Sources: Marshall foregoes Independence Bowl vs. Army due to lack of players

The Independence Bowl needs to find a replacement team.

Sources told Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports that Marshall withdrew from the Dec. 28 game against Army because so many players were in the transfer portal.

Marshall won the Sun Belt title game a week ago and finished the season 10-3. For coach Charles Huff, however, it was the last game at the school. He is now the coach at Southern Miss after being in the final year of a four-year contract with the Thundering Herd.

Huff’s departure resulted in many players transferring from the program. Players have the opportunity to freely enter the transfer portal after a coaching change. Marshall has already announced that NC State defensive coordinator Tony Gibson will be Huff’s successor.

There was no team 6-6 or better that missed a bowl game. Teams that finished the season 5-7 are next in line based on their academic progress rate. The team with the highest APR among the 5-7 teams would have the choice to replace Marshall.

However, it’s not easy to get invited to a bowl game on short notice, especially when a school’s winter break has already begun.

Army, with its three-option offense, isn’t an easy opponent to prepare for either. The Black Knights are 11-1 after defeating Tulane in the AAC title game and could finish at 12-1 with a win over Navy on Saturday.