— By Bill Cornwell
Tampa, Fla. — Marshall’s seven-game bowl win streak is on the line Monday afternoon as the Herd faces an old rival in the UCF Knights. Kickoff of the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla at Raymond James Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is set for 2:30 p.m..
The game is being shown on ESPN.
Marshall (8-4, 6-2 Conference USA) won the Gasparilla Bowl a year ago, beating South Florida, 38-20.
The Herd will likely have its work cut out against UCF (9-3, 6-2 American).
Head coach Doc Holliday is undefeated in bowl games at Marshall with a 6-0 record.
The Thundering Herd enters the game featuring an .857 winning percentage (12-2) in all NCAA-sanctioned bowl games, the highest mark nationally among programs that have made at least five appearances.
Here are three things to look for Monday:
1 — UCF’s tempo
Marshall’s coaching staff has been working with the team during the last two weeks on finding a way to slow down UCF’s fast-paced offense. The Knights often use less than 15 seconds between plays in their ‘turbo’ attack, a move that wears down defenses both physically and mentally. Marshall’s main way to slow down the Knights appears to be a big game for the Herd’s offense.
Marshall does well when it uses its battering-ram running game to attack opposing defenses, churning away minutes on the clock behind its veteran offensive line. It will also be crucial for Herd punter Robert LeFevre and kicker Justin Rohrwasser to do their part to pin UCF deep, making the Knights drive the length of the field.
2 —Quarterback battle
Monday’s game will be a battle of young signal callers. UCF’s freshman quarterbak Dillon Gabriel was forced into action early due to season-ending injury to MacKenzie Milton.
The numbers show that the Knights had no less quality at quarterback, as Gabriel threw for 3,393 yards (a school freshman record) with multiple touchdown throws in nine of 12 games (27 total). Gabriel has a passing efficiency rating of 155.6, 17th-best in the nation.
Marshall sophomore Isaiah Green must match Gabriel in efficiency. Green doesn’t have the weapons that Milton possesses with the exception of Herd running back and Conference USA MVP Brenden Knox. Green had a solid, if not flashy year with 2,265 yards, 14 touchdown passes and nine interceptions, with a pass efficiency number of 127.3.
If Knox gets 25-30 carries and Green can operate a controlled passing attack with no turnovers, Marshall will have a far better chance to give the Knights a battle.
3 — Something has to give
The Herd and Knights are proven winners. Marshall’s seven-game bowl winning streak is a national leader, while UCF has been the top Group of 5 program for the past three years, inclulding appearances in New Year’s Day Six bowls the past two years.
The Knights have also won 34 of their last 38 games and second-year UCF head coach Josh Heupel is 23-4, the best two-year record for any FBS program that had a coach start in 2018.
There’s been a lot of winning between the two programs.
If UCF imposes its offense will and scores quickly and often, it could be a long day for Marshall.
However, if Marshall can chew up time on offense, keep its defensive concentration and make big plays on special teams, the Herd might pull a surprise.
Notes
The Herd and Knights have played 11 previous times when both teams belonged to both the Mid-American Conference and Conference USA. The Knights lead the series 8-3 and won the last eight meetings after Marshall opened with three straight victories over UCF. The last meeting took place in Huntington in 2012, a 54-17 Knights victory … A few past Marshall connections will be on the other sideline when the Herd and UCF play in the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl. Knights Assistant Athletic Director for Video Operations Brad Helton was a 20-year member of the MU football staff, serving as director of video services. His wife, Tara, is the UCF Associate AD for Academics. She was part of Marshall’s Buck Harless Student-Athlete Program for 11 years. The Heltons have been at UCF since January 2016. The Knights’ Director of Equipment Operations Rich Worner was a 15-year member of Marshall’s equipment staff. He also joined the UCF staff in January 2016. UCF’s assistant equipment manager is 2011 Marshall graduate Dustin Stover. He’s been a part of the Knights’ staff since February 2018.