The UCF Knights (10-3; 6-2 AAC) clinched their 10th and final win of the 2019 football season Monday against the Thundering Herd of Marshall (8-5; 6-2 CUSA). As reported by the AAC:
Richie Grant and Tre’mon Morris-Brash had first-quarter defensive touchdowns, Dillon Gabriel lead three third-quarter scoring drives and UCF beat Marshall 48-25 in the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl on Monday.
Grant had a 39-yard interception return on Marshall’s third play from scrimmage 56 seconds into the game and Morris-Brash recovered a fumble, forced by Grant, and ran it 55 yards for a score that helped UCF go up 21-0 with 7 minutes left in the first quarter.
Gabriel threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Otis Anderson, connected on a 75-yard score with Marlon Williams, and added a 3-yard TD run as UCF went ahead 45-22 with 6:39 remaining in the third.
Gabriel completed 14 of 24 passes for 260 yards as the Knights (10-3) reached 10 or more wins in a school-record third consecutive season. Williams caught seven passes for 132 yards and Greg McCrae had 80 rushing yards on 14 carries.
Isaiah Green went 9 of 23 for 173 yards with a TD and had a rushing touchdown for Marshall (8-5). Brenden Knox, the Conference USA MVP, had 103 yards on 26 carries.
Green had a 3-yard rushing touchdown and hit Willie Johnson on a 70-yard TD pass, and Justin Rohrwasser made a 50-yard field goal during the third quarter.
Marshall got within 21-7 with 12:28 to go in the second when Micah Abraham picked off backup quarterback Darriel Mack Jr.’s pass and returned it 75 yards for a touchdown.
McCrae had a 26-yard TD run early in the first and Dylan Barnas made a 36-yard field goal as time expired as UCF took a 24-7 halftime advantage.
UCF had no letdown after playing in New Year’s Day bowl games the previous two seasons, beating Auburn two years ago in the Peach Bowl and losing to LSU in the last season’s Fiesta Bowl.
It was the first bowl loss for the Thundering Herd under coach Doc Holliday, who entered 6-0 in bowls at the school. Knox, a sophomore, had his seventh 100-yard rushing performance this season.
UCF lead 21-0 after the first quarter despite being outgained 133-86. Marshall, however, had three turnovers. Check out video highlights of the game, courtesy of the American Athletic Conference, below:
