Conference USA Championship Game: Marshall 7-1 vs UAB 5-3

Marshall 7-1 / 5-1 vs UAB 5-3 / 3-1; TV: 6:00 (Friday) / CBSSN; Favorite: Marshall -5.5

The coaches in this game are two of the more successful coaches in all of college football, along with not being very well known.

Marshall is led by Doc Holiday (85-52), he has served @ Marshall since 2010 & has posted a 6-1 record in bowl games. Holiday’s teams from 2013 through 2015 went 33-8 and his 2014 team was 13-1. Holiday was named C-USA, Coach of the Year in 2014 and his teams have won the East Division on three occasions, 2013, 2014, & now 2020!

UAB’s leader is Bill Clark, Clark was hired in 2014, led the blazers to a 6-6 mark, and then organized the fight to restore college football @ UAB, after it was cancelled for the 2015 & 2016 seasons!. Clark was successful in restoring the program for the 2017 season and amazingly, won the C-USA Championship in 2018, posting an 11-3 record! Clark’s teams have now won the West Division 3 straight years (2018 thru 2020)

The teams have played six times since 2009, with Marshall winning 5 of the 6 meetings. The most recent game was in 2014, a 23-18, Thundering Herd win. UAB’s only win in the time frame presented here, was in 2012, when the Blazers rerouted the Herd, 39-31, while winning the turnover battle, 4 to 1!

Marshall only loss in 2020 came on December 5th, to a 2-3 Rice, by 20-0 margin; however, The herd’s QB, Grant Wells did not play. UAB beat Rice, 21-16, the next weekend, December 12th! That said, these teams had 2 other common opponents, Louisiana Tech & Western Kentucky. UAB loss to LT, 37-34 and then beat Western Kentucky, 37-14, while Marshall beat both teams, LT, 35-17 & WK, 38-14!

Sully College Football Page’s Game Simulator says in a head to head battle, Marshall wins 7 of the 8 assessed categories! The Blazers prevail only in Red Zone TD’s (TD’s Only), 66.5% to 64.5%, meaning there is a better chance (2%) that UAB will score a touchdown in Marshall RZ, than Marshall in UAB’s RZ! Otherwise, by the numbers, it’s all Marshall: Total Offense, 352.5 to 342.5; Passing, 202.5 to 193, Rushing 150.5 to 149.5; Scoring 28 to 20, Turnovers, 1.565 to 1.69; 3rd Down Conversions, 39.4% to 37.15; & Red Zone Scores (TD’s & FG’s), 88% to 81.5%

http://sullyscollegefootballpage.com/Football_Stats/Matchup.cfm

The Vegas Hot$heets opened with Marshall listed as a 5.5 favorite, with the over under at 42.5

http://www.vegashotsheet.com/LiveLines-NCAA.html

Star Power: Marshall; QB, Grant Wells has passed for 1829 yards, 16 TD’s to 9 INT; RB, Brenden Knox has rushed 820 yards on 168 carries for 4.88 YPC, and 9TD’s, Sacks: Darius Hodge solo 5, Assisted Sacks, 2, Negative Yardage, 43 yards, Sacks per game .75!

Star Power: UAB; QB, Bryson Lucero passed for 969 yards 7 TD’s to 8 INT’s; RB, Spencer Brown, 740 yards on 156 carries for 4.74 YPC, and 10 TD’s; Sacks, Jordan Smith, Solo 4, Assisted Sacks, 1, negative Yardage, 35 yards, Sacks Per Game, .56

Finally, Marshall is 2nd in the country in Total Defense, allowing 253.9 YPG, while UAB is 66th in the nation in Total Offense @ 393 YPG!

Sully Says: Take Marshall and give UAB the 5.5

And as Always, Enjoy the Games!