TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Isaiah Green completed 17 of 25 passes for 221 yards, Keion Davis ran for two touchdowns and Marshall beat South Florida 38-20 in the Gasparilla Bowl on Thursday night.
Green also had a touchdown run in the first quarter, while Davis’ second TD — from 16 yards out — put the Thundering Herd (9-4) ahead 38-20 with 6 1/2 minutes to play.
Davis had 94 yards on 14 carries, while Brenden Knox gained 93 yards on 12 rushes — all during the first half.
Blake Barnett, slowed by shoulder and ankle injuries, replaced Chris Oladokun for South Florida 10 minutes into the game and completed 11 of 23 passes for 212 yards. Barnett, a transfer from Arizona State who also started one game for Alabama in 2016, sat out two of the Bulls’ previous three games.
USF (7-6) lost the bowl game played on its regular-season home field to end the season by losing six in a row after a 7-0 start.
Green scored on an 10-yard dash and Anthony Anderson had an one-yard TD run over a 37-second span as Marshall took a 14-0 lead with 4:43 left in the first. The second score was set up by Darius Hodge’s fumble recovery and 29-yard return after Barnett couldn’t handle a high snap.
After USF wide receiver Tyre McCants took a direct snap and threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Randall St. Felix, the Thundering Herd went up 21-7 during the final minute of the first on Knox’s eight-yard TD run.
Marshall has outscored its opponent 101-39 in the first quarter this season.
Davis’ 5-yard run made it 28-7 with 90 seconds left in the second.
USF got to 28-10 on Coby Weiss’ 22-yard field goal four seconds before halftime.
South Florida settled for a 31-yard field goal by Weiss on a second-half opening 14-play drive.
Marshall countered with Justin Rohrwasser’s 28-yard field before Barnett connected on a 33-yard scoring pass with St. Felix that cut the Bulls deficit to 31-20 late in the third.
Doc Holliday is 6-0 in bowl games as Marshall’s head coach.
UP NEXT
Marshall: Green will be back next season to anchor a promising offense as the Thundering Herd try to win eight or more games for the fifth time in six years.
South Florida: Barnett returns in 2019 and being healthy could be key in the Bulls’ bid for their first American Athletic Conference championship.
Marshall 21 7 3 7 = 38
South Florida 7 3 10 0 = 20
First Quarter
MSH—I.Green 10 run (Rohrwasser kick), 5:20
MSH—Anderson 1 run (Rohrwasser kick), 4:43
USF—St. Felix 38 pass from McCants (Weiss kick), 2:43
MSH—Knox 8 run (Rohrwasser kick), :25
Second Quarter
MSH—K.Davis 5 run (Rohrwasser kick), 1:30
USF—FG Weiss 22, :04
Third Quarter
USF—FG Weiss 31, 9:13
MSH—FG Rohrwasser 28, 5:19
USF—St. Felix 33 pass from Barnett (Weiss kick), 3:16
Fourth Quarter
MSH—K.Davis 16 run (Rohrwasser kick), 6:24
———
MSH USF
First downs 24 19
Rushes-yards 44-282 35-92
Passing 221 268
Comp-Att-Int 17-26-0 15-31-0
Return Yards 114 65
Punts-Avg. 4-41.75 6-40.16
Fumbles-Lost 0-0 1-1
Penalties-Yards 8-75 5-25
Time of Possession 36:14 23:46
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INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING—Marshall, K.Davis 14-94, Knox 12-93, Anderson 9-43, I.Green 5-36, Brady 1-14, M.Williams 1-5, (Team) 2-(minus 3). South Florida, Ford 11-50, Cronkrite 11-26, McCants 4-23, Barnett 9-(minus 7).
PASSING—Marshall, Gaines 0-1-0-0, I.Green 17-25-0-221. South Florida, McCants 1-1-0-38, Oladokun 3-5-0-18, Barnett 11-23-0-212, (Team) 0-2-0-0.
RECEIVING—Marshall, Brady 5-88, Obialo 4-32, Gaines 3-51, Henry 2-21, M.Williams 1-14, W.Johnson 1-14, Walden 1-1. South Florida, St. Felix 6-165, Clerveaux 3-51, Wilcox 3-34, Cronkrite 2-8, McCants 1-10.
MISSED FIELD GOALS—None.