsa's punt was a good one, as it was downed at the Old Dominion 4-yard-line. On the fifth play of the ensuing drive, Hayden Wolff's pass was intercepted on the sideline by LJ Wallace, giving Tulsa the ball at their own 46-yard-line; however, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for excessive celebration pushed the ball back to the Tulsa 31-yard-line. The Golden Hurricane recovered, converting a 4th & 2 on the Old Dominion 34-yard-line to keep their drive alive and increasing their lead to seven points with a 35-yard Zack Long field goal with nine seconds remaining in the half.[39]

Second half

Refer to caption
Blake Watson (wearing No. 2 in white) scores a touchdown for Old Dominion in the fourth quarter

Tulsa began the second half with the ball, after Anthony Watkins returned Dominik Soos's kickoff to the 23-yard-line. The Golden Hurricane's first drive of the third quarter was a long one; it spanned 70 yards over 15 plays and took nearly half of the quarter, including a third down conversion and a fourth down conversion, before the Old Dominion defense forced a pair of incompletions at the ODU 7-yard-line, leading Tulsa to attempt a 25-yard field goal, which Zack Long successfully converting it to make the score 20–10. The Monarchs' ensuing drive was short-lived; they went three-and-out after Hayden Wolff was sacked by Jaxon Player for a loss of seven yards on first down. Tulsa took possession at their own 33-yard-line and again drove into field goal range, but again found themselves unable to convert a third down inside the red zone. The 32-yard field goal attempt by Zack Long was good, increasing the Golden Hurricane's lead to thirteen points. Starting their next drive at their own 19-yard-line, Old Dominion quickly went three-and-out after two incompletions and a completion for no gain. Their punt was downed at the Tulsa 42-yard-line, though the ball was pushed back to the Tulsa 32-yard-line due to a holding penalty on the play. A pair of completions of ten and fifteen yards to Malachai Jones and Shamari Brooks, respectively, helped the Tulsa offense into Old Dominion territory within four plays, as they advanced to the Old Dominion 37-yard-line before the clock expired.[39]

After two plays in the fourth quarter, Tulsa found themselves facing a 4th & 1 at the Old Dominion 32-yard-line, though an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty pushed them back to a 4th & 16. Despite this, punter Lachlan Wilson took the snap and ran with it in an attempt to gain the required sixteen yards; he came up far short, being pushed out of bounds after a loss of one yard and giving Old Dominion the ball back at their own 48-yard-line. A Blake Watson rush for 22 yards on the first play of Old Dominion's ensuing drive put them at the Tulsa 30-yard-line, and a Hayden Wolff pass to Ali Jennings III on the next play very nearly resulted in a touchdown for the Monarchs, but Jennings fumbled through the end zone, resulting in a touchback. Tulsa took advantage of this blunder, reaching Old Dominion territory in two plays and converting two third downs before scoring a 4-yard passing touchdown from Davis Brin to Ethan Hall on 3rd & goal. Old Dominion responded quickly; a 34-yard pass from Wolff to Jennings got the Monarchs all the way down to the Tulsa 3-yard-line; they scored two plays later with a Blake Watson rush, their first touchdown since the opening kickoff. Taking possession at their own 10-yard-line, Tulsa ran the ball for each of the first eleven plays of the drive; despite beginning their drive with over seven minutes to play, they were able to force Old Dominion to spend all three of their timeouts and eventually ended the game in victory formation, running out the clock to win the game, 30–17.[39] The game concluded at 6:10 p.m., after a total time of three hours and thirty-five minutes.[38]

Scoring summary

2021 Myrtle Beach Bowl presented by TaxAct
Period 1 2 34Total
Old Dominion 7 3 0717
Tulsa 14 3 6730

at Brooks Stadium • Conway, South Carolina

  • Date: December 20, 2021
  • Game time: 2:30 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 47 °F (8 °C)
  • Game attendance: 6,557
  • Referee: Cal McNeill
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Corey (play-by-play), Hutson Mason (analyst), Marty Smith and Ryan McGee (sideline)
  • References:[36][38]
Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards
TOP
 Old Dominion Tulsa
1 14:46 Old Dominion LaMareon James 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, Nick Rice kick good 7 0
1 13:03 7 74 1:42 Tulsa Shamari Brooks 1-yard touchdown run, Zack Long kick good 7 7
1 4:47 11 76 3:46 Tulsa Josh Johnson 23-yard touchdown reception from Davis Brin, Zack Long kick good 7 14
2 12:50 9 38 3:12 Old Dominion 32-yard field goal by Nick Rice 10 14
2 0:09 12 52 3:24 Tulsa 35-yard field goal by Zack Long 10 17
3 8:38 15 70 6:17 Tulsa 25-yard field goal by Zack Long 10 20
3 3:25 11 53 3:54 Tulsa 32-yard field goal by Zack Long 10 23
4 9:04 11 80 3:57 Tulsa Ethan Hall 4-yard touchdown reception from Davis Brin, Zack Long kick good 10 30
4 7:15 5 60 1:43 Old Dominion Blake Watson 2-yard touchdown run, Nick Rice kick good 17 30
"TOP" =
Glossary of American football
. 		17 30

Statistics

Aftermath

Refer to caption
Tulsa quarterback Davis Brin takes a knee to end the game

With the win, Tulsa concluded their season with a record of 7–6;[40] conversely, Old Dominion finished 6–7.[41] Tulsa achieved their first bowl victory since the 2016 Miami Beach Bowl[42] and improved their bowl record as a program to 11–12.[43] Old Dominion's overall bowl record dropped to 1–1 with their first bowl loss;[3] this was the first bowl loss for Old Dominion head coach Ricky Rahne since the 2018 Citrus Bowl, when he was the offensive coordinator at Penn State.[3]

A total of 6,557 people attended the game,[38] marking an increase from the attendance of 5,000 in the inaugural edition.[44] Tulsa quarterback Davis Brin was named the game's most valuable player.[45]

References

  1. ^ "2021–22 bowl officiating assignments". Football Zebras. December 6, 2021. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  2. ^ "2021 College Football Bowl Schedule". FBSchedules. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "2021 Old Dominion Game Notes – Myrtle Beach Bowl" (PDF). Old Dominion Monarchs Football. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 19, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  4. ^ "College Football Myrtle Beach Bowl Game History". Vegas Insider. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  5. ^ "Old Dominion beats Eastern Michigan 24–20 in Bahamas Bowl". ESPN. December 23, 2016. Archived from the original on September 2, 2017. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  6. ^ "Mississippi State tops Tulsa in Armed Forces Bowl, brawl erupts". Trib Live. December 31, 2020. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  7. ^ "Beal-Smith, Taylor help Wake Forest beat Old Dominion 42–10". CBS Sports. September 3, 2021. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  8. ^ Hall, David (September 11, 2021). "Old Dominion dominates Hampton for first win at home in more than two years". The Virginian-Pilot. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  9. ^ "Willis accounts for 6 TDs, Liberty routs Old Dominion, 45–17". CBS Sports. September 18, 2021. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  10. ^ "Buffalo shut out in 2nd half, still beats Old Dominion 35–34". 710 ESPN Seattle. September 25, 2021. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  11. ^ Deaver, Colin (October 3, 2021). "UTEP holds off Old Dominion 28–21 to improve to 4–1 for first time since 2010". KTSM 9 News. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  12. ^ Casano, Samantha (October 10, 2021). "Marshall rallies for overtime victory over ODU". WOAY-TV. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  13. ^ Londergan, Joe (October 17, 2021). "Western Kentucky Offense Continues Hot Streak Against Changing Old Dominion". SB Nation. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  14. ^ "Rice's late FGs send Old Dominion past Louisiana Tech 23–20". ESPN. October 30, 2021. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  15. ^ "FIU in search of answers after blowout loss to Old Dominion moves losing streak to eight". Miami Herald. November 6, 2021. Archived from the original on May 8, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  16. ^ "Rice kicks Old Dominion past Florida Atlantic, 30–16". CBS Sports. November 13, 2021. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  17. ^ Joyce, Cecil (November 20, 2021). "Bowl eligibility on hold for MTSU football: 5 things we learned from loss to Old Dominion". The Daily News Journal. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  18. ^ Ellsworth, Joey (November 29, 2021). "Old Dominion takes down Charlotte 56–34 in season finale". Niner Times. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  19. ^ "Old Dominion beats Charlotte, 56–34, to become bowl eligible". ESPN. Archived from the original on November 30, 2021. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  20. ^ a b "Tulsa, Old Dominion on rolls headed to Myrtle Beach Bowl". The Charlotte Observer. AP. December 19, 2021. Archived from the original on May 8, 2022. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  21. ^ Tramel, Berry (September 6, 2021). "Tulsa's loss to UC-Davis was part of a big day for Big Sky football". The Oklahoman. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  22. ^ Nagel, Cody (September 11, 2021). "Quick Recap: Oklahoma State defeats Tulsa 28–23". 247 Sports. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  23. ^ "No. 9 Buckeyes struggle with Tulsa, pull away for 41–20 win". CBS Sports. September 18, 2021. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  24. ^ "Tulsa has more offense, more big plays to top Arkansas State". ABC News. September 25, 2021. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  25. ^ Helwick, Steve (October 1, 2021). "Houston defense obliterates Tulsa in 45–10 statement road victory". SB Nation. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  26. ^ "Tulsa Holds Off Memphis for First Conference Win, 35–29". American Athletic Conference. October 10, 2021. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  27. ^ Purks, Scott (October 16, 2021). "South Florida 'let it get away' late in loss to Tulsa". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  28. ^ Copeland, Kareem (October 30, 2021). "Navy rallies in fourth quarter to beat Tulsa for second win of the season". Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  29. ^ Hines, Kelly (October 31, 2021). "ESPN's 'College GameDay' headed to Tulsa game at Cincinnati". Tulsa World. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  30. ^ "No. 2 Cincinnati holds off Tulsa 28–20 to improve to 9–0". CBS Sports. November 6, 2021. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  31. ^ "Tulsa tops Tulane 20–13 in OT on Brooks touchdown". CBS Sports. November 13, 2021. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  32. ^ "Tulsa rides 27–0 1st half to blow past Temple, 44–10". NBC Sports. November 20, 2021. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  33. ^ "SMU races out to lead, but falls to Tulsa, 34–31". Ponystampede.com. November 27, 2021. Archived from the original on May 8, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  34. ^ "Tulsa Gets Bowl Eligible With 34–31 Win at SMU". University of Tulsa Athletics. November 27, 2021. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  35. ^ a b c Bainbridge, Mike (December 17, 2021). "Myrtle Beach Bowl Prediction and Preview: Tulsa vs. Old Dominion". Athlon Sports. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  36. ^ a b "Old Dominion vs. Tulsa – Game Summary". ESPN. December 20, 2021. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  37. ^ Cobb, David (December 20, 2021). "Tulsa vs. Old Dominion: Prediction, pick, Myrtle Beach Bowl odds". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  38. ^ a b c d e f g h "Myrtle Beach Bowl Final Statistics" (PDF). Myrtle Beach Bowl. December 20, 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  39. ^ a b c d "Old Dominion vs. Tulsa – Play-By-Play". ESPN. December 20, 2021. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  40. ^ "2021 Tulsa Football Schedule". FBSchedules. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  41. ^ "2021 Old Dominion Football Schedule". FBSchedules. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  42. ^ "Evans throws for 5 TDs, Tulsa tops Central Michigan 55–10". ESPN. December 19, 2016. Archived from the original on September 1, 2017. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  43. ^ "2021 Tulsa Football Game Notes – Myrtle Beach Bowl" (PDF). Tulsa Golden Hurricane Football. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 19, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  44. ^ "Final Statistics – 2020 Myrtle Beach Bowl" (PDF). Myrtle Beach Bowl. December 21, 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 28, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  45. ^ "Brin, Tulsa take Myrtle Beach Bowl 30–17 over Old Dominion". WTKR. December 21, 2021. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved December 21, 2021.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2021_Myrtle_Beach_Bowl&oldid=1194741250"