Marshall Beats USF Behind 5 Rushing TDs to Win 2018 Gasparilla Bowl

Marshall rode a big first quarter and dominant rushing attack to a 38-20 victory over South Florida on a rain-soaked field at Raymond James Stadium in the 2018 Gasparilla Bowl. 

Paul Dellegatto of Fox 13 tweeted a shot of the weather in Tampa on Thursday afternoon:

The early proceedings made it seem as if Marshall and South Florida would struggle to generate offense on a slippery surface. 

After the teams combined for three punts and a turnover on downs over the first four drives, the Thundering Herd scored three touchdowns in under five minutes to take a 21-7 lead heading into the second quarter. 

Marshall quarterback Isaiah Green had one of his best passing games of the season, despite the unfavorable field conditions. The freshman completed a season-high 68 percent of his attempts for 221 yards and one rushing touchdown. 

Four players combined to score five rushing touchdowns for the Herd. Senior Keion Davis led the way with 94 yards and two scores on 14 carries. Brenden Knox wasn't far behind with 93 yards and one touchdown on 12 attempts.

South Florida then got creative with senior wide receiver Tyre McCants:

Bulls head coach Charlie Strong had to tap into his list of trick plays because Marshall's defense did a terrific job of shutting down his usually balanced attack. South Florida entered the bowl game averaging 242 passing yards and 203 rushing yards per contest.

Blake Barnett racked up his passing yards for South Florida with 212 on just 11 completions, but the running game offered little support. Jordan Cronkrite, who averaged 6.3 yards per attempt during the regular season, was held to 26 yards. 

This once-promising season turned into a nightmare for Strong and South Florida. The team lost its last six games following a 7-0 start in which it climbed to No. 21 in the Associated Press Top 25.

On the other side, after being plagued by turnovers throughout the regular season, Marshall didn't give the ball away once in the bowl game. The Thundering Herd committed at least two turnovers in seven different games entering Thursday.

After an inconsistent 5-3 start, Marshall head coach Doc Holliday got his team focused to finish the season with four wins in its final five games. The victory also extended the program's winning streak in bowl games to seven, dating back to 2009. 

Marshall's nine wins this season are its most since 2015, giving Holliday and his staff plenty to build on for next year as the program looks to get back to the top of Conference USA for the first time in five seasons.