The 2001 GMAC Bowl, a college football bowl game held on December 19 at Ladd–Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama, pitted the Marshall Thundering Herd, then of the Mid-American Conference, against the East Carolina Pirates from Conference USA. This game featured what was then the biggest comeback in NCAA Division I-A bowl history, as Marshall came back from a 38–8 halftime deficit to force overtime and eventually win 64–61 in double overtime. It was also the highest-scoring bowl game in history, breaking the previous record set when Texas Tech defeated Air Force 55–41 in the 1995 Copper Bowl. Although the record for greatest bowl comeback was broken by Texas Tech when it returned to the Copper Bowl, by then renamed the Insight Bowl, in 2006, the 2001 GMAC Bowl remains the highest-scoring bowl game ever.
The 2008 season was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 33rd in the National Football League (NFL), the 11th playing their home games at Raymond James Stadium, and the seventh and final under head coach Jon Gruden. Though the team finished with a winning record (9–7), they failed to defend their 2007 NFC South championship and did not qualify for the playoffs after finishing the year on a four-game losing streak. Just weeks after the conclusion of the regular season, head coach Jon Gruden was fired, a move that came as a surprise both to sports writers and Gruden himself. General manager Bruce Allen was also fired. It would also be Gruden's last time coaching until 10 years later, when he returned to coach the Oakland Raiders in 2018, whom he previously coached from 1998 to 2001.
The 2006 Kansas State Wildcats football team represented Kansas State University in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head coach was Ron Prince, in his first year at K-State after leaving his offensive coordinator position at Virginia. Prince had no other head coaching experience prior to accepting the K-State job.
The 2009 Marshall Thundering Herd football team represented Marshall University in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Marshall competed as a member of the East Division of Conference USA, and played their home games at Joan C. Edwards Stadium. The Thundering Herd finished the season 7–6 overall and 4–4 in Conference USA play. They were invited to the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, where they defeated Ohio, 21–17.
The 2009 UTEP Miners football team represented the University of Texas at El Paso in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head coach was Mike Price. The Miners played their home games at the Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas. The Miners finished the season 4–8 and 3–5 in Conference USA play. UTEP averaged 29,010 fans per game.
The 2003 Marshall Thundering Herd football team represented Marshall University in the 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season. Marshall did not make a bowl game for the first time since 1997. The Thundering Herd's upset against sixth-ranked Kansas State highlighted the season.
The 2009 California Golden Bears football team represented the University of California, Berkeley in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) competition during the 2009 season. The Golden Bears were led by eighth-year head coach Jeff Tedford.
The 2010 UCF Knights football team represented the University of Central Florida in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Their head coach was George O'Leary, who was in his seventh season with the team. For the first time in program history, the Knights were nationally ranked following a nationally televised rout of Houston on November 5. For the third time in six years, UCF won the Conference USA Eastern Division and later, became Conference USA champions for the second time in four seasons. As a result, the Knights appeared in the Liberty Bowl, in which they defeated Georgia 10–6, for the first bowl victory in program history. UCF finished the season ranked in both final national polls, 20th in the Coaches Poll, and 21st in the AP Poll.
The 2010 Marshall Thundering Herd football team represented Marshall University in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team competed in the East Division of Conference USA. The season was the first for head coach Doc Holliday. Marshall finished the season 5–7, 4–4 in C-USA play.
The 2010 California Golden Bears football team represented the University of California, Berkeley in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) competition in the 2010 season. The Golden Bears were led by ninth-year head coach Jeff Tedford.
The 2005 UCF Golden Knights football team represented the University of Central Florida in the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season. Their head coach was George O'Leary, in his second season with the team. It was their first year as a member of Conference USA, playing in the East Division.
The 2011 UCF Knights football team represented the University of Central Florida in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Knights played in the East Division of Conference USA, and played their home games at Bright House Networks Stadium in Orlando, Florida. The Knights were led by head coach George O'Leary, who was in his eighth season with the team. They finished the season 5–7, 3–5 in C-USA play to finish in a tie for fourth place in the East Division.
The 2011 California Golden Bears football team represented the University of California, Berkeley in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by tenth-year head coach Jeff Tedford, the Bears are members of the North Division of the Pac-12 Conference.
The 2011 Buffalo Bulls football team represented the University at Buffalo in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bulls were led by second-year head coach Jeff Quinn played their home games at the University at Buffalo Stadium. They are a member of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference. They finished the season 3–9, 2–6 in MAC play to finish in sixth place in the East Division.
The 2011 Beef 'O'Brady's Bowl, the fourth edition of the game formerly known as the St. Petersburg Bowl, was a post-season American college football bowl game, held on December 20, 2011 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, and telecast at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN as part of the 2011–12 NCAA Bowl season. Marshall defeated Florida International, 20–10.
Rakeem Cato is an American football quarterback who is a quarterback for the Kansas City Goats of The Arena League. He played college football at Marshall and was the Thundering Herd's starting quarterback from 2011 to 2014. As a professional, he has played for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL), Richmond Roughriders of the American Arena League (AAL), Gulf Coast Fire of the A-League, Orlando Predators of the National Arena League (NAL), and the Iowa Rampage of the Arena Football League.
The 2013 Military Bowl was an American college football bowl game that was played on December 27, 2013, at Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland. It was one of the 2013–14 bowl games that concluded the 2013 FBS football season. The sixth edition of the Military Bowl, it featured the Marshall Thundering Herd of Conference USA against the Maryland Terrapins from the Atlantic Coast Conference. The game began at 2:30 p.m. EST and aired on ESPN. It was sponsored by aerospace and defense technology company Northrop Grumman, and was officially known as the Military Bowl Presented by Northrop Grumman. Marshall defeated Maryland by a score of 31–20.
The 2013 Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl was an American college football bowl game that was played on December 23, 2013, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. Sponsored by the Beef 'O' Brady's restaurant franchise, it was the sixth edition of the game formerly known as the St. Petersburg Bowl. It featured the Ohio Bobcats of the Mid-American Conference against the East Carolina Pirates of Conference USA. It was one of the 2013–14 bowl games that concluded the 2013 FBS football season. The game began at 2:00 p.m. EST and aired on ESPN. East Carolina defeated Ohio, 37–20, by scoring 20 points in the fourth quarter.
The 2019 UCF Knights football team represented the University of Central Florida (UCF) during the 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Knights were led by second-year head coach Josh Heupel and played their home games at Spectrum Stadium in Orlando, Florida. They competed as members of the East Division of the American Athletic Conference.
The 2022 Myrtle Beach Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game played on December 19, 2022, at Brooks Stadium in Conway, South Carolina. The third annual Myrtle Beach Bowl, the game featured the Marshall Thundering Herd of the Sun Belt Conference and the University of Connecticut (UConn) Huskies, who were not affiliated with a football conference. The bowl game was the final contest concluding the 2022 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision football season for both teams, and ended in a 28–14 victory for Marshall.
