— By Bill Cornwell
It’s nearly showtime time for Marshall and South Florida as Thursday night’s Gasparilla Bowl approaches in Tampa, Florida.
Marshall (8-4, 6-2 in Conference USA) enters winners of three of its last four regular season games, while the Bulls (7-5, 3-5 in the American Conference) are losers of five straight.
The game will be played at Raymond James Stadium, home of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers and USF.
Game time is 8 p.m. and the contest is being televised by ESPN.
Marshall puts a six-game bowl winning streak on the line as it faces the Bulls, while USF has won two straight bowls.
Both head coaches are bowl winners, as Doc Holliday is 5-0 at Marshall and Charlie Strong is 4-3 in stops at Louisville, Texas and USF.
Here are three things to look for in the Gasparilla Bowl:
1. Which team fights off the rust?
It has been several weeks since both Marshall and USF have played.
USF ended its regular season on November 23rd in a loss to arch-rival USF. Marshall played on December 1st, a 41-20 loss at Virginia Tech.
Both defenses could have an early advantage and that could play right into the hands of Marshall’s usually stingy defense, a unit that was not pleased with its performance nearly three weeks ago in Blacksburg, Va. USF’s defense is filled with size and quickness but has not been as successful statistically as Marshall’s stoppers.
If Marshall quarterback Isaiah Green can make some early plays with his arm and Brenden Knox breaks off some early runs for the Herd, MU could grab early momentum and force the Bulls to play catch-up on their home field.
2. Who is playing?
The biggest personnel question surrounding the bowl game is whether USF’s season-long starting quarterback, Alabama transfer Blake Barnett, will be playing against Marshall.
Barnett has been seen at pre-bowl practices and activities walking without braces or other medical aids after missing two of the Bulls’ final three games due to multiple injuries.
USF coach Charlie Strong said, “Blake has been able to move around some and we’ll just see … we still have some time before we go play that game. We’ll see exactly where we are.”
Heading into the Gasparilla Bowl, Barnett has thrown for 2,498 yards and needs 172 more to move into fifth on USF’s single-season passing chart.
On the Marshall side, some rest may allow senior running back Keion Davis to get playing time in his home state of Florida. Davis has been in and out of the Herd lineup all season due to nagging leg injuries. Davis’ absence has also affected Marshall’s kick return game as Marcel Williams and Willie Johnson have had to fill-in for Davis in that key position.
3. Getting it done
Marshall’s recent bowl record shows that the program has a knack for preparing well for bowls. Head coach Doc Holliday has said that it’s important for his team to enjoy the bowl experience, but understand that it’s a game that must be prepared for properly.
USF has been quite successful in postseason play, including picking up a last-minute Birmingham Bowl win last season against Texas Tech.
It will be interesting to see if USF is playing on its home field against an opponent it has never faced before will cause the Bulls to take the Herd lightly at all. Coach Charlie Strong knows Marshall’s worthiness as an opponent and he’ll do all possible to keep his squad from taking the Herd lightly.
Notes
USF’s offensive play caller in Thursday’s game will be tight ends and special teams coach Justin Burke, who is filling in for former USF offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert, who recently took the head coaching job at McNeese State. Burke played for Strong at Louisville and then coached with him with the Cardinals, at Texas and now at USF … Wednesday wasn’t just about bowl business in Tampa for Marshall’s football program as the Herd signed 16 recruits in the early commitment period. Most of the prospects were rated 3-star performers by scouting agencies. However, junior college offensive lineman Josh Ball from Fredericksburg, Va. by way of Butler Community College, was a 4-star pick who was recruited by the likes of West Virginia, Kentucky, Florida State, Ole Miss and Miami. Three West Virginia natives signed with Marshall — George Washington quarterback Grant Wells, University wide receiver Amir Richardson and Wheeling Park offensive lineman Tristen Bittner. There is even one Marshall recruit from the home of the Gasparilla Bowl — defensive Back Micah Abraham from East Lake High.