Marshall University Athletics
MCGILL: Herd might need to defy trends against Middle Tennessee
10/4/2019 11:07:00 AM | Football, Word on the Herd
The Marshall football team will open Conference USA play Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
By Chuck McGill
HerdZone.com
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall defied a couple of recent trends when it defeated Ohio, 33-31, at home on Sept. 14. Both numbers have to do with the opposing quarterback, and both could come into play when the Thundering Herd plays at Middle Tennessee on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
First, Ohio quarterback Nathan Rourke had an interception-free game. Entering that contest, Marshall had been 5-15 in its last 20 games when not forcing the opposing team to throw at least one interception. Also, Rourke scampered for 118 yards on the ground –on only nine carries – and the Herd had lost three of its last four games when the opposing QB rushed for at least 25 yards. Rourke more than quadrupled that, but Marshall (2-2 overall, 0-0 Conference USA) found a way to pull off the home win.
A similar challenge awaits Saturday. Middle Tennessee quarterback Brent Stockstill, who led his team to the C-USA East Division championship last season, is gone. In his place is sophomore Asher O'Hara, who has faced defenses from the ACC (Duke) and Big Ten (Iowa and Michigan), but has performed admirably. O'Hara has completed 78 of 111 passes (70.3 percent) with eight touchdowns and two interceptions. His completion percentage is in the top 20 nationally, and he had interception-free games against Duke and Iowa. The Hawkeyes' defense is ranked in the top five nationally.
"The quarterback is playing extremely well," said Marshall defensive coordinator Brad Lambert. "He reminds me of Brent from last year. He gets himself out of a lot of issues; he runs the ball well; he makes you miss. He's played against some really good people and he's made those guys miss. He presents problems for you. He's a really good runner of the ball and he's not a guy who is going to slide."
O'Hara is Middle Tennessee's leading rusher, and he has led the team in rushing in all four games.
That written, here's a sliver of good news for those rooting for Marshall. Lambert, who was the head coach at Charlotte last season, played against Stockstill – and Stockstill's father, Rick, who is Middle Tennessee's head coach – last season. The Blue Raiders won, 21-13, but not because of Lambert's defense. Charlotte held Middle Tennessee to 33 rushing yards on 32 carries and 144 yards of total offense. MT averaged 2.77 yards per play.
Even so, Marshall coach Doc Holliday and the Herd are zeroed in on O'Hara, who has passed the ball or kept it on the run on 163 of Middle Tennessee's 237 offensive plays this season.
"I thought when (Stockstill's) son left there'd be a little bit of a void at that position, but they've got a guy named O'Hara who looks like a clone," Holliday said. "He's lined up against Michigan, Iowa and Duke – three really good teams – and he's thrown for a bunch of yards, he's completing over 70 percent, he's rushed for over 200 yards and that includes 11 sacks. He'll be a challenge for us."
And a challenge for Marshall to defy recent trends again.
CHALLENGES FOR THE OFFENSE
In Stockstill's 14 seasons coaching Middle Tennessee, he has developed a reputation for his defensive approach. The blitzes and the looks are unique, but the Marshall coaching staff has a different issue this season. MT has faced three major conference teams – Michigan, Duke and Iowa – so the looks the Herd sees Saturday afternoon might not be the same as what was shown in non-conference play.
This is the C-USA opener for Marshall and Middle Tennessee.
"It's a tough week of game-planning because of who they played," MU offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey said. "If you watched the film this year you'd say they're not as crazy, but that includes an Iowa team who is 22 personnel; a Michigan team who is big personnel. He's shown it all, but he hasn't shown as much as he did last year at certain times. We're preparing for everything. We've got the game plan in for everything that could show."
ROAD TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP
Middle Tennessee defeated Marshall in Huntington last season, and then won the East Division crown and earned a spot in the C-USA championship game. MT lost to UAB, 27-25, in the title game.
Marshall's 2-2 non-conference performance this season isn't all that different than what Middle Tennessee and UAB accomplished in non-conference play last season. MT, like this season, finished 1-3 in non-conference play before regrouping and winning its division in Conference USA. Middle Tennessee lost to Vanderbilt (by 28 points), Georgia (by 42 points) and, late in the season, to Kentucky (by 11 points). MT's only non-conference win was against Tennessee at Martin.
UAB, like Marshall this season, finished 2-2 in non-conference play, beating Savannah State and Tulane, and losing to Coastal Carolina and Texas A&M.
"Every team in our league is going after the same title," Marshall offensive lineman Alex Mollette said. "The non-conference games are still important, but conference games are when you find out what teams are made of."
The running back Mollette blocks for, Brenden Knox, agreed. The eight-game stretch that begins Saturday in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, gives Marshall a chance to wipe away its final non-conference game and begin the pursuit of a C-USA championship.
"Conference play brings out the best in people," Knox said.
Chuck McGill is the Assistant Athletic Director for Fan/Donor Engagement and Communications at Marshall University and a seven-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).
