College Sports

UCF gets 10th win, beating Marshall 48-25 in Gasparilla Bowl

Posted December 23, 2019 6:00 am

By MARK DIDTLER

Central Florida quarterback Dillon Gabriel (11) leaps into the end zone for a touchdown over Marshall safety Nazeeh Johnson (13) during the Gasparilla Bowl NCAA college football game Monday, Dec. 23, 2019, in Tampa, Fla. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel via AP) The Associated Press

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Central Florida is best known for a high-powered offense, but the Knights are capable of big plays on defense, too.

Richie Grant and Tre'mon Morris-Brash had first-quarter defensive touchdowns, Dillon Gabriel led three third-quarter scoring drives and UCF beat Marshall 48-25 in the Gasparilla Bowl on Monday.

'œWe finished the season the right way,'ť UCF coach Josh Heupel said. 'œThe turnovers were critical. I thought defensively we started about as fast as you can.'ť

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 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.

'œWe're happy with the 10-3, but at the same time we know what we could have done,'ť Gabriel said.

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.

'œI thought our kids fought their tail off,'ť Marshall coach Doc Holliday said. 'œThey fought the entire game.'ť

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.

Abraham's father, Donnie, played his home games with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1996-01) at Raymond James Stadium, the site of the Gasparilla Bowl.

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.

THE TAKEAWAY

UCF: The Knights 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.

'œYou look at this season, there's goals that we didn't accomplish, right?" Heupel said. 'œBut I hope we never get to the point as a program and a fan base where fans and outside voices aren't really appreciative of what our kids do every single day.'ť

Marshall: It was the first bowl loss for the Thundering Herd under Holliday, who entered 6-0 in bowls at the school. Knox, a sophomore, topped 100 yards rushing for the seventh time.

STRANGE STATS

UCF lead 21-0 after the first quarter despite being outgained 133-86. Marshall, however, had three turnovers. The Knights had a 168-0 yardage advantage during the second quarter and were outscored 7-3.

STANDOUT '~D'

UCF linebacker Nate Evans finished with 12 tackles and a sack. Defensive back Antwan Collier made six tackles, recovered two fumbles and had an interception.

UP NEXT

UCF: Hosts North Carolina on Sept. 3 to open the 2020 season.

Marshall: Begins the 2020 season at East Carolina on Sept. 5.

___

More AP college football: https://apnews.com/APTop25CollegeFootballPoll and https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

Central Florida's Jake Brown, left, and Nate Evans hoist the trophy after the team's win over Marshall during the Gasparilla Bowl NCAA college football game Monday, Dec. 23, 2019, in Tampa, Fla. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel via AP) The Associated Press

Central Florida linebacker Nate Evans, left, and coach Josh Heupel smile after the team's win over Marshall in the Gasparilla Bowl NCAA college football game Monday, Dec. 23, 2019, in Tampa, Fla. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel via AP) The Associated Press

Marshall running back Brenden Knox (20) is tacked by Central Florida defensive lineman Brendon Hayes (6) after a short gain during the Gasparilla Bowl NCAA college football game Monday, Dec. 23, 2019, in Tampa, Fla. (Octavio Jones/Tampa Bay Times via AP) The Associated Press

Central Florida coach Josh Heupel and quarterback Dillon Gabriel (11) celebrate in the rain after a touchdown against Marshall during the Gasparilla Bowl NCAA college football game Monday, Dec. 23, 2019, in Tampa, Fla. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel via AP) The Associated Press

Central Florida quarterback Dillon Gabriel (11) celebrates after a touchdown against Marshall during the Gasparilla Bowl NCAA college football game Monday, Dec. 23, 2019, in Tampa, Fla. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel via AP) The Associated Press

Central Florida running back Greg McCrae leaves Marshall defenders behind on a touchdown run during the Gasparilla Bowl NCAA college football game Monday, Dec. 23, 2019, in Tampa, Fla. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel via AP) The Associated Press

Central Florida defensive back Richie Grant (27) celebrates his interception return for a touchdown against Marshall during the Gasparilla Bowl NCAA college football game Monday, Dec. 23, 2019, in Tampa, Fla. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel via AP) The Associated Press

Article Comments

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.