2013 College Football Bowl Picks: Military Bowl Odds and Predictions – Marshall vs Maryland 12/27/2013

2013 College Football Bowl Picks: Military Bowl Odds and Predictions – Marshall vs Maryland 12/27/2013: One of the best teams in Conference USA will take on an ACC bottom-feeder when the Marshall Thundering Herd (9-4, 7-1 C-USA) take on the Maryland Terrapins (7-5, 3-5 ACC) in the Military Bowl. Marshall won the Conference USA East Division before falling to Rice in the conference title game. Maryland, on the other hand, struggled after a fast start, losing four of its final six games and finishing sixth in the ACC Atlantic Division. Heading into the matchup, the Thundering Herd are 3-point favorites.

A powerful offense has carried Marshall all season. Quarterback Rakeem Cato has been one of the best in the country, throwing for 36 touchdowns and nearly 3,600 yards for the seventh-best scoring offense. Meanwhile, the duo of Essray Taliaferro and Steward Butler has combined for 17 touchdowns and more than 1,800 rushing yards. Overall, Marshall ranks just outside the top 20 nationally in both running and passing. The Thundering Herd haven’t been too shabby on defense either, ranking 34th in the country in points allowed.

Thanks to several big injuries, including an injury to star receiver Stefon Diggs, the Terrapins have been average on offense at best in the second half of the year. Dual-threat quarterback C.J. Brown has managed 23 combined touchdowns, but Maryland currently ranks 41st in passing, 87th in rushing and 79th in scoring. Defensively, Maryland has held its own, allowing 24.8 points per game to rank in the top 50 nationally.

The Thundering Herd Win If:

If Marshall is going to win the game, Cato and the offense have to have a big performance. Maryland’s biggest weakness is its injury-riddled offense, and if the Thundering Herd put points on the board early and often, the Terrapins are going to struggle to keep pace. Defensively, Marshall needs to limit the plays Brown can make outside the pocket and force him to try to make plays to a receiving corps that is missing its most explosive weapon. If the Thundering Herd turn this game into a high-scoring shootout, they are going to be in great shape.

The Terrapins Win If:

Getting consistent pressure on Cato is a must for the Terrapins if they are going to win the game. Marshall’s offense starts with the passing attack, but if the Terrapins can disrupt Cato and take away big plays from the Thundering Herd, they should be able to keep the score manageable. On offense, Maryland needs a big game from Brown. He is the team’s best offensive weapon, and if he can keep the Marshall defense off balance with his dual-threat ability, the Terrapins should be able to put up a respectable point total. Overall, the Terrapins can win the game if they can hang within striking distance of Cato and company and give Brown a chance to be a difference-maker in a lower-scoring contest.

Bottom Line:

While Maryland comes from the bigger conference, its resume is still very suspect. After all, the Terrapins squeaked out a one-point win against a 2-10 Virginia team that went winless in ACC play. Worse yet, they got drubbed by a 4-8 Wake Forest team. There is no denying that the Terrapins simply haven’t been the same team since Diggs went down with an injury, and Maryland is going to need to be able to score some points to keep up with Marshall. Keep in mind that when Maryland faced the high-powered passing attacks of Florida State and Clemson, the Terrapins lost by a combined score of 103-27. Granted, Cato isn’t Jameis Winston and Tajh Boyd, but Cato has plenty of weapons at his disposal. With that in mind, the Thundering Herd should have no problem getting their offense rolling and overwhelming Maryland.

Prediction: Marshall Thundering Herd (-3) Cover the Spread

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