GMAC BOWL Shootout expected with top offenses

Marshall is seeking its fifth straight bowl win tonight against Louisville.
MOBILE, Ala. (AP) -- Byron Leftwich and the Marshall Thundering Herd are back for more in the GMAC Bowl.
This time, they'll face Louisville (7-5) tonight at 8 on ESPN2 in a game that almost surely won't produce quite the fireworks show of last year's record-setting bowl.
Right?
"I hope not, but I think it's going to be a good ball game," Marshall coach Bob Pruett said.
A quick replay: Leftwich passed for 576 yards and four touchdowns in a 64-61 double-overtime victory over East Carolina, easily the highest scoring bowl game in history.
And the Thundering Herd (10-2) actually trailed 38-8 at halftime. If nothing else, that game and the presence of Leftwich and Louisville quarterback Dave Ragone negates the old joke of the GMAC being the "no-interest bowl."
Knows what is coming
Cardinals coach John L. Smith knows what to expect from Leftwich and Co.
"With them, it's a score-a-thon, of course," Smith said. "They make a little bit of an effort to run. But basically, you know what they're going to do -- let (Leftwich) sit back there and wing it."
If the Cardinals are going to keep up, they'll do it without leading receiver Damien Dorsey, also a dangerous punt returner. The senior left the team a couple of weeks ago, though Smith won't say why or if he quit or was kicked off.
Marshall safety Chris Crocker figures the defenses are too good for this to wind up another 125-point "score-a-thon." Of course, the defenses accounted for four touchdowns in last year's game in between giving up scores.
"I'm a little disappointed that people don't really know how much of a better defense that we are coming in with this year," Crocker said.
Marshall is 4-for-4
Marshall has won bowl games in each of the past four years, a feat matched only by No. 1 Miami. The Cardinals also have been to four straight bowls, but won only once during that stretch.
"We really think we're a carbon copy of one another mentality-wise," Ragone said. "The bigger teams don't like to play us as much, and I know Marshall has had a problem scheduling teams because of that."
The Thundering Herd won the Mid-American Conference for the fifth time since rejoining the league six seasons ago. The Cardinals lost a share of their third straight Conference USA title with a 27-10 loss at Houston to end the season.
"It's one more chance at redemption, on national TV," Ragone said. "It's something to make people rethink about our program and where we are."