Marshall University Athletics
Football Hosts UTEP Saturday
10/27/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 27, 2010
HUNTINGTON - Marshall is celebrating homecoming this week and the focal point of the week's festivities will be Saturday's 3 p.m. football game with C-USA foe UTEP at Joan C. Edwards Stadium. The game will not be televised.
Marshall (1-6, 0-3 C-USA) will be looking to get on track against a UTEP squad fighting to gain bowl eligibility. The Miners enter the game with a 5-3 overall mark and a 2-3 record in conference play.
Marshall has one of the oldest homecoming traditions in all of college football. Marshall traces its homecoming roots all the way back to an 1895 game with Kingsbury High School that was held on Nov. 28th of that year. Local newspaper accounts refer to that game as a "coming home" game. Marshall is 56-44-8 (.555) all-time at Homecoming and has won 16 of its last 19 Homecoming games.
UTEP is coming off of a 34-24 loss at home to Tulane. The Miners are 5-3 overall and 2-3 in C-USA play. UTEP is averaging 28.1 points per game and limiting its opponents to 23.2 points per game. Quarterback Trevor Vittatoe has completed 146 of 267 attempts for 1,848 yards and 15 touchdowns against seven interceptions, while Joe Banyard leads the rushing attach with 395 yards and fi ve touchdowns on 74 carries. Defensively, Travaun Nixon has three interceptions and 43 total tackles, while Isaiah Carter leads the team with 63 total stops.
Marshall trails the all-time series 2-1 and lost last year's contest in El Paso, 52-21. The home team has won every game of the short series with Marshall taking a 49-21 win over UTEP in its only visit to Huntington back in 2006 UTEP leads series, 2-1.
TELEVISION INFORMATION: No TV coverage this week.
INTERNET: Saturday's game will be streamed to the internet for All-Access subscribers through Herdzone.com and the official Thundering Herd/ISP radio broadcast featuring Steve Cotton play-by-play will accompany the video feed.
PARKING: Game day parking lots will open to pass holders at 10 a.m. Saturday.
TICKET OFFICE HOURS: The Marshall University Ticket Office in the Cam Henderson Center will open at 10 a.m. Saturday. Fans can purchase tickets 24 hours a day leading up to Saturday's game through www.Herdzone.com.
THUNDER WALK INFORMATION: The team's Thunder Walk will begin in front of Hodges Hall at approximately 12:45 p.m. The team's route will take it past the first year residence halls and by the new student recreation center before crossing Marshall Memorial Blvd., turning north along the sidewalk and entering the stadium's West Lot through the north gate.
