MCGILL: Football falls in Gasparilla Bowl

HerdZone.com

TAMPA, Florida – From Tampa to Miami to Boca Raton, Marshall found a way to solve Florida foes.

In last year's Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl, the Thundering Herd defeated USF here at Raymond James Stadium, the Bulls' home. This season, Marshall took care of Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton and Miami-based FIU in Huntington.

In a repeat trip to this bowl game, the sun didn't shine on the Herd.

The Knights, like Marshall a year ago in this same bowl, scored 21 first quarter points en route to a 48-25 win against the Herd in the Gasparilla Bowl. A soggy Raymond James Stadium crowd witnessed the highest-scoring game in this bowl's history.

The Herd finished the season 8-5 overall.

Marshall entered this version of the Gasparilla Bowl with bowl history on its side.

The Thundering Herd, with a 12-2 record, had the best bowl winning percentage of any program with at least five bowl appearances. Marshall's seven consecutive bowl wins was the longest such streak in the country. Head coach Doc Holliday, in his 10th season, had a pristine 6-0 record in bowl games.

UCF, one of college football's best programs the last three years, overcame all of that. The Knights (10-3) scored twice on defensive touchdowns in the first quarter, and spoiled Marshall's first red zone trip by forcing a fumble on a rushing attempt by sophomore Brenden Knox, the first fumble in 371 career touches for Knox.

But that's how this bowl game unfolded. Marshall had four turnovers before it scored a point, and one of those giveaways came on a 45-yard catch-and-run by senior tight end Armani Levias.

A heavy, persistent rain started to fall on Raymond James Stadium approximately an hour before kickoff, and then the Herd slipped out of the starting gate. Following a short run by Knox and an incomplete pass thrown by sophomore quarterback Isaiah Green, a third-and-long pass from Green to receiver Obi Obialo skipped off of Obialo's hands and into the arms of Richie Grant, who returned it a then-bowl record 39 yards for a touchdown to open the scoring only 56 seconds into the game.

The Marshall offense turned it over again on the next play after Green found Levias, who broke free in the open field but then had the ball stripped from behind, giving the Knights possession again. UCF couldn't convert, but did expand the lead to two touchdowns, 14-0, on its next possession behind the running game. Running back Otis Anderson rushed four times for 31 yards before yielding to fellow running back Greg McCrae, who cut back in the middle of the field and raced 26 yards for a touchdown with 9:12 left in the first quarter.

At that point, the prospect of Marshall keeping its nation-leading bowl streak alive seemed bleak. That non-desirable fate became even more certain on the Herd's next possession.

An attempted lateral was tipped at the line of scrimmage, which is a live ball, and UCF's Tre'mon Morris Brash returned it 45 yards for the Knights' second defensive touchdown of the first quarter and a 21-0 lead with 7:00 left.

Marshall got on the board early in the second quarter when freshman safety Micah Abraham stepped in front of the intended receiver and returned an interception 75 yards for a touchdown to make it 21-7 with 12:28 left. Abraham's father, Donnie, played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996-2001. It was the young Abraham's first career interception, and the 75-yard return broke the bowl record set in the first quarter.

UCF kicker Dylan Barnas, who played high school football with Marshall long snapper Matthew Beardall, made a 36-yard field goal as time expired to give the Knights a 24-7 lead at the break. UCF held a 254-133 advantage in total offense at halftime, and 173 of those yards came on the ground.

Marshall kicked off to open the second half, and the Knights marched 75 yards on a nine-play scoring drive to expand the lead to 24 points, 31-7, with 12:50 left. That is the 38th time in 39 games UCF has scored 30 or more points, and it is the 39th consecutive game in which the Knights have scored a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown, the longest streak among FBS teams.

The Herd immediately answered, putting together a seven-play, 75-yard drive that took 3 minutes and 17 seconds, culminating with a 3-yard keeper by Green. The QB's fifth rushing touchdown of the season cut the deficit to 17 points, 31-14, with 9:33 left of the third quarter.

UCF halted that momentum with another quick scoring drive – this one eight plays, 75 yards and 2:23. The Knights' quarterback, Dillon Gabriel, kept the ball and ran to the left for a 3-yard score to make it 38-14, UCF, with 7:10 left of the third quarter.

The offensive fireworks continued on the next two plays. First, junior receiver Willie Johnson scored on a 70-yard touchdown catch, which was the second-longest touchdown (rush or pass) and second-longest reception in bowl history. After a 2-point conversion made it 38-22, UCF, with 6:51 left of the third quarter, the Knights answered with a one-play drive – a 75-yard touchdown from Gabriel to Marlon Williams that surpassed Johnson's 70-yarder for second place in the record books.

After a first half with one offensive touchdown, Marshall and UCF combined for five offensive touchdowns in the first 8:21 of the second half.

By the time Marshall senior kicker Justin Rohrwasser booted a 50-yard field goal with 1:08 left of the third quarter, this game became the highest-scoring in the bowl's history with 70 points.

Team Stats

Isaiah Green

Alex Thomson

Players Mentioned

Micah Abraham

Isaiah Green

Willie Johnson

Brenden Knox

Armani Levias

Obi Obialo

Justin Rohrwasser

Marshall University Athletics