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login | create accountPREVIEWMarshall University Thundering HerdEast Carolina (5-6; 4-3 C-USA) at Marshall (5-6; 4-3 C-USA) 3:30 PM ET (CBS Sports Network)Compiled by Greg Vacek HEAD COACH: Doc Holliday is in his second season heading the football program at Marshall and sports a 10-13 (.435) record.
Bowl eligibility remains at stake for the Pirates and Thundering Herd as both programs are one victory away from post-season qualification. Saturday’s game against ECU will mean the end of the line for one team and bowl eligibility for the other as both teams enter the game at 5-6 overall. A win would also give Marshall its sixth win over an FBS opponent, the first time the program has accomplished that total in the regular season since 2004. The 2009 Herd’s sixth FBS win came against Ohio in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. The Pirates won 37-10 last season in Greenville and they have won three consecutive games in the series, which Marshall trails 9-3. Marshall utilizes a multiple offensive attack while employing a multiple defensive alignment. ECU will line up in a spread offense and use a 3-4 when defending. Doc Holliday is losing quarterbacks almost as fast as East Carolina Coach Ruffin McNeill is shedding pounds. Holliday, Marshall's second-year football coach, has watched his stable of healthy, scholarship signal callers shrink from four to three to two since a Nov. 12 loss at Tulsa. That has forced Holliday and his coaching staff to prepare to burn true freshman Blake Frohnapfel's redshirt status in the twilight of the regular season ... if starter Rakeem Cato is beset by an injury, too. Marshall has been a two-quarterback team for much of the year, but is now down to Rakeem Cato thanks to the season-ending surgery for A.J. Graham. Cato, who will make his eighth start of the season Saturday, went 13-for-23 for 150 yards and one touchdown against two interceptions at Memphis. Cato, a 6-1, 180-pounder from Miami, has played in all 11 games as a true freshman. He has thrown for 1,492 yards, 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He ran seven times for 8 yards in a 23-22 win over Memphis, but keeping the ball makes him more susceptible to injury. "You got to do what you got to do to win the football game, whatever that is," Holliday said. "We'll change a couple things possibly, but we got to do what we've got to do to win." The Herd likes to start with a spread formation, but it can also run the ball with Tron Martinez and Travon Van. Travon is explosive and has speed. Tron leads the team with more than 550 yards rushing. Aaron Dobson is their leading receiver. The defense is led by Vinny Curry, who opted not to leave last season for the NFL and has been an honoree for numerous All-Conference USA awards. Curry is tied for second nationally with six forced fumbles and is also second on the national leaderboard in tackles for loss (20.5) and is also tied for fourth in sacks (11.0). Marshall’s two senior linebackers in George Carpenter and Tyson Gale. Carpenter is tied for sixth nationally with three fumble recoveries. Omar Brown is the senior in the secondary (leads the team in interceptions and tackles). Per coach McNeill “He is a guy who can make plays and gets the defense lined up. They do a lot of coverage things as a result of Doc's defensive background. They disguise coverages really well“. Marshall currently stands second nationally in tackles for loss (90), and is tied for 12th in fumbles recovered (13). Marshall punter Kase Whitehead, who was recently named to the Ray Guy Award Watch List, has been adept at pinning the opposition deep in its own territory, with 18 kicks that have been downed inside the 20-yard line this season. That total ranks in a tie for 21st nationally." Andre Booker, a receiver, is averaging more than 10 yards per punt return and has good speed. Troy Evans and Booker are the kickoff returners.
LAST GAME AGAINST PIRATES(Oct 23, 2010) GREENVILLE, N.C. - Jon Williams ran for 111 yards and a touchdown to help East Carolina beat Marshall 37-10. Dominique Davis threw for 208 yards and two scores for the Pirates. East Carolina shook off a sluggish start by scoring twice in the final 2 ˝ minutes of the first half to take a 20-10 halftime lead. The Pirates then scored on their first three drives of the second half to blow the game open against the Thundering Herd . Marshall opened the game with a dime formation that seemed to keep the Pirates off balance for most of the first half. Marshall was able to limit ECU’s high-powered offense to only 167 yards of offense in the first half. The Thundering Herd recorded 186 total yards of offense and actually recorded 15 first downs to the Pirates 10. However, ECU took advantage of three Marshall turnovers to post a 20-10 lead at the half. Marshall quarterback Brian Anderson was intercepted three times in the first half and all three turnovers led to ECU scoring drives. The first interception at the 1:28 mark came deep in ECU territory and was returned to the 50-yardline where ECU managed a field goal. The second came with 3:30 to go in the half and led to a Jon Williams 29-yard touchdown run just seven plays later to put the Pirates up 17-10. Anderson had a third pass deflect off of an offensive lineman that was picked out of the air by defensive lineman Michael Brooks. That play led to an ECU 40-yard field goal to close out the half. The Pirates were able to make several adjustments at halftime and they went on to out-score the Herd 17-0 in the second half to post the 37-10 win. KEYS TO SUCCESS – MarshallBlitz less and use press coverage more. Blitzing and soft corners are two concepts that can't coexist. Marshall needs to either keep the blitz and play more press coverage with the corners or stop blitzing and put the outside linebackers in better position to tackle in space. The spread offense has been a razor-sharp thorn in the Herd's side all season (see blowout losses to West Virginia, Ohio, Houston and Tulsa). That spread quartet combined to drop 200 points on Marshall, out-scoring the Herd by a whopping 200-62 margin. Why, the average score of those blowouts was a humiliating 50.0-15.5. Rashad Jackson hinted that the Herd might show more press coverage this week after a season of cushion. "I think we're going to be up in their face a little bit more this week," said the senior corner. "I think Coach Rip (defensive coordinator Chris Rippon) knows we're sick of it now playing far back," Jackson said. "So I guess he saw teams taking advantage of the defense. So now he's going to have us up a little bit more challenging the guys. That's what we've been begging for all year." NOTES, QUOTES—— If Marshall beats East Carolina at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in Edwards Stadium, the Herd will finish the regular season with a 6-6 record and achieve bowl eligibility for only the second time in seven years. —— Marshall is one of just three programs in the country that has an undefeated mark in at least three games that have been decided by one score or less. —— Currently, the Herd ranks near the bottom of the FBS in third down conversion percentage (103rd, 35.58 percent), total offense (105th, 325.36), scoring offense (106th, 20.91), first downs gained (108th, 16.45), fourth down conversion percentage (117th, 21.43 percent) and rushing touchdowns (T-117th, 7). —— Sophomore WR Jermaine Kelson — all 5-foot-6 of him — will serve as Marshall's emergency third-team quarterback against East Carolina. Kelson played quarterback at Southridge High School in Miami, Fla. —— ECU is currently fourth nationally in fourth down conversion percentage with a clip of 80.0 (12-of-15) while the Herd ranks near the bottom of the FBS (117th, 21.43 percent). —— Marshall has been outscored 137-68 in the second quarter this season, after also being outscored 102-68 in the second stanza last season. The Herd outscored the opposition 110-93 in the second quarter in 2009. Marshall does hold a 61-55 edge in the third quarter this season, however. —— Marshall head coach Doc Holliday on East Carolina’s offense: "I've never lined up against an East Carolina team that didn't have some skill guys. And they're no different this year. They'll have some guys that can run and some guys that can catch. That's just the way they are." —— Marshall head coach Doc Holliday on believing it is easier for the kids to get ready for ECU since they won last week and still have lots to play for. I think it is easier for us because we have a lot to play for. We get the chance to get the most wins (5) for Marshall in Conference USA play, chance to go to a bowl game, and finish towards the top in a variety of things. Our kids know that and are ready. KEEP AN EYE ON...DE Vinny Curry —Marshall defensive end Vinny Curry has been invited to participate in the 2012 Senior Bowl at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala. Curry is also in the running for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (nation’s best defensive player), the Chuck Bednarik Award (nation’s best defensive player) and the Rotary Lombardi Award (nation’s best lineman). He was named Bronko Nagurski National defensive Player of the Week following his 4.0 TFL, 3.5 sack performance in the 24-20 Homecoming win over Rice on Oct. 15. That award came on the heels of National Defensive Lineman of the Week honor by the College Football Performance Awards after his 4.5 tackle for loss, three sack day in the 26-20 win over Southern Miss on Sept. 10. With 1.5 tackles for loss in the loss at Memphis. Curry has the lead in career tackles for loss among active FBS student-athletes with 47.5. CB Darryl Roberts — Along with fellow CBs Monterrius Lovett and Rashad Jackson. After giving 10-yard cushions to wide receivers all season in the defense's bend-don't-break philosophy, the corners may be asked to play some man-to-man press coverage against East Carolina. ROSTER REPORTQB A.J. Graham —— Graham suffered a shoulder injury in the week 11 game and had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right (throwing) shoulder last Friday. "Surgery went well and he'll be fine," said Holliday. "The labrum is a thing that once it's healed, it's good. He's got some rehab to do and, hopefully, by spring he'll be fine." DT Marquis Aiken—— Aiken, who is playing with a hernia that will require post-season surgery, sat out the physical part of practice Tuesday. WR Jazz King —— King, a redshirt freshman, didn't dress for practice Tuesday for undisclosed reasons OG John Bruhin —— Injured Oct. 29 in a home win over UAB and tried to play at Tulsa, but was removed from the game. He missed last week's win over Memphis. It is probable that he will return Saturday to give Marshall its original starting five on the offensive line. DL James Rouse —— Rouse has only played in three games this year, starting one, due to an unspecified back injury. The sophomore started five games as a freshman and recorded 19 tackles last year. THE NUMBERs TO KNOW12 — According to gberatings.com, the Herd has the 12th strongest strength of schedule in the nation, which is also the highest among non-BCS schools. |
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