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The 2020 Myrtle Beach Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 21, 2020, with kickoff at 2:30 p.m. EST on ESPN. It was the inaugural edition of the Myrtle Beach Bowl and the first bowl game of the 2020–21 bowl games concluding the 2020 FBS football season. The game was the first NCAA bowl game to be played in the state of South Carolina and the first bowl to be played in the state since the 1947 Pecan Bowl.

Background and team selection
The 2021 Myrtle Beach Bowl was the inaugural edition of the bowl game and the first one to be held in the state of South Carolina since the 1947 Pecan Bowl. For years, attempts had been made to bring a bowl game to the state. However, under National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rules, bowl games were banned from being held in the state due to its display of the Confederate battle flag on State House grounds. In the aftermath of the Charleston church shooting in June 2015, the state made the decision to remove the flag from State House grounds, making the state eligible for bowl games. Organizers for the Medal of Honor Bowl, an all-star game, announced their intent to apply for NCAA sanctioning as a traditional postseason bowl game featuring FBS college teams, with a tentative game date of December 18, 2016. However, in April 2016, the NCAA announced a three-year moratorium on new bowl games.

In June 2018, the NCAA indicated that the Grand Strand area was approved for a bowl game. The Myrtle Beach Bowl was subsequently announced on November 13, 2018, by ESPN Events, with tie-ins to three conferences: the Sun Belt Conference, Conference USA (C-USA), and the Mid-American Conference (MAC).

The bowl made its debut as part of the 2020–21 bowl season, matching North Texas of C-USA and Appalachian State of the Sun Belt.

Appalachian State Mountaineers
In 2019, the Appalachian State Mountaineers finished the regular season 11-1. Led by first-year coach Eli Drinkwitz, the team had recored upset victories over two Power Five teams (34–31 over North Carolina and 20–15 over South Carolina), losing only to rival Georgia Southern. After defeating Louisiana 45-38 in the Sun Belt Championship Game, Drinkwitz resigned as coach to accept the head coaching position at Missouri Tigers football. In his place, offensive line coach Shawn Clark, a graduate of the school, was appointed interim coach for the New Orleans Bowl. After a brief coaching search, Clark was named the permanent head coach. The Mountaineers won the New Orleans bowl 31-17 over UAB and finished the season 13-1, ranked No. 18 in the Coaches Poll and No. 19 in the AP Poll.

Entering his first season as head coach, Clark oversaw a team. Prior to the start of the season, all four of Appalachian State's non-conference opponents (FCS opponent Morgan State and FBS opponents UMass, Wake Forest, and Wisconsin) cancelled their games. The Mountaineers scheduled new games against Campbell of the FCS and Charlotte and Marshall of the FBS. After defeating Charlotte, the Mountaineers were ranked at No. 23 in the AP poll, but dropped off after losing 7-17 to Marshall. A 52-21 win over Campbell on September 26 would be the last game the Mountaineers would play for nearly a month due to game delays caused by COVID-19. The Mountaineers would win six of their last eight games, losing only to No. 15 Coastal Carolina (23-34) and No. 25 Louisiana (21-24) - the eventual co-champions of the Sun Belt. The Mountaineers finished the regular season with an 8-3 record (6-2 in the Sun Belt), good for second in the East Division and third in the conference overall.

Appalachian State's offense was powered by a strong rushing attack; with an average of 243 rushing yards per game, they ranked second in the Sun Belt and ninth nationally. Camerun Peoples entered the game with the team lead in rushing yards with 807, followed by Daetrich Harrington at 595. Senior Marcus Williams Jr. and freshman Nate Noel led the team in yards per carry with an average of 6.5 and 6.1, respectively. The team's passing attack was led by senior quarterback Zac Thomas, who had thrown for 2,075 yards and 19 touchdowns, along with 11 interceptions. Thomas Hennigan (45 receptions for 571 yards) and Malik Williams (41 receptions for 536 yards) led the team in receiving yards. On defense, the team ranked 11th-best in the nation in yards allowed (314 per game).

Statistical summary
Appalachian State running back Camerun Peoples was awarded the most valuable player award. Peoples recorded 319 rushing yards on 22 carries, an all-time bowl record; the previous record had been set by Georgia Tech running back P. J. Daniels in the 2004 Humanitarian Bowl. Peoples also tied the all-time bowl record with five rushing touchdowns, a mark held by seven other players in NCAA history. Peoples's rushing yards were also the most in a single game in school history.

Fellow Appalachian State running back Marcus Williams Jr. recorded 101 yards on six carries. In addition to 35 yards rushing on four carries, Mountaineers quarterback Zac Thomas completed eight of 17 passing attempts for 114 yards and a touchdown; wide receiver Malik Williams also threw a touchdown pass on a trick play. Henry Pearson led the Mountaineers in receiving with three receptions for 47 yards and two touchdowns. On defense, Kaiden Smith led the Mountaineers with 13 tackles; three players on the team recored sacks. Steven Jones recorded the game's only turnover, an interception returned for 63 yards.

Mean Green quarterback Jason Bean completed 21 of 36 passes for 251 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception. Quarterback Kason Martin completed his only passing attempt for a 16-yard touchdown. Tre Siggers led the team with 121 yards rushing on 17 attempts, and Oscar Adaway added an additional 100 yards rushing and a touchdown on 26 attempts. Austin Ogumakin caught seven passes for 131 yards and a touchdown, and Loronzo Thompson caught five passes for 45 yards and two touchdowns. North Texas's leading tacklers were Makyle Sanders and Cam Johnson, who both recorded eight tackles; no players on the team recorded sacks or interceptions.

Teams
The 2020 Myrtle Beach Bowl was contested by the Appalachian State Mountaineers, from the Sun Belt Conference, and the North Texas Mean Green, from Conference USA. The game was the first matchup between the two teams.

Appalachian State
Appalachian State of the Sun Belt accepted their bid on December 13, 2020. The Mountaineers entered the bowl with an overall record of 8–3 (6–2 in conference play); they were ranked at number 24 in the AP Poll early in the season.

North Texas
North Texas of C-USA accepted their bid on December 13, 2020. The Mean Green entered the bowl with an overall record of 4–5 (3–4 in conference play). This marked the third time in program history that North Texas entered a bowl game with a losing record (the prior instances being the 2001 New Orleans Bowl and the 2016 Heart of Dallas Bowl).