The 1998 Motor City Bowl matched the Marshall Thundering Herd and the Louisville Cardinals.
After twenty years of dominating Division I-AA and winning two championships, they moved to I-A starting with the 1997 season, joining the Mid-American Conference.
John L. Smith took over a program that had gone 1-10 the previous year, leading Louisville to 3rd place in Conference USA.
But Marshall scored 24 straight points in the second half before Louisville responded with a Collins touchdown.
But it was too little too late as Billy Malashevich (who had kicked 6 extra points and a field goal previously in this game) kicked a field goal with ten minutes remaining that sealed the game for the Herd as they celebrated their first bowl win in Herd history.