Kevin Marks Jr. Leads Buffalo to Win vs. Marshall in 2020 Camellia Bowl

The MAC earned some Christmas bragging rights Friday. 

Buffalo defeated Marshall 17-10 in the 2020 Camellia Bowl at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama. Running back Kevin Marks Jr. and the defense led the way for the Bulls, who finished the campaign with a 6-1 record and bounced back from a loss to Ball State in the MAC Championship Game.

It was a disappointing end to the season for the Conference USA's Marshall, which started 7-0 but went on to lose its final three games.

Notable Player Stats

• Kyle Vantrease, QB, BUF: 16-of-27 for 140 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT
• Kevin Marks Jr., RB, BUF: 35 carries for 138 yards, 1 TD
• Grant Wells, QB, MAR: 13-of-20 for 114 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs
• Sheldon Evans, RB, MAR: 18 carries for 79 yards; 3 catches for 8 yards

Kevin Marks Jr. Leads Buffalo to Victory

Bowl games often present smaller-school stars the opportunity to shine on a national stage, and Friday's contest figured to be a showcase for Buffalo running back Jaret Patterson.

After all, he turned in one of the most memorable performances of the season when he ran for 409 yards and eight touchdowns in a 70-41 win over the Kent State Golden Flashes in November. Even half of that production would have made him one of the most notable performers of the entire bowl season.

However, the plan changed when Patterson was ruled out before the game.

That left the rushing attack in the hands of Marks, who wasted no time setting the tone with between-the-tackle runs, speed to the outside and even a reception out of the backfield. He surpassed the century mark in yardage in the first half alone and helped set up a Kyle Vantrease bootleg touchdown run when Marshall collapsed on the running back.

The biggest issue for the Bulls as they took a 10-0 lead in the first half was the inability to finish some drives, as they turned the ball over on downs in Marshall territory and missed a field goal on another possession.

Those missed opportunities proved costly when Marshall battled back to tie the game in the second half, and the theme continued when Vantrease threw a fourth-quarter interception inside Thundering Herd territory.

To the Bulls' credit, they came through in the game's most important moments with a narrative-flipping 13-play, 88-yard touchdown drive that featured two third-down conversions. Vantrease made up for his earlier mistakes with multiple clutch throws before a Marks touchdown fittingly sent Buffalo into a lead it wouldn't give up.

Marshall's Offense Struggles Again in Defeat

Marshall's offense was dominant for much of the season.

Until it wasn't.

The Thundering Herd scored 35 or more points in five of their first seven games before collapsing in their final two contests. They failed to score a single point against Rice and then managed just 13 in the loss to UAB while quarterback Grant Wells dealt with inconsistency and the running game struggled to gain much traction.

It appeared as if it would be more of the same as Marshall started with three punts, but Knowledge McDaniel kept his team within striking distance with a touchdown run in the final minute of the second quarter.

Turning to the ground game worked, as Marshall tied the score with a field goal on a 15-play drive that featured 11 runs to start the second half. Sheldon Evans did much of the heavy lifting as he attempted to match Marks.

That momentum ended with a missed field goal on the next drive, and the Thundering Herd offense never found its footing after the miscue, with Wells throwing for fewer than 120 yards and taking two critical sacks on the final drive after leading his offense into scoring position.

The offensive struggles that were emblematic of Marshall's lackluster finish to the season defined its bowl game loss as well.

What's Next?

Both teams turn their attention toward the 2021 season, when Marshall will play a nonconference schedule that includes Navy and Appalachian State, while Buffalo will face a slate that features a showdown with Nebraska.