The C-USA and the American Conference will be matched up in the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl. Marshall and USF will battle it out on December 22. Here is the 2018 Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl Preview.

Marshall Thundering Herd (8-4)

Marshall is now in their second straight bowl game under Doc Holliday after going 8-4 this season. They beat two teams that went above .500 this season in Miami (OH) and Florida International. The Thundering Herd only lost to teams that were bowl-eligible this season.

Tyre Brady (Photo by herdzone.com)

They have an average scoring offense at 27.4 points per game, ranking 74th in the country. Their rushing offense ranks 85th in the country at 155.8 yards per game. They pass for 228.7 yards per game, which is 65th best in the country.

Isaiah Green has had a decent freshman season at quarterback for Marshall. He has 2,238 passing yards, 15 passing touchdowns and 10 interceptions on 55.7% completion. Four receivers have been the main contributors in the passing game this season. Tyre Brady leads the team with 66 receptions for 914 yards and nine touchdowns.

Four running backs are also the leading force behind Marshall’s running game. Tyler King leads the way with 615 yards and four touchdowns on 6.1 yards per carry. Brenden Knox, Keion Davis and Anthony Anderson are the other players who have produced.

The Thundering Herd have a good scoring defense that allows 22 points per game. Their rush defense is one of the best in the country, ranking ninth and allowing 103.9 yards per game. They allow 231.7 passing yards per game. Junior defensive lineman Ty Tyler has eight sacks to lead the team.

South Florida Bulls (7-5)

South Florida won seven straight to open up the season, but have since lost their last five games. The Bulls beat Georgia Tech, which is their only win over a bowl-eligible team. They played a heavy dose of bowl-eligible teams to end the year and lost to all five of them.

Jordan Cronkrite (photo by athlonsports.com)

The Bulls score 29.2 points per game, ranking 63rd in the country. A big problem for South Florida is that they have one of the worst run defenses in the country and allow 244.7 yards per game. Fortunately, USF allows 197.3 yards per game, which is solid.

Blake Barnett, who formerly played at Alabama, has been playing quarterback for USF this season. He missed a few games at the end of the season with injuries, but is probable for this game. Barnett has thrown for 2,493 yards, 11 touchdowns and 11 interceptions on 62.2% completion. Four pass catchers have at least 400 yards receiving this season, with Tyre McCants being the go-to target. McCants has 58 receptions, 607 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

Former Florida Gator Jordan Cronkrite leads the team with 1,095 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. Johnny Ford has added 737 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the ground, giving them two solid runners to utilize.

USF ranks 91st in scoring defense allowing 31.5 points per game. They rank 121st against the run, allowing 244.7 yards per game. The Bulls rank 35th against the pass at 193.7 yards allowed per game. Linebacker Khalid McGee has 104 total tackles on the season.

Prediction

While the Bulls are on a skid, they played a lot of good things down the stretch. With Barnett as probable for this game, USF should be able to take advantage of Marshall’s secondary. USF will be able to win a close one.

South Florida Bulls 33 Marshall Thundering Herd 27

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