2021 Cure Bowl

Last updated

2021 Tailgreeter Cure Bowl
7th Cure Bowl
Northern Illinois Huskies Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
(9–4)(10–2)
MAC Sun Belt
4147
Head coach: 
Thomas Hammock 		Head coach: 
Jamey Chadwell
1234Total
Northern Illinois101414341
Coastal Carolina613141447
DateDecember 17, 2021
Season 2021
Stadium Exploria Stadium
Location Orlando, Florida
MVP Grayson McCall (QB, Coastal Carolina)
Favorite Coastal Carolina by 9.5 [1]
Referee Scott Hardin (C-USA) [2]
Attendance9,784
United States TV coverage
Network ESPN2
Announcers Mike Morgan (play-by-play), Kirk Morrison (analyst) and Dawn Davenport (sideline)
International TV coverage
Network ESPN Brazil
Announcers Renan do Couto (play-by-play) and Weinny Eirado (analyst)
Cure Bowl
 < 2020   2022 > 

The 2021 Cure Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 17, 2021, at Exploria Stadium in Orlando, Florida. The seventh edition of the Cure Bowl, the game featured the Northern Illinois Huskies of the Mid-American Conference and the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers of the Sun Belt Conference. The game began at 6:00 p.m. EST and aired on ESPN2. It was one of the 2021–22 bowl games concluding the 2021 FBS football season. Sponsored by digital marketplace Tailgreeter, the game was officially known as the Tailgreeter Cure Bowl.

Contents

Northern Illinois entered the game with a 9–4 record while Coastal Carolina entered with a 10–2 record. Northern Illinois came into the game following a win in the 2021 MAC Championship Game. Coastal Carolina would enter the game with a two-game winning streak. Coastal Carolina was favored to win the game, as they entered the game favored to win by 9.5 points. The game was expected to be a close game between Northern Illinois's and Coastal Carolina's rushing offenses, both of which finished top ten in the FBS. [3]

On the first drive of the game, Northern Illinois would score a touchdown. This would be the first of eight straight drives that resulted in scores. The first possession of the game not to result in a score was the last drive of the first half, where half time prematurely ended the possession. Northern Illinois would lead at half time by seven points. The second half started by four straight touchdown drives. With 0:54 to go in the third quarter, Coastal Carolina punted for the first time in the game by either team. Northern Illinois would respond with a field goal that would be their last score of the game. Coastal Carolina would score two more touchdowns and force a turnover on downs and fumble. On the last possession of the game, Northern Illinois would advance to Coastal Carolina's five yard line before time ran out. Coastal Carolina defeated Northern Illinois 47–41, to claim their first bowl win in program history. [4]

Teams

Consistent with conference tie-ins, the game featured the Northern Illinois Huskies from the Mid-American Conference and the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers from the Sun Belt Conference; the bowl has an additional tie-in with the American Athletic Conference that was not used. [5] This was the first meeting ever between the two teams. [6] This was Northern Illinois' first appearance in the Cure Bowl and its 14th bowl appearance overall, [7] while Coastal Carolina made its second Cure Bowl appearance, having lost the 2020 edition, which was also its only other bowl appearance in program history. [6]

Northern Illinois Huskies

After compiling a record of 0–6 in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, the Northern Illinois Huskies achieved a dramatic turnaround in 2021, finishing the season as the champions of the Mid-American Conference. [8] The Huskies began their season with an upset victory against Georgia Tech, winning off of a two-point conversion with less than a minute remaining in the game. [9] NIU was not able to keep up the momentum; they fell in their next two games, against Wyoming [10] and No. 25 Michigan. [11] From there, Northern Illinois began a streak of five consecutive wins that saw them achieve bowl eligibility by the end of October. The Huskies defeated Maine [12] and Eastern Michigan, [13] the latter on homecoming, before hitting the road to beat Toledo. [14] They returned home, defeating Bowling Green, [15] before beating Central Michigan to secure their place in a bowl. [16] NIU suffered their third loss to begin the month of November; they fell on the road against Kent State, [17] but rebounded with wins against Ball State [18] and Buffalo. [19] They concluded their regular season with a loss to Western Michigan, [20] but they had already secured their place in the 2021 MAC Championship Game, where they defeated Kent State in a rematch the following week to win the MAC Championship. [21] Northern Illinois accepted its Cure Bowl bid the following day, on December 5, 2021; it entered with a record of 9–4 and a 6–2 record in conference play. [22]

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers

Game summary

2021 Tailgreeter Cure Bowl
Period1234Total
Northern Illinois101414341
Coastal Carolina613141447

at Exploria Stadium • Orlando, Florida

  • Date: Friday, December 17, 2021
  • Game time: 6:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: • Temperature: 74 °F (23 °C) • Wind: E 8mph
  • Game attendance: 9,784
  • Referee: Scott Hardin
  • TV announcers (ESPN2): Mike Morgan (play-by-play), Kirk Morrison (analyst) and Dawn Davenport (sideline)
  • Box score
Game information
First quarter
  • (9:51) NIU – Cole Tucker 5 yard pass from Rocky Lombardi, John Richardson kick (Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:09; Northern Illinois 7–0)
  • (5:13) CCU – Braydon Bennett 13 yard run, Massimo Biscardi kick blocked (Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:38; Northern Illinois 7–6)
  • (1:43) NIU – John Richardson 41 yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 34 yards, 3:30; Northern Illinois 10–6)
Second quarter
  • (13:46) CCU – Aaron Bedgood 40 yard pass from Grayson McCall, Massimo Biscardi kick (Drive: 9 plays, 79 yards, 2:57; Coastal Carolina 13–10)
  • (8:35) NIU – Clin Ratkovich 2 yard run, John Richardson kick (Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 5:11; Northern Illinois 17–13)
  • (5:48) CCU – Massimo Biscardi 27 yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 2:47; Northern Illinois 17–16)
  • (1:12) NIU – Miles Joiner 12 yard pass from Rocky Lombardi, John Richardson kick (Drive: 10 plays, 67 yards, 4:36; Northern Illinois 24–16)
  • (00:05) CCU – Massimo Biscardi 43 yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 44 yards, 1:07; Northern Illinois 24–19)
Third quarter
  • (12:34) CCU – Isaiah Likely 27 yard pass from Grayson McCall, Massimo Biscardi kick (Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:26; Coastal Carolina 26–24)
  • (10:08) NIU – Rocky Lombardi 1 yard run, John Richardson kick (Drive: 5 plays, 79 yards, 2:26; Northern Illinois 31–26)
  • (9:27) CCU – Braydon Bennett 60 yard run, Massimo Biscardi kick (Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:41; Coastal Carolina 33–31)
  • (3:13) NIU – Antario Brown 7 yard run, John Richardson kick (Drive: 10 plays, 67 yards, 6:14; Northern Illinois 38–33)
Fourth quarter
  • (11:51) NIU – John Richardson 45 yard field goal (Drive: 9 plays, 28 yards, 4:03; Northern Illinois 41–33)
  • (9:07) CCU – Isaiah Likely 40 yard pass from Grayson McCall, Grayson McCall pass failed (Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 2:44; Northern Illinois 41–39)
  • (6:40) CCU – Braydon Bennett 34 yard pass from Grayson McCall,Isaiah Likely pass successful (Drive: 1 plays, 34 yards, 0:09; Coastal Carolina 47–41)

Statistics

StatisticNorthern IllinoisCoastal Carolina
First downs2922
First downs rushing189
First downs passing913
First downs penalty20
Third down efficiency5–145–10
Fourth down efficiency4–51–1
Total plays–net yards88–51655–514
Rushing attempts–net yards55–33525–199
Yards per rush6.18.0
Yards passing181315
Pass completions–attempts20–3322–30
Interceptions thrown00
Punt returns–total yards1–00–0
Kickoff returns–total yards6–1204–92
Punts–average yardage0–02–39.5
Fumbles–lost2–10–0
Penalties–yards2–107–64
Time of possession39:2020:40
Huskies passing
C–AYdsTD–INT
Rocky Lombardi 20–331812–0
Huskies rushing
CarYdsTD
Jay Ducker241460
Antario Brown121051
Rocky Lombardi8661
Clint Ratkovich 6131
Trayvon Rudolph470
Huskies receiving
RecYdsTD
Cole Tucker6871
Miles Joiner5291
Jay Ducker1150
Trayvon Rudolph2150
Tristen Tewes1110
Clint Ratkovich2110
Fabian McCray190
Messiah Travis170
Billy Dozier1-30
Chanticleers passing
C–AYdsTD–INT
Grayson McCall 22–303154–0
Chanticleers rushing
CarYdsTD
Braydon Bennett61082
Trustan Belton8520
Grayson McCall10400
Reese White1−10
Chanticleers receiving
RecYdsTD
Isaiah Likely7962
Jaivon Heiligh7940
Braydon Bennett4471
Trustan Belton1401
Kameron Brown3380

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References

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  2. ↑ "2021–22 bowl officiating assignments". footballzebras.com. December 2021. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  3. ↑ Drury, Dave (December 13, 2021). "2021 Cure Bowl Preview: NIU Huskies vs Coastal Carolina Chanticleers". Hustle Belt. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  4. ↑ Blondin, Alan (December 18, 2021). "Coastal Carolina stuffs Northern Illinois, wins its first bowl game as an FBS program". The Sun News. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Cure Bowl Partners". The Cure Bowl. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  6. 1 2 "Chanticleer Football Game Notes - Cure Bowl" (PDF). Coastal Carolina Chanticleers Football. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  7. ↑ "2021 Huskie Football Game Notes - Cure Bowl" (PDF). Northern Illinois Huskies Football. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
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  10. ↑ "Chambers late TD, Wyoming pulls out 50-43 win at N. Illinois". CBS Sports. September 11, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
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  12. ↑ Drury, Dave (September 25, 2021). "2021 MAC Football Week 4 Game Recap: NIU 41, Maine 14". SB Nation. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
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