The Marshall Thundering Herd won 33 contests from 2013-15. As a result, they were victories in all three of their bowl appearances. Unfortunately, that all came to an end for the Thundering Herd in 2016. Marshall plummeted to 3-9 because of a combination of injuries, a lack of offense and very.
In fact, Doc Holliday’s team put together its worst season in his eight seasons coaching at Marshall. This year, the key to turning it around rests on how quickly the new faces mix with last year’s contributors. A rebound of some form should be expected but will it be enough to get Marshall back to a bowl game?
Fans at Marshall expect that some kind of rebound performance will occur. Head coach Doc Holliday’s resume’ certainly points to that scenario. Getting themselves out of the cellar is one thing but returning the university to a bowl game is a whole other animal.
Offense
The Thundering Herd underachieved on offense in every facet in 2016. The pure statistics from last season reflect that. Last year, Marshall finished 114th in total offense and 122nd running the football. Also, the opposing team’s defenses were able to pin their ears back and launch off against quarterback Chase Litton.
Marshall made a whole sale shuffling on the offensive side in the offseason. Now, Chase Litton will start for his third straight year. More importantly, he must earn back the trust of his teammates. Litton was suspended while out with an injury for the final week of the year.
Chase Litton was constantly under pressure. His numbers directly reflect that statement. Throughout the season, Litton threw for only 2,600 yards but was smart with the pigskin. Overall, he tossed 24 touchdowns and recorded nine interceptions. Once again, he will have to work with unfamiliar faces as Marshall brings in a young and inexperienced supporting cast.
Most notably is the Miami Hurricane transfer, Tyre Brady. Brady sat out last season for undisclosed reasons. He better have an immediate impact, as five of the top six receivers from last year are gone. Tight end Ryan Yurachek will return. He brought in 28 catches for almost 300 yards and five scores.
The Thundering Herd’s rushing attack completely stunk last season. They finished right at the bottom of their conference in both rushing yards a game (108) and yards per carry (3.3). Leading rusher Keion Davis returns with his partner Anthony Davis. Together, the two combined for just over 800 yards and eight trips to pay-dirt.
Defense
As bad as the offense was last year, the defense might have been worse. They ranked 107th in the nation in points allowed, allowing 35.2 points a game. The reason for all the points is because they couldn’t put up resistance against the run or the pass.
In 2016, the Thundering Herd ranked 99th against the pass, giving up over 250 yards per game. Following suit, the run defense allowed over 200 more yards which placed Marshall at 89th in the country.
The good news for Marshall is that help is just around the corner. The defensive minds moved talented defensive end Ryan Bee to the interior. Because of the move, they were able to add a playmaker to the mix while shifting Davon Durant and Damien Dozier to defensive end. Now, former linebackers will bring speed to the Thundering Herds pass rush.
Coach Holliday also signed a pair of linebackers with a whole lot of upside from junior college. Donyae Moody and Artis Johnson will make an immediate impact. Lastly, the Thundering Herd added Cornerback Jaquan Yulee. Yulee was one of the Class of 2016’s top players nationally, before sitting out a season ago.
The back half of the Marshall defense will be their strength. Cornerbacks Rodney Allen and Chris Jackson are along for another ride. Also, free safeties C.J. Reavis and Kendall Gant will be back hawking on opposing receivers over the middle.
Prediction
Marshall is hoping to reverse their fortunes from a year where everything that could go wrong did. Whether it was their on-field execution or their off-field chemistry, the Herd had one issue after another. The friction culminated in a 3-9 campaign. However, there is plenty of new talent coming in, providing
However, there is a lot of new talent moving in. That is what the university will have to depend on to turn the program back in the right direction. What remains to be seen is how it will all hold together when adversity strikes. If the Herd can solve that issue, a rebound season is in order.
The days of the ten win seasons and multiple bowl appearances are still quite a ways away. Yes, Doc Holliday signed some superior athletes and picked up a few impressive transfers. That’s still not enough for a winning season with the two conference favorites on the schedule. If the Herd can somehow fight their way to .500, and go to a bowl, I’ll stand corrected.
Odds gurus have the Marshall Thundering Herd’s team total at five and it’s juiced to -130. I’m not betting this team because there are just too many unanswered questions. Five usually would be an insult but considering the circumstances, I’m holding my ground. The powers that be also have the Herd at 16 to 1 to find a way to win the conference. That seems like a sucker bet to me.
Schedule
Sept. 2: Miami (OH)
Sept. 9: at NC State
Sept. 16: Kent State
Sept. 23: OPEN DATE
Sept. 30: at Cincinnati
Oct. 7: at Charlotte
Oct. 14: Old Dominion
Oct. 20: at Middle Tennessee
Oct. 28: FIU
Nov. 3: at Florida Atlantic
Nov. 11: Western Kentucky
Nov. 18: at UTSA
Nov. 25: Southern Miss
The getmoresports.com NCAA College Football Throwdown Podcast will be returning to the air on August 24th. We will be highlighting the first five games on August 26th of the 2017 NCAA College Football season. That will be the first of three installments leading into the first week of the season. We also we will be covering our expectations for the Heisman Trophy front runners as well as predictions for conference winners and team totals.
Our second NCAA College Football Throwdown is penciled in for August 29th. In that installment, we will be discussing all the games that will be played on August 31st and the 1st of September.
Our third segment will officially be airing on August 31st. In this edition of the NCAA College Football Throwdown, we will be covering all the relevant games for Sept 2nd, 3rd, and 4th.
Keeping with tradition, EJ the Rainmaker and Erik the Hun will give their predictions for the contests. On top of that, we will be providing our dog play of the podcast as well as cash money plays for the week. Join us for all three opening episodes and improve your college football knowledge while increasing the size of your sports book betting account. Come join us and help everyone make it rain. #moneytreesgrow Also, feel free to download the
Join us for all three opening episodes and improve your college football knowledge while increasing the size of your sports book betting account. Come join us and help everyone make it rain. #moneytreesgrow Also, feel free to download the getmoresports app from the Google Play Store. It makes finding all your sporting information easy and available with just a touch of an icon on your mobile device.
