DALLAS – East Division Champion Marshall has accepted an invitation to the seventh annual Camellia Bowl on Friday, Dec. 25, at 1:30 p.m., CT on ESPN. The Thundering Herd will play MAC East Division Champion Buffalo at the historic Cramton Bowl in downtown Montgomery, Alabama.
Marshall is playing in its seventh bowl game in the last eight seasons. The Thundering Herd are 12-3 (.800) all-time in 15 bowl games, the highest winning percentage nationally among teams with at least six bowl games. Marshall is making its eighth bowl appearance under head coach Doc Holiday, who has compiled an 85-53 (.616) record in 10 seasons with the Thundering Herd.
Both teams excelled on offense and defense this season. Marshall (7-2) led C-USA in scoring defense (12.6) and total defense (277.7). The Thundering Herd ranked second in the league in scoring offense (30.6) and third in total offense (407.2). Buffalo (5-1) ranks second in the MAC in scoring offense (47.8) and total offense (509.0). In addition, the Bulls rank second in the MAC in scoring defense (23.8) and total defense (379.2).
The Marshall offense is led by freshman QB Grant Wells, who leads C-USA in passing yards (219.7) and touchdown passes (18). He ranks second in the league in total offense with 239.4 yards per game. Junior RB Brenden Knox has 887 rushing yards and nine rushing TDs. Defensively, Herd senior LB Tavante Beckett leads C-USA in tackles per game (10.0) and tops the nation in fumbles recovered (4). Redshirt junior DE Darius Hodge is third in the league in sacks (6.5) and sixth in tackles for loss (9.0),
Buffalo is playing in its fifth bowl game in school history. The headliner on the Bulls offense is junior running back Jaret Patterson, who tied the NCAA record this season with eight rushing touchdowns in the 70-21 win over Kent State on Nov. 28. Patterson finished with 38 carries for 408 yards and eight touchdowns. The 408 yards are the most by an FBS player since Oklahoma’s Samaje Perine ran for an NCAA record 427 yards in the win over Kansas State in 2014. Patterson had 301 yards and four TDs the week prior against Bowling Green. For the season, Patterson has 141 carries for 1,072 yards and 19 touchdowns in six games.
Marshall and Buffalo were Mid-American Conference rivals from 1999-2004 and six of their eight all-time meetings came in MAC play. The Thundering Herd has won all eight meetings with Buffalo. The teams have not played since a 48-14 win by the Thundering Herd on Oct. 23, 2004.
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