Marshall University Athletics
MCGILL: Marshall, Charlotte have plenty on the line this Saturday
11/22/2019 10:21:00 AM | Football, Word on the Herd
Herd is trying to stay in control of the East, while the 49ers aim for unprecedented success
By Chuck McGill
HerdZone.com
CHARLOTTE – Marshall is – again – playing for its season this Saturday at Charlotte. The Thundering Herd, tied atop the Conference USA East Division standings but in control of its title game destiny via tiebreaker, cannot misstep on its fifth and final road trip of the regular season.
That would, it seems, give visiting Marshall an advantage. What team could be more locked in than championship aspirants in the twilight of the season?
Well, host Charlotte has a lot to play for, too.
"They're riding a three-game win streak," Marshall offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey correctly pointed out this week. "They're sitting 5-5 and playing for bowl eligibility. They have every reason to come out flying around and playing hard."
The 49ers, who host the Herd on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at Jerry Richardson Stadium, are on the verge of a historic win streak. Charlotte has never won four consecutive games within the same season. That sixth victory would also be unprecedented, as the 49ers have never been bowl eligible.
"There's so many positives to some of the things that are being talked about," Charlotte coach Will Healy said. "Talking about getting the sixth win; first bowl game ever; having an opportunity to play at home against a team that's winning the conference; filling the stadium. Whatever it may be, those are great conversations to have. I'm not running away from those."
Charlotte is 5-5 overall and 3-3 in Conference USA play. The 49ers have rebounded after a four-game losing streak, losses at Clemson, to FAU, at FIU and at WKU. In the past three games, though, Charlotte has defeated North Texas, Middle Tennessee and UTEP. North Texas was the preseason favorite to win the C-USA West Division, and Middle Tennessee handed Marshall its only league defeat this season.
"We know we control of our own destiny, but we don't focus on that," Marshall senior defensive back Chris Jackson said. "If you focus too far ahead you'll lose sight of the present. Every day we focus on being 1-0."
The game is Senior Day for Charlotte, but homecoming for a trio of Marshall assistants. Herd defensive coordinator Brad Lambert coached Charlotte for six seasons. MU cornerbacks coach Chip West and offensive line coach Greg Adkins were assistants for Lambert there.
"It's a unique situation," Lambert said. "I thought I would be there for them on Senior Day; I didn't know it'd be like this.
"It's a good group of players. Good people. I've got a lot of ties to them, sat in their living rooms, recruited them. It's a tough situation from that standpoint. But really fortunate to be where I am, to have this opportunity to be at Marshall, and thankful for this opportunity and what Coach (Doc) Holliday has done for me and extending me an opportunity to stay in coaching and do what I love."
Charlotte enters Saturday's game on fire offensively. Sophomore quarterback Chris Reynolds has thrown for 882 yards and six touchdowns while rushing for another 290 yards and two touchdowns during the team's three-game winning streak. During that same stretch, Reynolds and five others have posted 100-yard games by rushing or receiving: Benny LeMay (155 rushing), Aaron McAllister (104 rushing), Victor Tucker (140 receiving), Tyler Ringwood (100 receiving) and Cameron Dollar (157 receiving). Reynolds picked up 103 rushing yards on the ground in a win against Middle Tennessee.
"We know their personnel really well, and they're really good on offense and they're playing at a high level and they're scoring on everybody," Lambert said. "They're an older group. They've got some age on them up front."
That has put Charlotte in position to make history Saturday, and the 49ers are expecting a large home crowd.
"We get to play for something in November," Reynolds said. "I think that's what everybody wants to do."
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Clemson is the runaway leader for consecutive wins with 26. No other team is even close. But, Marshall is on the leaderboard after its current five-game winning streak.
The Thundering Herd is tied for seventh nationally in longest active win streaks, trailing Clemson, Ohio State (16), LSU (11), Oregon (nine), Cincinnati (eight) and Utah (six).
Other streaks to watch: Marshall has not lost the turnover battle in five consecutive games – all wins. During the same stretch, the Herd offense has not lost a fumble. Overall, Marshall has lost the turnover battle twice in 10 games this season.
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Sophomore running back Brenden Knox is rushing into the all-time record books, which is stunning for a second-year player who did not receive his first collegiate carry until the ninth game of the 2018 season.
Knox has 1,046 rushing yards this season, the 17th time in Marshall football history a player has eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards in a season. Knox enters Saturday's game with the 15th-most in a single season in school history, tucked between Darius Marshall's 1,095 rushing yards in 2008 and the two-way tie between C.W. Geiger (1977) and Earl Charles (2003) with 1,039 rushing yards.
Knox has 1,624 rushing yards at Marshall, which is in the Top 20 in school history. Knox trails Ron Lear (1979-80), who had 1,779 career rushing yards, for No. 19 on MU's career rushing list.
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Sophomore quarterback Isaiah Green is 70 yards of total offense from surpassing 5,000 for his young career. Green has played in 20 games – 19 as a starter.
In two seasons, Green has rushed for 382 yards and four touchdowns, and has 4,548 passing yards and 28 touchdowns. Overall, he has 4,930 yards of total offense.
Only 12 players in program history have eclipsed 5,000 career yards of total offense. Rakeem Cato (2011-14) is the all-time leader with 14,918 yards of total offense.
Green recently passed Stan Hill (4,705 yards) for No. 13 in school history in total offense. Next up: Brian Anderson, who had 5,508 yards of total offense from 2007-10.
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).
