2018 College Football Playoff, bowl game predictions with confidence picks
Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl
Marshall (8-4) vs South Florida (7-5)
St. Petersburg, Florida
December 20 – 8 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
South Florida last won a game on October 20, turning a surprising 7-0 start into a disappointing 7-5 finish to the season. The impetus for their late season swoon was an inability to get defensive stops, particularly against the run. The Bulls had one of the worst run defenses in the nation, ranking 121st and giving up 244 yards-per-game.
Marshall will look to take advantage of that with freshman Brenden Knox, who came on strong at the end of the season filling in for the injured Tyler King. Knox rushed for 204 yards in the season-ending loss to Virginia Tech, a team that has similar struggles against the run as South Florida.
This being a virtual home game for South Florida is the only thing that gives me pause. Even still, it’s hard for me to see the Bulls pulling this out, unless over the next two weeks they shore up a run defense that couldn’t stop anyone all season long.
Look for the Thundering Herd to invade St. Petersburg and emerge victorious, handing USF their sixth straight loss to finish the season.