Gasparilla Bowl pits UAB against slumping South Carolina

Posted December 20, 2020 6:00 am

By The Associated Press

UAB quarterback Tyler Johnston (17) looks to make a pass as the Blazers take on Marshall during an NCAA college football game for the Conference USA Football Championship on Friday, Dec. 18, 2020, in Huntington, W.Va. (Sholten Singer/The Herald-Dispatch via AP) The Associated Press

UAB (6-3, 3-1 Conference USA) vs. South Carolina (2-8, 2-8 Southeastern Conference), Saturday, noon (ABC)

LOCATION: Tampa, Florida

TOP PLAYERS

UAB: RB Spencer Brown, 186 carries, 889 yards, 10 TDs

South Carolina: RB Kevin Harris, 185 carries, 1,138 yards, 15 TDs

NOTABLE

UAB: The Blazers earned their second straight Conference USA title by defeating Marshall 22-13 in the league championship game Friday. Brown rushed for 149 yards in that contest and has been named Conference USA championship game MVP each of the last two years.

South Carolina: The Gamecocks fired coach Will Muschamp during a six-game skid that closed their regular season. Those six losses were decided by an average margin of 24.8 points. Mike Bobo served as interim coach for South Carolina's final three regular-season games.

LAST TIME

South Carolina beat UAB 49-6 in 2012.

BOWL HISTORY

UAB: Fifth bowl appearance. UAB owns a 1-3 bowl record and lost 31-17 to Appalachian State in last season's New Orleans Bowl.

South Carolina: Twenty-fourth bowl appearance. South Carolina owns a 9-14 bowl record. Its most recent bowl appearance was a 28-0 loss to Virginia in the 2018 Belk Bowl.

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UAB players celebrate after defeating Marshall in an NCAA college football game for the Conference USA Football Championship on Friday, Dec. 18, 2020, in Huntington, W.Va. (Sholten Singer/The Herald-Dispatch via AP) The Associated Press

Kentucky defensive back Carrington Valentine (14) tackles South Carolina running back Kevin Harris (20) during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, in Lexington, Ky. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston) The Associated Press

South Carolina running back Kevin Harris (20) runs with the ball during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Kentucky, Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, in Lexington, Ky. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston) The Associated Press

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