UAB Blazers vs. Marshall Thundering Herd Conference USA Championship Game Preview
Written by Charlie Beuttel
Twitter: @charlie_cds3
Going through a wild 2020 college football world, we have finally reached Championship Weekend. This Friday night, UAB is traveling to Marshall to battle for the Conference USA title. The Thundering Herd finished the regular season 7-1 while UAB wrapped up the regular season with a record of 5-3. Both teams are looking for their second conference championship game win with Marshall winning last in 2014 and UAB in 2018.
UAB Blazers vs (5-3, 3-1) vs. Marshall Thundering Herd (7-1, 4-1)
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. – Friday, Dec. 18th
TV: CBS Sports Network
Spread: Marshall -5
UAB Blazers Overview
Offense
The Blazers run a balanced offense by averaging 29.3 points and 393 yards of offense per game. The stats are almost identical with averages of 195 yards passing and 198 yards rushing per contest. Freshman quarterback Bryson Lucero is the man under center for the UAB as he has thrown for 969 yards and seven touchdowns. 
Lucero’s two favorite targets are senior receivers Austin Watkins Jr., who caught 34 passes for 468 yards, and Myron Mitchell who has 423 receiving yards on 27 receptions. Both pass catchers are tied for the team lead with three receiving touchdowns. UAB’s leading rusher is senior running back Spencer Brown. Brown has run the ball 156 times for 740 yards and ten touchdowns.
Defense
The Blazers are holding teams to 22.5 points a game limiting teams to 180.4 passing yards and 138.9 rushing yards on defense. Senior linebacker Kristopher Moll leads the team with 54 total tackles and has two sacks. Another linebacker to watch is junior Jordan Smith who has 36 total tackles, 4.5 sacks, and one interception.
The defensive line is anchored by senior Tyree Turner who has 22 total tackles, two sacks, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. A key player in the secondary is senior cornerback Brontae Harris who has 25 total tackles, one sack, and one interception.
Marshall Thundering Herd Overview
Offense
The Thundering Herd score a whopping 37.4 points per game while averaging 234.6 yards through the air and 189.9 yards on the ground per contest. One of the leaders of this powerful offense is freshman quarterback Grant Wells. Wells has thrown for 1,839 yards and 16 touchdowns so far in 2020.
Wells’ favorite targets include senior tight end Xavier Gaines, who has caught 25 passes for 328 yards and three touchdowns, and sophomore wide receiver Corey Gammage, who has snagged 27 passes for 304 yards and a team-high four touchdowns. Junior Brenden Knox is the team’s leading rusher as he has 820 yards on the ground on 168 carries and nine touchdowns.
Defense
Marshall only allows 11.4 points a game by limiting their opponents to just 73 yards on the ground and 180.9 yards through the air per contest. The leader of this defense is senior linebacker Tavante Beckett who has 77 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, four fumble recoveries, and two forced fumbles. Junior Darius Hodge is the force on the defensive line as he has 45 total tackles, six sacks, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
Senior safety Brandon Drayton patrols the secondary as he has racked 37 total tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, and one interception. Sophomore linebacker Eli Neal is another player to watch on this lockdown defensive unit as he has chipped in with 58 total tackles, one sack, and one interception.
Analysis
Marshall’s defense gives them the edge in this matchup as it should create problems for UAB. The Thundering Herd also has a lot more experience and weapons on offense, especially in the passing game, to be slowed down by the Blazers defense.
UAB beat Rice on Dec. 12, it was their first game since Halloween due to game cancellations from conference COVID-19 protocols. Marshall hasn’t played since Dec. 5 when it suffered its only defeat on their schedule, a shutout loss to Rice.
Prediction: Marshall 27, UAB 17
Photo credit: Coal Valley News; Marshall QB Grant Wells
Photo credit: UAB Blazers; UAB RB Spencer Brown