UTSA vs. Coastal Carolina Prediction

The 2024-25 college football postseason continues on Monday, Dec. 23 with Coastal Carolina and UTSA meeting in the Myrtle Beach Bowl. This game takes place at Brooks Stadium in Conway, S.C. Brooks Stadium is also the home venue of Coastal Carolina, so the Chanticleers will have a homefield edge. This is the first meeting between the Chanticleers and Roadrunners on the gridiron.

Coastal Carolina capped its second season under coach Tim Beck by defeating Georgia State 48-27 to get bowl eligible. En route to six victories, the Chanticleers defeated eventual Conference USA champion Jacksonville State and knocked off Appalachian State on Thursday, Nov. 7.

UTSA had to overcome a slow start with some new faces in the lineup, but coach Jeff Traylor's team won three of its last four games to reach bowl eligibility. Of the team's six losses, four came by 10 points or less - including a five-point loss to AAC champion Army.

UTSA is 1-4 in five previous bowl trips. Coastal Carolina is 2-2 after a win against San Jose State in last year's Hawaii Bowl.

UTSA vs. Coastal Carolina

Myrtle Beach Bowl
Location: Brooks Stadium in Conway, S.C.
Kickoff: Monday, Dec. 23 at 11 a.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Spread: UTSA -10.5
Over/Under: 55.5
Announcers: Taylor Zarzour, Matt Stinchcomb, and Alyssa Lang 

Why Coastal Carolina Will Win

Coastal Carolina won't have the same team together that defeated Georgia State in the season finale. Beck's squad lost two quarterbacks - Ethan Vasko and Noah Kim - and a couple of other key players to the portal. However, UTSA went 0-6 in road games this year, and the Chanticleers will benefit from having this game on their home turf.

With Beck down to signal-callers that accounted for 327 of the team's 331 attempts, North Carolina transfer Tad Hudson or freshman Alex Walker - a combined zero pass attempts in '24 - are expected to see the majority of the snaps under center. 

With an inexperienced quarterback situation for the Chanticleers, expect to see running back Braydon Bennett (727 yards) with a heavy workload against a UTSA defense that allowed 125.2 yards on the ground in away games this year.

Standout cornerback Matthew McDoom and edge rusher Clev Lubin (12 TFL) transferred, leaving Coastal Carolina's defense shorthanded on Monday. However, the Chanticleers ranked No. 55 nationally in defensive success rate against the pass, which is critical to slow UTSA quarterback Owen McCown (3,170 yards and 24 TDs). 

Why UTSA Will Win

Playing Coastal Carolina in its home stadium isn't easy, but UTSA is simply the better team. With the Chanticleers missing their top two quarterbacks and a couple of key defenders opting to transfer, having a (mostly) full roster is a huge advantage for Traylor's squad.

McCown got better as the season progressed and posted three efforts of 300 or more passing yards over the team's final six games. The sophomore connected on 62 percent of his passes and added 303 yards and two more touchdowns on the ground. When McCown throws, receivers Devin McCuin, Chris Carpenter, and Willie McCoy and tight end Houston Thomas will be tough for Coastal Carolina's secondary that was vulnerable at times to the big play (18 of 30-plus yards allowed).

The Chanticleers also rank No. 105 nationally versus the run, giving running backs Robert Henry Jr. (706 yards) and Brandon High (419) plenty of rushing lanes. 

UTSA's defense is a tough matchup for a first-time starter at quarterback. The Roadrunners rank No. 6 nationally in defensive success rate and led the AAC in rush defense. 

Final Analysis

A game at home is always an advantage, but Coastal Carolina has a first-time starter and a vulnerable defense against a UTSA team that averaged 32.3 points a game this year. The Roadrunners haven't played well on the road in '24, but McCown and the rest of the offense jumps out to an early lead to take control and guides UTSA to its second bowl victory in program history.

Prediction: UTSA 34, Coastal Carolina 17