St. Petersburg will be the venue for a Florida university during football postseason this season. One of the youngest football programs in the nation (began in 2002) will be venturing upstate from its home in Miami to compete in its first-ever postseason contest.

FIU (Florida International) of the Sun Belt Conference will make its postseason debut December 20 in St. Pete when it takes on Marshall of Conference USA in the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl.

This will be the first time these two schools have met.

The latest college bowl odds list FIU as a 4-point favorite, while the total sits at 48.5 points.

Florida International

FIU has been growing their team over the last ten years and it has reached a peak with the school’s first bowl game. Florida International is riding a three-contest win streak and is coming off a 31-18 road victory over Middle Tennessee to end up fourth in the conference (5-3). Three of the Panthers’ four defeats have been by a sum of 10 points. Florida International is just 3-2 in the state of Florida this season while managing a 4-2 record away from its home turf in South Florida.

Florida International rates well on defense, ending up 16th in the country in points given up (19 points per contest) and allowing 348 yards per contest (227 in the air, 121 on the ground) while totaling 34 sacks and earning 19 turnovers – with three of them going for a touchdown (Jonathan Cyprien and Winston Fraser, picks; Isame Faciane, fumble).

Fraser paces the squad with 107 total stops (33 more than any other player), adding four sacks, a pick and a forced fumble. Greg Hickman has five sacks, 33 stops, a pick and a forced fumble while Sam Miller and Richard Leonard have two picks a piece and combined for 98 stops, three sacks, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble.

On offense, Florida International rates 67th in the nation in offense (26 ppg) while totaling 370 yards per contest (219 through the air, 151 via the run). Wes Carroll has hit 60 % of his throws for 2,224 yards and 14 scores with four picks, while the offensive line has given up 13 sacks.

T.Y. Hilton is the top receiving target with 64 catches for 950 yards and seven Scores, while Kedrick Rhodes paces the rushing attack with 1,121 yards and eight scores on 5.0 yards per tote.

Marshall

The Thundering Herd started 1-3, but won three of its last four games to become bowl-eligible and finish second in the East Division of Conference USA (5-3). They were only behind eventual league champ Southern Miss (5-2), which Marshall beat early in the season (26-20). Most recently, Marshall posted a 34-27 overtime win at home over East Carolina to finish 4-1 at home (the lone loss to Virginia Tech). MU was 2-5 away from home.

Marshall ranks 84th nationally in scoring defense (30 ppg), surrenders 418 yards per game (263 passing, 155 rushing) while compiling 25 sacks and forcing 28 turnovers – three of which converted to TDs (Billy Michell and Rashad Jackson, fumbles; Omar Brown, interception).

Brown paces the defense with 107 total stops (15 more than any other player) and four picks while chipping in three forced fumbles. Vinny Curry has a school-best 11 sacks and six forced fumbles while totaling 72 stops, three blocked kicks, a fumble recovery and a safety. George Carpenter has three fumble recoveries, 91 stops, four sacks and two forced fumbles.

Marshall ranks just 98th in the nation in points (22 ppg) while totaling 335 yards per contest (212 through the air, 1234 via the run). Rakeem Cato has connected on 59 % of his throws for 1,833 yards and 13 touchdowns with 10 interceptions, while the offensive line has allowed 26 sacks.

Aaron Dobson leads the receiving corps with 42 receptions for 587 yards and 10 TDs, while Tron Martinez and Travon Van anchor the running game with a combined 1,120 yards and six scores on 4.1 yards per carry.

If you want information on any other contest view the college bowl predictions at BetFirms. We analyze each matchup so you have a lot of info to make your college bowl picks this winter.