UCF Football: 3 takeaways from win over Marshall in Gasparilla Bowl
By Zach Bigalke
UCF football showcased prolific offense and a ballhawking defense to down Marshall. Here are three things to take away from the Gasparilla Bowl.
Played for the second season at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium after a decade of existence at Tropicana Field in neighboring St. Petersburg, the 2019 Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl offered an interesting two halves of action that could hardly look more different.
In the end, UCF coasted to a comfortable 48-25 victory over Marshall on the Gulf coast of Florida on the Monday before Christmas.
The first half was marked by crazy defense on both sides of the ball. Viewers were treated to three defensive touchdowns in the first two quarters, as UCF notched a pick-six and a fumble recovery touchdown while Marshall also returned an interception for a score. The Knights took a 24-7 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The second half was a bit more of a traditional barnburner, as UCF outscored the Thundering Herd 24-22. In the process, the Knights fell just four points short of the school record for scoring in a bowl game.
With Josh Heupel’s team winning their 10th game of the 2019 season, what should we take away from their third straight season with double digits in the win column? Here are three things to hold on to as the Knights go into their offseason repose with a solid shot to land in the final AP Top 25 of the year.