ST. PETERSBURG -- FIU wide receiver T.Y. Hilton went to the locker room with a leg injury in the second quarter of Tuesday night’s game.

Hilton returned to the game, but Richard Leonard took punt return duties and Leonard and Wayne Times assumed the kickoff return job, as they had midseason following Hilton’s hamstring injury against Central Florida.

Hilton remained on the sideline for the first possession of the second half. He came back for the second possession.

Streak intact

FIU closed the season with interceptions in its final eight games. The streak got extended when freshman cornerback Leonard picked off his third pass of the season and returned it 34 yards to the Marshall 47.

That also meant two freshmen, Leonard and redshirt freshman safety Justin Halley (four interceptions), were FIU’s top two interceptors this season.

Rusty start

Jitters and rust struck both teams early.

Marshall’s first possession ended when Raheem Cato badly overthrew a wide-open Aaron Dobson on a deep route on a third-and-1, play-action pass.

Well, actually, it ended after a fourth down false start on Marshall, then an offside on FIU’s Greg Hickman.

FIU’s first possession saw Hilton fumble on the first play after taking an end around 20 yards; FIU redshirt sophomore wide receiver Jairus Williams drop a pass over the middle; and a pair of false start penalties.

Playing time

Williams played in only five games and caught only two passes for 16 yards this season. Redshirt junior wide receiver Mike Jean-Louis didn’t have a catch this season. Yet both played offensive snaps in the first half Tuesday.

Williams even was targeted on FIU’s fourth play from scrimmage. Jean-Louis made his first catch of the season, an 11-yarder to convert a third down, on FIU’s second possession of the second half.

Wide receiver Willis Wright sustained a right leg injury late in the season and didn’t practice at all before the bowl game.

Early injury

Marshall lost left tackle Ryan Tillman, a fifth-year senior, on the first play to what appeared to be a right ankle injury. Redshirt sophomore Jordan Jeffries filled in for Tillman.

Pennington watch

Former Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington, a Marshall alumnus, received an ovation when shown decked out in full Marshall gear on the JumboTron during the first quarter.

Tackle machine

FIU linebacker Jordan Hunt compiled almost a game’s worth of tackles —nine, all solo —in the first half. Hunt added a sack that helped kill Marshall’s first second-half possession.

Famous face

Vince Papale, a teacher-bartender when he made the Philadelphia Eagles via an open tryout in 1976 who saw his story immortalized in the movie Invincible, performed the coin toss . FIU won the toss and deferred to the second half.