Marshall University Athletics
MCGILL: NC State visit an increasingly rare treat for fans
9/19/2018 12:38:00 PM | Football, Word on the Herd
Historical matchup, ideal weather should generate late ticket push
By Chuck McGill
HerdZone.com
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Dave Doeren, North Carolina State's sixth-year head coach, has been working in college football since 1995. He knows what his undefeated Wolfpack team is going to encounter when it enters Joan C. Edwards Stadium on Saturday night.
"(Marshall is a) very storied program," Doeren said Monday at his weekly news conference.
Check.
"The best winning percentage at home in college football," he said of the Thundering Herd .829 success rate at Edwards Stadium.
Check, check.
"It'll be sold out, I'm assuming," he said of Marshall's 38,016-seat on-campus football stadium.
Not yet, coach.
Although sales have been brisk this week, Marshall's home game against N.C. State this Saturday night – under the lights – is not sold out. If you're reading this and aren't committed to attending the game – or know someone who is on the fence – consider this list or grab a friend or five and come hang with our wonderful Herd family this Saturday night:
Home team – ATTENTION: Marshall is 2-0 and hosting a team from a Power 5 conference (or old Big East) for the first time in school history. REPEAT: This has never happened before. The Thundering Herd, after having last week's game at South Carolina cancelled because of Hurricane Florence, welcome N.C. State having won twice in two games. Take a look at when other BCS/Power 5 teams visited: Marshall was 1-0 when it hosted K-State in 2005; 0-1 vs. WVU in '07; 3-2 when Cincinnati came to town in 2008; 0-1 when WVU returned in 2010; 1-2 when Virginia Tech played here; 0-0, obviously, for the 2015 season opener against Purdue; and 1-1 when Louisville and eventual Heisman winner Lamar Jackson played in Huntington two seasons ago.
Opponent – N.C. State, of the Atlantic Coast Conference, represents one of the best visiting teams in Marshall's history. N.C. State was picked third in the preseason poll in the ACC's Atlantic Division behind Clemson and Florida State, and actually received two first-place votes. The Wolfpack received votes in The Associated Press and Coaches' Top 25 polls this week. Oh, and quarterback Ryan Finley is routinely listed on 2019 NFL mock drafts as a first-round talent.
Kickoff – Is there a prettier sight than Edwards Stadium under the lights? The sun will set during the game and give way to the bright stadium lights. It's a late September evening start time, so weather is expected to be perfect. Speaking of …
Weather – WOWK-TV chief meteorologist Spencer Adkins is calling for ideal football weather this Saturday. He sees clouds in the forecast, but no rain, and temperatures in the 70s at kickoff.
Extra points – Saturday has been declared "Reggie Oliver Day" in memory of the Marshall football legend who passed away Aug. 14. There will be a pregame video in Oliver's honor, and members of the Young Thundering Herd will be there to participate in the ceremony and serve as honorary captains for the coin toss. A total of 10,000 shirts will be handed out as part of the athletic department's "Stripe the Stadium" promotion. Also, this is a nationally televised game, so a packed stadium and vibrant crowd will help showcase the school and program as a Power 5 team visits a Group of 5 school.
That's getting to be a rare sight these days – a P5 hitting the road to battle a G5 – and likely will happen less often in the future.
"My experience tells me, and forecasting into the future, that it's going to be more difficult to get Power 5s to play at Group of 5 schools," said Mike Hamrick, who is in his 10th season as Marshall's athletic director. "Home-and-home contracts with Power 5 schools are going to be harder to get."
There are only 20 such games in college football this season, including Saturday's matchup in Huntington. So far, Group of 5 teams are 6-11 this season when hosting Power 5 programs. Old Dominion hosts Virginia Tech on Saturday and UCF gets to welcome Pittsburgh next Saturday.
Pitt, oddly enough, is the only P5 program scheduled to visit Huntington after this season. In a deal announced on Oct. 7, 2014, MU and Pitt agreed to a two-game home-and-home contract for the 2016 and 2020 seasons. Marshall has already visited Pitt, and the Panthers are scheduled to return the favor on Sept. 26, 2020. There are no agreements with Power 5 schools imminent, so N.C. State could be one of the last opportunities to see an opponent from one of college football's toughest leagues.
Doeren continued his comments about Marshall by saying this Saturday's game is "an opportunity" to "play in a good place."
Then, he said something that is undeniably true: "We know their fans will be great."
Hopefully, we'll struggle to find them all a seat.
Chuck McGill is the Assistant Athletic Director for Fan/Donor Engagement and Communications at Marshall University and a six-time winner of the National Sports Media Association West Virginia Sportswriter of the Year award. In addition to HerdZone.com's Word on the Herd, McGill is the editor of Thundering Herd Illustrated, Marshall's official athletics publication. Follow him on Twitter (@chuckmcgill) and Instagram (wordontheherd).
