Marshall University Athletics
Marshall Travels to Ninth-Ranked Ohio State, Saturday
9/6/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Marshall Travels to Ninth-Ranked Ohio State, Saturday
9/6/2004
Despite being located only 137 miles apart, Marshall University and the Ohio State University will meet on the gridiron for the first time Saturday at Ohio Stadium. The game, scheduled to kickoff at 3:30 p.m. EDT, will be televised by ABC.
"This will be a huge challenge for us. Ohio State has an outstanding program," Marshall Head Coach Bob Pruett said. "We have played in big places before and the crowd is one thing, but what you really have to worry about is those big, strong, and fast players you are going to be lining up against on the other side."
Ohio State, which finished ranked fourth in the nation with an 11-2 record in 2003, is coming off of a 27-6 win over Cincinnati. In that contest, the ninth-ranked Buckeyes were led offensively by Lydell Ross?s 141 yards and one touchdown on 17 carries. The OSU defense also limited UC to only 238 total yards of offense.
Marshall opened the season with a rare home loss. The Thundering Herd dropped a 17-15 decision to Troy on Saturday that marked the first time since 1983 that Marshall has lost a home opener. It was also the first time MU has lost an opening game at Joan C. Edwards Stadium (opened in 1991) and only the seventh time Marshall has ever lost in the facility (MU is 98-7 at Joan C. Edwards Stadium). Troy managed to limit the Marshall offense to a mere 177 total yards and sack Herd quarterback Stan Hill eight times.
The Thundering Herd now turns its attention to a powerful Ohio State team and a familiar opponent in coach Jim Tressel. Tressel is 2-3 lifetime against Marshall, with all five meetings coming during his tenure at Youngstown State.
Marshall?s first national championship in 1992 came at the expense of Tressel?s Penguins, however Tressel?s Penguins took two other national titles from the Herd in I-AA National Championship games. Marshall was coached by Jim Donnan in the previous meetings and Saturday's game will mark the first time Pruett has faced Tressel.
In addition to Tressel, Ohio State defensive coordinator Mark Snyder is a 1988 Marshall graduate who played collegiately for the Herd, helping MU to a 1987 National Runner-Up finish. He later served as an assistant at Marshall.
Saturday?s game will be only Marshall?s second visit to a Big 10 school ever in its 105 years of college football. Marshall lost 34-24 at Michigan State in 2000. The game will also mark the Herd?s second-ever game in front of more than 100,000 fans. Last year, Marshall lost a close 34-24 contest at Tennessee in front of 106,520.
Mike Tirico will call the play-by-play for ABC's broadcast, with Terry Bowden and Tim Brant providing analysis. Sam Ryan will serve as the sideline reporter.
In addition to ABC's regional coverage, the game can be heard on not only the Ohio State and Thundering Herd/ISP Radio Networks, but nationally via the USA Radio Network. Larry Kahn and Gino Torretta will call the game with Troy West adding sideline commentary.
