Marshall University Athletics
MCGILL: Marshall's 2019 football schedule is perfect
1/10/2019 9:31:00 PM | Football, Word on the Herd
Multiple off weeks, seven home games highlight slate
By Chuck McGill
HerdZone.com
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall football fans reacted in the wake of Thursday's unveiling of the 2019 Thundering Herd schedule.
The opponents were not a surprise, of course. Those have been known. Thursday afternoon's schedule release was about the order of all 12 opponents, which allows fans to plan and people like me to analyze.
The enthusiasm for the schedule, though, is what caught my attention.
"I'm in love with this schedule," one of my friends posted on Facebook. "Ohio and Cincy HERE in Huntington, SEVEN home games, and two home games in November … it's perfection."
My friend is right, you know.
Here are the highlights:
Marshall does, in fact, have seven regular season home games. That means the Herd will play in front of its hometown fans more often and the travel will be lighter for followers and student-athletes alike. That is an advantage made possible by scheduling three home non-conference games – the Conference USA schedule is always made up of four home and four road games. MU will host VMI, Ohio and Cincinnati in September, while only traveling to Boise State.
Because of a rare blessing from the calendar, Marshall will have two off weeks. Players and coaches will surely rejoice in this fact. August's preseason camp can be grueling and tiresome, so the late September off week will have its benefits. The early November off week will allow the team to lick its wounds following a rigorous stretch in October. Both off weeks are before big home games: Cincinnati and Louisiana Tech, the latter of which is the game that falls closest to the anniversary of the 1970 plane crash.
Cincinnati is one of two teams on the schedule that finished the 2018 season in the AP Top 25 poll. The Bearcats, winners of 11 games this season, ended the season at No. 24. Boise State finished at No. 23.
Cincinnati won its bowl game against Virginia Tech, and only lost road games to Temple (in overtime) and nationally ranked UCF. UC has freshman quarterback Desmond Ridder returning, and the only collegiate rookie QB who threw more touchdown passes than he did was Clemson's Trevor Lawrence. Yes, the Offensive MVP of the national championship game.
Boise State won at least 10 games for the 16th time in the last 19 seasons. You read that correctly. Since 1999, the Broncos have won at least eight games every season. Although they lose a four-year starter at QB and one of the nation's top rushers, the Broncos are appearing in a few of those "way-too-early" Top 25 rankings on various websites.
Cincinnati and Boise State had offenses that ranked in the top 25 in total offense in 2018, so it will be a significant test for a Marshall defense that lost arguably its best player on all three levels: defensive lineman Ryan Bee (graduation), linebacker Chase Hancock (graduation) and safety Malik Gant (NFL).
Another perk of the schedule is Marshall does not play consecutive road games. The Herd begins and ends the season inside the friendly confines of Joan C. Edwards Stadium. Revenge could be on the mind right away in Conference USA play as the league opener is at Middle Tennessee, which beat the Herd in Huntington in 2018.
The schedule, which you can see in full below, also features a Nov. 30 battle against FIU, which Marshall defeated in Miami to conclude the C-USA schedule in 2018. The Panthers, like the Herd, finished with nine wins, and those two teams are expected to be at the top of the C-USA's East Division when preseason picks are released.
My wish is for snow when FIU leaves the Sunshine State for the Mountain State on the final weekend of November. Make it cold. Make it uncomfortable. Make it for the East Division crown?
No matter what, it sure seems like 2019 is set up perfectly for the Herd. That is a hat tip to MU athletic director Mike Hamrick for the non-conference portion of the schedule, and the C-USA league office for the rest.
Now, we wait for spring ball. Tick, tock.
Football Schedule Marshall's 2018
August 31 – VMI
September 7 – at Boise State
September 14 – Ohio
September 28 – Cincinnati
October 5 – at Middle Tennesssee
October 12 – Old Dominion
October 19 – at FAU
October 26 – Western Kentucky
November 2 – at Rice
November 16 – Louisiana Tech
November 23 – at Charlotte
November 30 – FIU
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).
