Herd ready to begin conference play

- By Trace Johnson

The Marshall University football team begins its quest for a second straight Conference USA Championship Saturday when the Old Dominion University Monarchs come to Huntington in the C-USA opener for both teams. 

The Herd’s non-conference schedule came to an end following a dramatic 36-29 double overtime win at Kent State University on Sept. 26. 

Marshall struggled at times against the Golden Flashes, but the Herd finished strong to secure a hard-fought victory.   

The Herd takes a 3-1 overall record into its showdown with ODU and head coach Doc Holliday said during his weekly press conference that his team is excited for the start of C-USA play.  

“It’s a new season and we’re excited to be at home again against Old Dominion this week,” Holliday said.  “Leadership will be a key to being successful and it’s all about the preparation that goes into it.  We’re excited to get into our conference for our first game.” 

The Herd could be playing without star running back Devon Johnson on Saturday. 

Johnson was limited to only five carries against Kent State and both of his ankles were heavily taped.  Holliday said his status for Saturday’s game is day-to-day. 

Sophomore running back Tony Pittman filled in for Johnson nicely against Kent State with 24 carries for 129 yards and two touchdowns. 

“That defense I think was giving up 1.9 yards per rush and he averaged 5.5,” Holliday said.  “The last two runs he made in that overtime to go win that game, he wasn’t going to be denied on those two runs.” 

Holliday also said wide receiver Hyleck Foster has been working with the running backs recently and hopes he will be in the game on Saturday at running back for the first time in his Marshall career.  Foster was previously a running back in high school. 

This will be only the second meeting ever between Marshall and ODU.  The Herd rolled ODU 56-14 last season in the Monarchs’ debut season in C-USA.     

Much like Chase Litton for the Herd, ODU’s Shuler Bentley is a freshman quarterback following a record setting quarterback from last season.  Bentley is replacing Taylor Heinicke, the Monarchs’ all-time leading passer, who is now with the Minnesota Vikings. 

“He’s (Bentley) got all the skills,” Holliday said.  “He’s got a great skill set and he had a couple of tremendous drives against about everybody he’s played, and he’s made a lot of great throws.” 

ODU sophomore running back Ray Lawry is averaging 118.8 yards rushing per game and has six touchdowns runs through the first four games of the season.  Holliday said Lawry and Pittman are similar running backs. 

“They’re very similar backs,” he said.  “Good, hard-nosed, downhill guys.” 

ODU comes into this contest at 2-2 overall.  The Monarchs have wins over Eastern Michigan and Norfolk State, and losses to NC State and Appalachian State. 

The Herd has a common opponent with ODU in Norfolk State.  Marshall defeated Norfolk State 45-7 while the Monarchs defeated them 24-10. 

Holliday said having a common opponent helps in preparation for ODU.  “That helps because you understand personnel a little bit because you’ve played them,” he said. 

“We played them a year ago and they have the same coordinators, so we’ve got a pretty good idea of what we’re going to get.” 

The Herd’s C-USA opener against ODU kicks off Saturday at 3:30 p.m. from Joan C. Edwards Stadium.  

Herd eyeing for bounce back win vs. Norfolk State

- By Trace Johnson

            After a disappointing loss to the Ohio Bobcats, Marshall is eyeing for a bounce back win Saturday against the Norfolk State Spartans. 

            The Herd’s typically efficient offense struggled against the Bobcats.  Marshall threw for only 106 yards in the game and for the first time since Oct. 15, 2011, failed to have a passing touchdown. 

            Those offensive struggles were addressed in head coach Doc Holliday’s weekly press conference and he said a change will be made on Saturday when the Herd squares off with Norfolk State. 

“As you know, we did not play as well as a team because we weren’t the best team out there last week, so we’ve got to work extremely hard this week on becoming a better football team, becoming better individuals, and we’ve got to become better offensively,” Holliday said.  “So the plan is to play both (Michael) Birdsong and Chase Litton in this game on Saturday.”

Litton, a freshman quarterback out of Wharton High School in Tampa, Florida, will see the field for the first time in his young Marshall career.

“I saw Chase and Birdsong make plays all through camp, but there’s no doubt in my mind Birdsong earned the job throughout spring and all throughout camp, but when you get in that game, you’ve got to make plays,” Holliday said.  “Chase does a lot of things very natural.  He’s very athletic, he makes throws, and he does all those things.” 

Holliday said the plan was to redshirt Litton, but he is concerned with the present state of the team rather than the future.  “I think that was the plan,” he said.  “If you felt Birdsong was your guy, you'd like to separate the two, but at the end of the day, I'm all about winning football games. I'm not concerned about five years down the road.” 

Holliday also said Litton would “probably” be in the game by the team’s third offensive series. 

Norfolk State, a member of the FCS, comes into its showdown with Marshall at 0-2 overall.  The Spartans lost 63-13 at Rutgers in Week 1 and lost 24-10 at Old Dominion in Week 2.    

If history means anything, the Spartans are at a disadvantage already.  Since the Herd’s return to FBS football in 1997, the program is 15-1 against FCS competition. 

Norfolk State is led by former Florida Atlantic quarterback Greg Hankerson, who Holliday says will be a challenge to defend.  “When you turn the film on and watch him, he's a problem,” he said.  “For Rutgers, he was problem. For Old Dominion, he was a problem, so he'll be a problem for us if we don't contain him. He's tremendous.” 

Holliday also said linebacker Deon King is a standout player on the Spartans’ defense and he could play for any team in the country.    

Falling victim to an upset loss is extra motivation for the Herd heading into this game.  “Every Sunday, you pick up the paper and somebody loses that shouldn’t,” Holliday said.  “You’ve just got to work your tail off and make sure it’s not you.” 

The first ever meeting between Marshall and Norfolk State kicks off Saturday at 3:30 p.m. from Joan C. Edwards Stadium and will be televised by the American Sports Network.  

Herd rallies for historic win over Purdue

- By Trace Johnson

Despite ups and downs throughout the Purdue game on Sunday, Marshall got it done when it mattered the most.  The Herd now prepares for their rivalry with the Ohio Bobcats on Saturday night. 

Marshall Head Coach Doc Holliday said his team showed great heart battling back to defeat the Boilermakers.  “I thought our team showed a lot of heart and came out in the second half and played extremely well,” he said.  “Our strength program and the way we practiced was the reason we won that football game.” 

The Herd immediately ignited the sellout crowd of 38,917 when junior safety Tiquan Lang intercepted Purdue quarterback Austin Appleby on the first play from scrimmage and returned it 30-yards for a touchdown, giving Marshall a 7-0 lead just seven seconds into the game.

The Boilermakers responded nicely to the early adversity as sophomore running back D.J. Knox found the end zone from 4-yards out to cap off an 11-play, 75-yard drive to tie the game at 7 apiece with 10:36 remaining in the first quarter.

Marshall’s offense found the end zone for the first time on the day when junior quarterback Michael Birdsong, making his first start for the Herd, connected with senior running back Devon Johnson and after an impressive run after the catch, Johnson found pay dirt from 20-yards out to give Marshall the lead back at 14-7 with 6:18 remaining in the first quarter.

The Herd’s offense got the ball back and added to their lead as sophomore kicker Nick Smith, making his first collegiate start, connected on a 42-yard field goal to extend Marshall’s lead to 17-7 with 3:00 remaining in the first quarter.

Purdue drove down the field following the field goal and the drive was capped off as Appleby, after an impressive stiff arm to the Marshall defender, connected with senior wide receiver Danny Anthrop from 9-yards out to cut the Herd’s lead to 17-14 with just 36 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

The Herd threatened to add to their lead as they had the ball at the Purdue 20-yard line, but the Boilermakers’ pass rush got to Birdsong and he fumbled the ball, allowing Purdue to jump on it and take over at their own 28-yard line.

The only score in the second quarter followed that turnover when Appleby found the end zone from 1-yard out to cap off a 12-play, 72-yard drive and give Purdue a 21-17 lead with 7:35 remaining in the second quarter. 

That score held and the Boilermakers led the Herd 21-17 as the teams went into the locker rooms at halftime. 

Marshall got the ball to start the second half and immediately drove down the field as Birdsong hooked up with sophomore tight end Ryan Yurachek from 1-yard out to give the Herd the lead back at 24-21 with 11:47 remaining in the third quarter. 

As they did throughout the game, Purdue had an answer as freshman running back Markell Jones capped off a 9-play, 70-yard drive by finding the end zone from 36-yards out to give the Boilermakers the lead back at 28-24 with 8:33 remaining in the third quarter.

After an exchange of punts, the Herd added another field goal by Smith, this time from 32-yards out, to cut Purdue’s lead to 28-27 with 3:37 remaining in the third quarter.

The Marshall defense came up big on the following offensive series by Purdue as senior safety Taj Letman intercepted Appleby and gave the Herd’s offense the ball at their own 22-yard line.

However, Marshall squandered the opportunity as Birdsong was quickly intercepted by Purdue junior safety Leroy Clark and the Boilermakers took over at the Herd’s 30-yard line.

Marshall’s defense once again came up big as they forced Purdue into a field goal attempt, an attempt that bounced off of the left upright and missed.

But the Herd’s offense was in a giving mood in the third quarter and the normally sure-handed Johnson fumbled after breaking free for a 33-yard run and the Boilermakers recovered at the Marshall 25-yard line. 

As the fourth quarter began, the Purdue offense was driving again.  However, Marshall’s defense came up with a big stop as the Boilermakers got the ball down inside the Herd’s 5-yard line. 

Purdue had to settle for a 22-yard field goal to extend its lead to 31-27 with 10:14 remaining in the fourth quarter.

After an exchange of punts, the Herd’s offense got the ball back and embarked on an 11-play, 84-yard drive behind a poised Birdsong to take the lead back.  The drive was capped off when Johnson muscled his way into the end zone from 6-yards out to give Marshall a 34-31 lead with just 2:50 remaining in the fourth quarter. 

Appleby and the Boilermakers’ offense got the ball back and drove to their 40-yard line before the Herd defense made what would be the game-winning play.

On a third down and 10, Lang yet again intercepted Appleby’s pass, and Lang sent the sold out crowd into a frenzy as he returned the interception 55-yards for a Marshall touchdown, his second interception for a touchdown in the game.  The Herd extended its lead to 41-31 with just 1:20 remaining in the game.

Purdue’s offense wasn’t going down without a fight, however, as they drove the ball down to the Herd’s 36-yard line.  But Marshall senior cornerback Keith Baxter iced the game as he intercepted Appleby’s pass and returned it to the Herd’s 43-yard line. 

The Marshall offense ran out the final seconds to secure the Herd’s 41-31 victory over Purdue for the program’s first ever win over a Big Ten opponent.   

Lang finished the day with arguably one of the best defensive performances in program history with 17 tackles and 2 interceptions for touchdowns, the first player in Marshall history with two interceptions for touchdowns in one game. 

“He’s a tremendous player,” Holliday said.  “He’s got ‘it.’  You talk a lot about the ‘it’ factor and he’s not extremely big, he’s not extremely fast, but he’s a heck of a football player.”

“I just saw the ball and he threw them right to me.  On the first one I saw it in his eyes, he looked right at me,” Lang said.  “On the second one, I knew somebody had to make a play on defense and I went out there, made a great catch and ran it in to put the team back on top.”

In his first FBS start, Birdsong finished the game completing 23 of 36 passes for 234 yards with two touchdown passes and one interception.  He also had 43 yards rushing on 10 carries.

“I thought he was tremendous,” Holliday said.  “We have to take care of the ball, we had a few turnovers there that we can’t have, but I thought for his first start in this environment, against a much improved Big Ten team, I thought he played extremely well and I’m proud of the way he took some shots and then came back in the second half.”

Holliday said the sold out crowd, which was the third largest crowd in Joan C. Edwards Stadium history, was a big factor in the game.  “The number one thing I’m proud of is our fan base,” he said.  How about that crowd?  That’s what happens with great programs and great teams and your fans show up like that.  The biggest reason we won that game was because of the people that showed up and I can’t say enough how proud I am of our fans.”

Holliday also said his team has improvements to make as the season progresses.  “I think the most improvements a team makes comes between games one and two.  There’s no doubt that we can get a whole lot better,” he said.  We made a lot of mistakes out there today, but there are a lot of unknowns in a first game with a lot of first time starters and a team that’s just starting out too.  I think we made a lot of good adjustments in the second half, offensively, defensively and on special teams.”

The Herd travels to Athens, Ohio on Saturday night for a 7 p.m. kickoff with Ohio in the 2015 edition of “The Battle for the Bell.” 

The Significance of Hosting a Big Ten Team

By Trace Johnson -             

            The Marshall Football program will be in an unfamiliar situation this Sunday when the Purdue Boilermakers come to town.

            Purdue will be the first Big Ten Conference football team to make a trip to Huntington in Marshall Football history and the game will be the first time in program history Marshall will open up the season at home on a Sunday.

The Herd is 0-5 all-time against Big Ten competition, however all of those were away from the friendly confines of Joan C. Edwards Stadium, a place where the Herd is 142-26 all-time since the stadium opened in 1991.  That is good for a .845 winning percentage, which is the third best home winning percentage of any FBS program. 

There is no denying the significance of this game and the excitement continues to grow throughout the whole Marshall community. 

“It’s a great opportunity for us,” Marshall Head Coach Doc Holliday said.  “It’s the first time in the history of the school a Big Ten team is coming in here so I know the fans are excited, our community is excited, and I know our players are.” 

Marshall Athletics Director Mike Hamrick, who scheduled the home-and-home series with the Boilermakers that began in 2012, shares the same enthusiasm about the game. 

“To get a team like Purdue with their tradition, their name, the quality opponent that they will be from arguably one of the best conferences in college football, I think it’s a compliment to Marshall, it’s a compliment to Huntington, it’s a compliment to everybody who supports our football program, and it’s a compliment to our football program that a Big Ten team would come here and play us,” Hamrick said.  “We’re really looking forward to it.” 

According to Jason Corriher, the Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations at Marshall, Purdue’s visit to Joan C. Edwards Stadium will be only the seventh visit from a “Power 5” conference team since Marshall made its return to major college football in 1997, compiling a 1-5 record in those games.  This will be the first time a “Power 5” opponent will make a visit to Huntington since Virginia Tech in 2011.

“I think it’s a great tribute to our program,” Holliday said.  “It’s a great tribute to Mike Hamrick and what he’s had the opportunity to do because we’ve got Purdue coming in here, a year down the road we’ve got Louisville coming, we’ve got NC State coming, we’ve got Pitt coming, we’ve got Navy coming, so it’s just a tribute that they think enough of Marshall University to come here and play us in our stadium and I think it’s a great opportunity for our program and it says a lot about where our program’s going.” 

Hamrick says the game will open up many opportunities for the football program.  “The game’s on national TV.  It’s on a Sunday and no other college games are on TV that day, so if you’re looking to watch college football, you’re going to watch Marshall play Purdue, so it puts us at a level where we’re perceived at the same level as a Big Ten team,” he said. 

“It will help us significantly from a recruiting standpoint, not just for athletics, but for the university because it exposes Marshall to potential students,” he said.  “It’s just a great opportunity to bring the entire Marshall family together.” 

Marshall is encouraging all fans to wear kelly green for the “15 Green Acres Kelly Green Out” promotion.  The Herd and the Boilermakers kickoff at 3 p.m. on Sunday in front of a national TV audience on Fox Sports 1.