Marshall vs UAB: Conference USA Championship prediction and game preview.
Marshall vs UAB: Conference USA Championship Broadcast
Date: Friday, December 18
Game Time: 7:00 pm
Venue: Joan C. Edwards Stadium, Huntington, WV
Network: CBS Sports Network
– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions
Marshall (7-1) vs UAB (5-3) Game Preview
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Three Reasons Why You Should Watch The Conference USA Championship
– The running back battle could be fantastic … hopefully. UAB senior Spencer Brown has been the star of the program’s revival, running for 3,862 career yards with 41 touchdowns, but he missed the game against Rice last week.
He’s not much of a receiver, but he’s a 100-yard machine workhorse who ran for 156 yards and a score in the 2018 Conference USA Championship win and 65 in last year’s loss. If he can’t go, there’s a decent running-back-by-committee approach to work with.
– Marshall’s Brenden Knox has been bottled up – relatively speaking – over the last two games, but he still has yet to run for fewer than 70 yards this season. Like Brown, Knox is a big, tough back who’s not used much as a receiver, but will average five yards per pop balancing out the attack. Marshall is 13-2 when he runs for 100 yards, only losing to Virginia Tech in his freshman year, and UCF in last year’s bowl.
– This is UAB’s third straight Conference USA Championship appearance – winning in 2018 over Middle Tennessee and losing to Florida Atlantic last year – and Marshall is back for the first time since winning in 2014.
Why Marshall, UAB Will Win
What’s Going to Happen, Prediction, History
NEXT: Why Marshall Will Win, Why UAB Will Win, Marshall vs UAB Prediction
Why Marshall Will Win
– The Marshall defense has been special. The offense is fine, but it hasn’t needed to press with a D that has yet to allow more than 20 points in a game. The stunning 20-0 loss to Rice a few weeks ago was the first time all season the defense allowed more than 17 points. It’s second in the nation against the run, second in total defense, and No. 1 in scoring D.
– QB Grant Wells is the franchise guy to build around. The 6-2, 210-pound freshman can run a little bit, and he’s a solid midrange passer who started the season out by bombing Eastern Kentucky for 307 yards and four scores, and in mid-November added 336 yards and five touchdowns. He had a rough outing against Rice with five interceptions leading to the loss, but …
– UAB has a major turnover problem. The Blazers managed to be clean against Rice – unlike Marshall – but before that it gave the Balla ways multiple times in each of its previous four games and 15 times on the season. Marshall is tough enough defensively, but give up two turnovers, and uh oh.
– Championship Week Schedule & Predictions
Why UAB Will Win
– The offensive line was terrific. It was great at blocking for Spencer Brown and the ground game, and even better in pass protection allowing just three sacks all year. That’s partly because of the Blazer style, but the line was just that good and should hold its own against the strong MU defensive front.
– UAB can play a little D, too. Marshall’s defense might be the star of the conference, but the Blazers finished second in total D, allowing fewer than 90 rushing yards and fewer than 300 total yards in three of the last four games. Marshall doesn’t run away and hide in games, and UAB’s defense should be able to keep this close.
– If this really is a low-scoring battle of two defenses, field position is going to matter. The Marshall punting game is fine, but nothing great, and UAB’s Kyle Greenwell is averaging 43.44 yards per punt. To be fair, Marshall hasn’t had to punt a whole bunch and Greenwell needed to do a lot more, but the field should be tilted.
NEXT: What’s Going To Happen, Marshall vs UAB Prediction, Conference USA Championship History
What’s Going To Happen
Marshall will bounce back from the disastrous loss to Rice with a great performance at home. The UAB defense will be good enough early to make this a fight going into the locker room, but the Herd will control the game in the second half.
Marshall will convert more third downs. In this dogfight of a defensive battle, that will matter.
Conference USA Championship: Marshall vs UAB Prediction, Line
Marshall 26, UAB 17
Bet on Marshall vs UAB with BetMGM
Marshall -5.5, o/u: 42
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3
Must See Rating: 3.5
5: Mank
1: Saved By The Bell
Conference USA Championship History
2019 Florida Atlantic 49, UAB 6
2018 UAB 27, Middle Tennessee 25
2017 Florida Atlantic 41, North Texas 17
2016 WKU 58, Louisiana Tech 44
2015 WKU 45, Southern Miss 28
2014 Marshall 26, Louisiana Tech 23
2013 Rice 41, Marshall 24
2012 Tulsa 33, UCF 27
2011 Southern Miss 49, Houston 28
2010 UCF 17, SMU 7
2009 East Carolina 38, Houston 32
2008 East Carolina 27, Tulsa 24
2007 UCF 44, Tulsa 25
2006 Houston 34, Southern Miss 20
2005 Tulsa 44, UCF 27
