Marshall University Athletics
Marshall Football Postgame Notes
10/4/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
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Marshall listed 69 players on its travel roster to Old Dominion. The only two-deep player not on the trip is wide receiver Davonte Allen, who was injured in the Herd's win at Akron (Sept. 20).
Marshall game captains, as chosen by Coach Doc Holliday and his staff, are center Chris Jasperse, wide receiver Tommy Shuler, defensive tackle James Rouse and cornerback Darryl Roberts. For Jasperse, Rouse and Roberts, it is the third captaincy selections by the coaching staff this season. It is Shuler's first.
Cornerback Keith Baxter made his first start of the season for the Herd, which opened in a nickel defense (with defensive back Corey Tindal at nickel). It is Baxter's 10th career start.
Center Chris Jasperse will made his team-leading 44th career start (every game he's played at Marshall), tied for most among active offensive linemen in the FBS. The Marshall record for starts - as an FBS program (1997-present) -- is 52 by offensive tackle Steve Sciullo (1999-2002) (does not include specialists).
Running back Devon Johnson's 38-yard run in the first quarter is the seventh rush this season of 30 or more yards for the Herd.
Wide receiver Tommy Shuler's first-quarter reception gives him at least one catch in 32 straight games (streak started in 2011 Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl).
Cornerback Darryl Roberts' first-quarter interception was his first this season and fifth of his Herd career.
Linebacker Raheim Huskey got his second punt block of the season (Rhode Island, Sept. 6). Running back Brandon Byrd's recovery for a touchdown was his second score of the season and the first punt block returned for a score since Derek Mitchell went 35 yards with a blocked punt at Purdue on Sept. 29, 2012.
Marshall's 28 points in the first quarter are the most in a quarter since MU had 28 points in the first quarter of the Herd's 2013 home win over Southern Miss.
Old Dominion's first-quarter touchdown (0:36 left) is the first touchdown allowed by Marshall in a first half this season.
Quarterback Rakeem Cato's five pass attempts in the first quarter gave him 1,750 career plays, moving into No. 8 in C-USA history in career total offense plays. He has passed Danny Wimprine (Memphis, 2001-04, 1,748 plays).
Quarterback Rakeem Cato's streak of consecutive games with a touchdown pass is at 37, which leads active FBS quarterbacks and ranks second all-time (Graham Harrell of Texas Tech, 2007-09, had 36). The NCAA record of 38 belongs to Russell Wilson (N.C. State and Wisconsin, 2009-11). Oregon's Marcus Mariota is second among current FBS quarterbacks with 31 games heading into the Oct. 11 game at UCLA.
Wide receiver Tommy Shuler's made nine catches, moving past College Football Hall of Famer Mike Barber (1985-88) for No. 3 on the Herd career list. Shuler has 256 catches. Barber had 249. Next on MU career list, at No. 2, is Darius Watts with 272.
Quarterback Rakeem Cato has passed Kevin Kolb (Houston, 2003-06) for No. 3 in completions in C-USA history. Cato has 973. Kolb had 964. No. 2 is Chris Redman (1,031 at Louisville, 1996-99).
In his first game at wide receiver, Deon-Tay McManus' 16-yard catch late in the second quarter is his career first. He's the 14th Herd player to catch a pass this season.
Wide receiver Deon-Tay McManus' touchdown catch (final minute of second quarter) was the first of his career. He is the 10th MU player with a touchdown this season.
Marshall's 42 points in the first half are the most in a half for the Herd since scoring 52 in the first half of a 66-21 Edwards Stadium victory over Buffalo on Oct. 12, 2002.
Running back Devon Johnson had 198 rushing yards, matching the four 100-yard rushing games in the first five games that the Herd's Darius Marshall had in 2009.
Running back Devon Johnson had 198 yards on 20 carries. Marshall's last 200-yard rusher in a game was Darius Marshall (203 yards on 25 carries vs. Memphis, Sept. 26, 2009). Johnson had three touchdowns, the same as Darius Marshall had in that 2009 game.
Wide receiver Tommy Shuler has nine catches for 81 yards (5:38 left in third), and his career yardage of 2,753 passes College Football Hall of Famer Troy Brown (2,746) for No. 7 on Marshall's career receiving yards list. No. 6 is Nate Poole, at 2,840. So, Shuler has passed two CFB Hall of Famers today, passing Mike Barber in career receptions in first half.
Running back Remi Watson (102 yards) had a 100-yard rushing day for the second straight game (5:32 left in third). The Herd has eight 100-yard rushing games this season already, after getting 10 in 14 games in 2013.
Quarterback Rakeem Cato had 218 yards total offense in the game (end of third quarter), passing Byron Leftwich for No. 2 on Marshall career list. Cato has 12,089 yards. Leftwich had 12,084. Chad Pennington's 13,048 is the MU total offense record.
Quarterback Rakeem Cato passed for 198 yards (18-of-23, 2 TD, 2 INT) in three quarters of play at Old Dominion. That halts a 32-game streak in which the senior passed for at least 200 yards. The last time Cato didn't reach 200 air yards was in his freshman season - Nov. 17, 2011 at Memphis (13-of-23 for 150 yards, 1 TD and 2 INT). Marshall won that game, 23-22.
Justin Haig's eight point-after-touchdown attempts gives him 169 for his career, tying Kevin Fitzpartick (Tulsa, 2008-11) at No. 4 in PAT attempts in Conference USA history.
