Marshall University Athletics
Football Hosts UTEP Saturday
11/16/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 16, 2006
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Twenty one Marshall University seniors will take the field at Joan C. Edwards Stadium for the final time on Saturday when the Thundering Herd hosts UTEP. Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m.
The game will not be televised locally, however it will be available via CSTV All-Access online through Herdzone.com.
The Thundering Herd will honor the 2006 senior class and attempt to get back on track following a 33-20 loss at ECU last weekend. Marshall must win its final two games of the year in order to get to six wins and become bowl eligible.
East Carolina ended the Herd's three game win streak last Saturday by containing the Marshall run game - limiting the Herd to only 35 rushing yards in the contest--and holding standout running back Ahmad Bradshaw to a season low 26 yards on just 10 carries. ECU also took advantage of a blocked punt and three Marshall turnovers in the contest.
The loss put a damper on an otherwise amazing day for Marshall sophomore defensive end Albert McClellan. The native of Lakeland, Fla., set a Marshall school record with 6.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 of which were quarterback sacks. McClellan also forced two fumbles that were recovered by Marshall and broke up a pass in a strong effort.
Offensively, Thundering Herd true freshman tight end Cody Slate emerged with another 100-yard receiving day. Slate recorded a game-high nine catches for 140 yards and a touchdown at ECU. The Chipley, Fla., native now leads Marshall this season with 39 catches for 587 yards and six touchdowns. Slate is averaging 15.1 yards per catch and 58.7 receiving yards per game.
UTEP will be making its first ever trip to Huntington on Saturday and it will be their longest of the season. The estimated round trip distance from El Paso to Huntington is 2,860 miles. Last season, Marshall made the long trek to El Paso and dropped a 31-3 decision to the Miners.
The Miners are coming off of a 36-17 win at UAB in which senior quarterback Jordan Palmer threw for a career-high 447 yards. Palmer has completed 225 passes for 2,894 yards and 23 touchdowns this season. The UTEP standout has passed for more than 10,000 yards in his career with 10,383 career passing yards.
Palmer's top target is one of the top multi-threat players in C-USA - Johnnie Lee Higgins, Jr. The senior wide reciever leads the Miners with 67 catches for 1,103 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also handles kickoff and punt returns and is producing an impressive 162.3 yards of all-purpose yardage per game.
Defensively, linebacker Troy Collavo leads UTEP with 101 total tackles and 9.5 tackles for loss.
Marshall will also be honoring all military and emergency service personnel with a special ticket offer. Military personnel, firemen, EMS workers, and police officers can purchase discounted tickets for only $10 with a valid ID. For more information or to purchase game tickets call the Marshall ticket office at 1-800-THE-HERD.
