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Bulls Accept Invite to Play in Camellia Bowl on December 25
12/20/2020 11:25:00 AM | Football
MONTGOMERY, AL – The University at Buffalo football team has accepted an invitation to play in the Camellia Bowl. The Bulls with face Marshall on December 25 at the historic Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, AL. It will be the third straight season the Bulls will be playing in a bowl game and the fifth time in program history.
The game will kick off at 2:30 pm EST and air on ESPN.
Marshall (7-2) won the 2020 Conference USA Eastern Division Championship, its first since 2014. The offense is led by freshman quarterback 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.
Both teams excelled on offense and defense this season. UB 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). Marshall 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).
This will be the first meeting between Buffalo and Marshall since the teams were Mid-American Conference foes. The teams met six times as members of the MAC with the Thundering Herd winning all six games. The last meeting was during the 2004 campaign.
Buffalo is playing in its fifth bowl game in school history. The Bulls are coming off the first bowl win in school history following last year's 31-9 win over Charlotte in the Bahamas Bowl. UB made its bowl debut in the 2008 International Bowl at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. The Bulls are playing their third straight bowl game under head coach Lance Leipold.
The city of Montgomery is synonymous with Christmas Day bowl games. The annual Blue-Gray Football Classic was played at the historic Cramton Bowl from 1939-2003. The inaugural game was played on Jan. 1, 1939. The Blue-Gray Football Classic was first played on Christmas Day in 1954. The event became an annual Christmas Day tradition beginning in 1979.
"The Camellia Bowl has a knack for down-to-the-wire finishes and we expect another great game from Buffalo and Marshall," Johnny Williams, executive director of the Camellia Bowl said. "I'd like to express my gratitude to ESPN Events, Montgomery County and the City of Montgomery for making this bowl season possible. We will host two bowl games in three days at the Cramton Bowl, and excited to be a part of this historic occasion."
Playing on Christmas Day adds to the excitement of Camellia Bowl, which has had some thrilling games with the first six games decided by 25 total points. All six games were decided in the fourth quarter, with three games decided on the final play.
CAMELLIA BOWL ALL-TIME RESULTS:
Bowling Green 33, South Alabama 28 (Dec. 20, 2014)
Appalachian State 31, Ohio 29 (Dec. 19, 2015)
Appalachian State 31, Toledo 28 (Dec. 17, 2016)
Middle Tennessee 35, Arkansas State 30 (Dec. 16, 2017)
Georgia Southern 23, Eastern Michigan 21 (Dec. 15, 2018)
Arkansas State 34, FIU 26 (Dec. 21, 2019)
ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of 35 collegiate sporting events nationwide. The roster includes four early-season college football games, 17 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events, a college softball event and two college award shows, which accounts for approximately 400 hours of live programming, reaches nearly 64 million viewers and attracts over 800,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in more than 10 markets across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.
For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube pages.
The game will kick off at 2:30 pm EST and air on ESPN.
Marshall (7-2) won the 2020 Conference USA Eastern Division Championship, its first since 2014. The offense is led by freshman quarterback 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.
Both teams excelled on offense and defense this season. UB 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). Marshall 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).
This will be the first meeting between Buffalo and Marshall since the teams were Mid-American Conference foes. The teams met six times as members of the MAC with the Thundering Herd winning all six games. The last meeting was during the 2004 campaign.
Buffalo is playing in its fifth bowl game in school history. The Bulls are coming off the first bowl win in school history following last year's 31-9 win over Charlotte in the Bahamas Bowl. UB made its bowl debut in the 2008 International Bowl at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. The Bulls are playing their third straight bowl game under head coach Lance Leipold.
The city of Montgomery is synonymous with Christmas Day bowl games. The annual Blue-Gray Football Classic was played at the historic Cramton Bowl from 1939-2003. The inaugural game was played on Jan. 1, 1939. The Blue-Gray Football Classic was first played on Christmas Day in 1954. The event became an annual Christmas Day tradition beginning in 1979.
"The Camellia Bowl has a knack for down-to-the-wire finishes and we expect another great game from Buffalo and Marshall," Johnny Williams, executive director of the Camellia Bowl said. "I'd like to express my gratitude to ESPN Events, Montgomery County and the City of Montgomery for making this bowl season possible. We will host two bowl games in three days at the Cramton Bowl, and excited to be a part of this historic occasion."
Playing on Christmas Day adds to the excitement of Camellia Bowl, which has had some thrilling games with the first six games decided by 25 total points. All six games were decided in the fourth quarter, with three games decided on the final play.
CAMELLIA BOWL ALL-TIME RESULTS:
Bowling Green 33, South Alabama 28 (Dec. 20, 2014)
Appalachian State 31, Ohio 29 (Dec. 19, 2015)
Appalachian State 31, Toledo 28 (Dec. 17, 2016)
Middle Tennessee 35, Arkansas State 30 (Dec. 16, 2017)
Georgia Southern 23, Eastern Michigan 21 (Dec. 15, 2018)
Arkansas State 34, FIU 26 (Dec. 21, 2019)
ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of 35 collegiate sporting events nationwide. The roster includes four early-season college football games, 17 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events, a college softball event and two college award shows, which accounts for approximately 400 hours of live programming, reaches nearly 64 million viewers and attracts over 800,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in more than 10 markets across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.
For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube pages.
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