The UConn football team has already accomplished a great deal before even stepping on the field on Monday for the Myrtle Beach Bowl in Conway, S.C.

With first-year coach Jim Mora in charge, the Huskies are no longer a punch line in the college football world.

They’ve stirred up some excitement for the UConn fan base and are being talked about in the national media in a positive light.

At 6-6, they’ve won more two games than the previous three seasons played combined; They called off the 2020 season for pandemic-related reasons.

But they’re far from satisfied.

“For our hard work to pay off and to make a bowl game is really huge,” said junior linebacker Jackson Mitchell, UConn’s tackling machine. “But this isn't our end goal, going 6-6 and making a bowl game. That’s just like a starting point for us.

“... Our goal is to win a bowl game, it’s not just to get to a bowl game.”

Winning the program’s first bowl game in 12 years and finishing with a winning record for the first time since going 8-5 in 2010 would be another significant step forward.

To accomplish that feat, UConn will have to beat tough Marshall University (8-4), which has experience in playing postseason games. The Thundering Herd will be appearing in their sixth straight bowl. Kick-off at Coastal Carolina’s Brooks Stadium is 2:30 p.m. (ESPN).

With the regular season ending on Nov. 19, the Huskies have had plenty of time to prepare and also get some players healthier, especially on offense. They got the bulk of their work done prior to leaving for Myrtle Beach on Thursday, so they could enjoy the pre-bowl game activities

“We want the players to have fun but ultimately the fun comes in winning the game,” said Mora before traveling to South Carolina. “And this is a heck of a matchup. Marshall is a really good football team, offensively and defensively.”

Marshall is one of the best teams that UConn will face this season. The Thundering Herd are riding a four-game winning streak. Back in September, they stunned then No. 8 ranked Notre Dame, 26-21, in South Bend, Ind.

A potent running game that piles up 205.6 yards per game, led by veteran running back and Florida State transfer Khalan Laborn (1,423 rushing yards, a team-best 16 touchdowns), powers the Marshall offense. Quarterback Cam Fancher has thrown for 1,465 yards and eight touchdowns and rushed for 456 yards.

A stingy defense frustrates opponents and ranks seventh in the nation in scoring defense at 16.2 points.

“Really good defense and really good coach,” said assistant head coach/offensive coordinator Nick Charlton, referring to Marshall head coach Charles Huff. “They do a great job. They’re No. 1 in the nation on third down for a reason. We’ve just got to do a really good job with what we do and our schemes.”

Marshall has been particularly successful stopping the run, allowing just 88.8 rushing yards per game.

So it will be critical for UConn to be productive running the football given that it is what drives its attack (194.9 yards per game) and not put too much pressure on freshman quarterback Zion Turner to deliver.

UConn enters the game in its customary position as an underdog; Marshall is favored by 10 points.

That’s fine with the Huskies.

No one outside the UConn football family believed the Huskies would be still playing football during bowl season.

They’ve been resilient throughout the season, recovering from a 1-4 start due to a brutal early season schedule that included road games at nationally-ranked Michigan and North Carolina State to win five of their last seven games.

““When you lose, people like to go away from each other, but we came together as a team, which made the season way better,” redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Dal’mont Gourdine said.

There’s been a good vibe and positive energy around the program.

No matter the outcome, this Husky team has restored some respectability to the program and built some momentum to take into next season.

As a kid growing up in Ridgefield, Mitchell is thrilled to be part of the stunning turnaround.

“When I came here, people asked, why are you coming to UConn?” Mitchell said. “One, they showed a lot of love in the recruiting process. But also growing up and watching them in the (2011) Fiesta Bowl and now trying to get them back to this point is really special and something that you want to do, especially for your home state.”

This is just the beginning of the Husky Revolution as far as Mora is concerned.

“What I would really hope is as we go through the years here that this becomes the minimum for us. … Hey, we go to bowl games.

“Every year our objective is going to be to improve our record and give ourselves a chance to have more success. But you want this to be the bare minimum – 6-6, hopefully 7-6. We want this to be the minimum expectations.”

News and notes

It will be a homecoming game for several Huskies, including junior defensive lineman Eric Watts, who’s from Sumter, S.C., and Gourdine (North Charleston, S.C.). Both players needed about 90 tickets for family and friends. “It’s a great feeling just to be able to play in front of friends and family,” Watts said. “I’m a big family guy. It means the world to me.” … With the exception of some transfers, this will be the first bowl game for most UConn players. “It’s a dream come true,” freshman Victor Rosa said. “Just to be in this position is great.”

g.keefe@theday.com