{"id":56373,"date":"2023-12-18T15:00:36","date_gmt":"2023-12-18T20:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/?p=56373"},"modified":"2023-12-18T07:27:41","modified_gmt":"2023-12-18T12:27:41","slug":"utsa-vs-marshall-in-the-frico-bowl-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/2023\/12\/18\/utsa-vs-marshall-in-the-frico-bowl-preview\/","title":{"rendered":"UTSA vs Marshall In The Frisco Bowl Preview"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the Frisco Bowl kicks off on December 19 under the gleaming lights of Texas, fans eagerly anticipate a showdown between UTSA<\/a> and Marshall that could leave a lasting mark. The aroma of Scooter’s Coffee fills the air as a prelude to a night where the Roadrunners and Thundering Herd battle at 9 p.m. ET.<\/p>\n

This matchup carries a unique flavor as it pits former Conference USA rivals against each other in a new conference landscape. Marshall made the leap to the Sun Belt for the 2022 season, while UTSA embraced its first year in the AAC. The Roadrunners finished 7-1 in its new conference home and 8-4 overall. Marshall finished 3-5 in Sun Belt play and 6-6 overall. The shift in conferences adds an intriguing layer to their historical rivalry, setting the stage for a battle that transcends past matchups. The Thundering Herd is bowl-eligible for the seventh straight year. UTSA is in a bowl game for the fourth consecutive year.<\/p>\n

Fancher’s Absence and Pennington’s Call<\/h3>\n

Marshall faces a quarterback conundrum with a major transfer triggering a double-digit spread. Cam Fancher<\/a>, pivotal to the Thundering Herd’s offense, visited football powerhouses LSU and NC State, raising questions about his participation in the bowl game. This opens the door for Cole Pennington<\/a>, son of former NFL QB Chad Pennington, to step into the spotlight.<\/p>\n

Pennington, a freshman with limited playing time, shoulders the responsibility of leading Marshall against a formidable UTSA. While the drop-off from Fancher may not be as substantial as some predict, uncertainties linger, especially considering star running back Rasheen Ali<\/a>‘s potential absence.<\/p>\n

UTSA’s Motivation: Harris’s Farewell and Defensive Strength<\/h3>\n

UTSA enters the Frisco Bowl with a clear motivational factor. Quarterback Frank Harris<\/a>, in his final college appearance, seeks to leave a lasting legacy. Despite a slow start attributed to Harris’s early-season turf toe, the Roadrunners rallied to seven consecutive victories before a setback against Tulane in the regular season finale.<\/p>\n

Defensively, UTSA boasts resilience, with only EDGE Trey Moore<\/a> absent from their regular-season lineup. Moore, tied for third in sacks, could have further disrupted Marshall’s offense. However, UTSA’s defense remains sturdy, allowing just 4.89 yards per play against unranked opponents.<\/p>\n

Pennington’s Trial and Ali’s Possible Absence<\/h3>\n

With uncertainty surrounding Marshall’s quarterback position, Pennington faces a trial by fire. His 49-of-79 record for 437 yards and a 6\/3 TD\/INT ratio in three games, including starts against Georgia Southern and South Alabama, provides a glimpse into his potential. The departure of sophomore Fancher and the speculated absence of Ali pose challenges for Marshall’s offensive dynamics.<\/p>\n

Ali’s impact during the regular season, with 1,043 yards and 14 touchdowns, underscores his significance. In his potential absence, Marshall must recalibrate its offensive strategy against a motivated UTSA defense.<\/p>\n

Game Prediction: Under 53 Points and Defensive Showdown<\/h3>\n

Analyzing the game dynamics, including Pennington’s untested status and Marshall’s offensive struggles, suggests a lower-scoring affair. Marshall, with a top-20 defense in third-down conversion rate and situational strength, poses a formidable challenge. Quarterback change adds uncertainty, intriguingly predicting under 53 points for fans expecting a defensive showdown.<\/p>\n

Conclusion: Anticipating a Historic Frisco Bowl Clash<\/h3>\n

As the Frisco Bowl looms large, the clash between UTSA and Marshall promises to be a spectacle. The conference shifts, quarterback uncertainties, and impactful players create an exciting atmosphere.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As the Frisco Bowl kicks off on December 19 under the gleaming lights of Texas, fans eagerly anticipate a showdown between UTSA and Marshall that could leave a lasting mark. The aroma of Scooter’s Coffee fills the air as a prelude to a night where the Roadrunners and Thundering Herd battle at 9 p.m. ET. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4841,"featured_media":56382,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"1","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,9,10],"tags":[6782,32905,3481,4121,9175,32846,9605,32769,449],"class_list":["post-56373","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-americanathletic","category-conferenceusa","tag-aac-football","tag-cole-pennington","tag-frank-harris","tag-marshall","tag-rasheen-ali","tag-sun-belt-football","tag-trey-moore","tag-utsa","tag-utsa-roadrunners"],"modified_by":"Tony Siracusa, CFB Managing Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56373","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4841"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56373"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56373\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56382"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56373"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56373"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56373"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}